Community & Business
21 July, 2022
PCYC Oakey funding returns
New Hope Group has donated $360,000 to the PCYC Toowoomba branch to ensure the continuation of the Oakey Connect Project after learning the program was unable to secure government funding.
In a win for the Oakey community, the funding will allow the Toowoomba PCYC to employ two specialist youth workers full-time for the next two years.
This means beloved program coordinator and youth worker Kat Medland will continue to work in Oakey.
General Manager at New Acland Mine, Dave O’Dwyer said he was happy to announce New Hope Group’s partnership with the PCYC for the next two years.
“We’re here today not so much to talk about the mine and New Hope, but to talk about the PCYC and the community here in Oakey,” he said.
“It’s definitely not a publicity stunt and I object to it being called a publicity stunt, but we’ve always been really strong in the community.”
“The PCYC reached out looking for support and they went to state and federal looking for support through their usual channels and couldn’t get it,” Mr O’Dwyer said.
“We’re really proud to have stepped in and provided them with certainty for the next two years.
“We’re also in talks right now with the PCYC about how else we can help out as well, not just financially, but also through interaction with the mine and helping out with some of their programs.”
Youth club manager for Toowoomba PCYC Sergeant Cam Crisp said he was thankful for New Hope coming to the party at the eleventh hour.
“We’ve been out here for a year and half in the Oakey community doing good things,” he said.
“We have been advocating for funding for quite some time.
Sgt. Crisp said it was tremendous news for Oakey and the young people out here, and that it’s great news that there’s potential for funding beyond two years.
“In the world that I live in, most contracts are twelve months.
“Which means you’re working for six months, then you’re working for six months to get the contract renewed.
“Two years is just good news.
“It basically takes the pressure off, so rather than chasing my tail all the time, it gives you a bit of relaxation to know you’ve got a future out here.”
Sgt. Crisp said without this last-minute funding, the Oakey program would’ve certainly closed.
“We will now have a second Kat and have two workers out here, and I’ll supplement them with staff from Toowoomba… so it’ll get bigger and stronger.
“We recently had a big community day with over 400 people attending.
“You quite often hear that Oakey is the forgotten neighbour and we’re trying to fill that hole.
“Our goal working with New Hope is to make these kids more productive, keep them in school and get them a job.
“And through my programs we can get them a driver’s licence and then potentially get them a job on the mine.
“That’s what youth development is all about – let’s take the kids from where they are now to productive citizens.”
Program Coordinator for Oakey Connect Kat Medland said she was speechless when she found out she could stay here working with the youth in Oakey.
“I was shocked and I just wanted to tell the rest of Oakey when I found out, but I couldn’t,” she said.
She said youth development and engagement is the best way to help young people stay out of trouble.
“You build a rapport and a relationship with the kids, you see them all the time, you see them at the skatepark, you pull over and have a chat with them and see how everything’s going.”
Kat said she wants to continue running the existing programs, including the weekly box out sessions, girls groups, ladder program (which transitions year 6s to year 7) and the fitness challenge.
“Mainly the Breaking the Cycle program, which aims to help young people get their licence because a lot of people out here don’t have transport or access to get to Toowoomba,” she said.
Kat said she has aspirations to introduce and implement a mental health program.
Over the past 20 years, New Hope Group has donated more than
$7 million to local community groups, including to schools in the Oakey District, the Lions Club of Oakey, Goombungee Golf Club, Oakey Chamber of Commerce and Oakey Hospital.
“Our track record of providing social and community support to many, varied community groups over the past two decades speaks for itself,” New Hope Group said.
“We are grateful for the encouragement of our many supporters and we intend to continue to proudly support the Oakey and Darling Downs communities.”
