Good News

Approx. 200 people converged on Shang

Park, Mooroobool on Friday 25th June for

the bi-annual SPAYC+PLACE SuperSession.  Participants enjoyed

tennis, karate, basketball, Edor, AcroKids,

street soccer, running and walking, hip hop Afro dance and noodle hockey.  There were also local performances including Sounds of Mooroobool, Seasons of Dance and guest performers from Street Elements Dance Studio and hip hop dance battles.

 Australian Red Cross kindly donated and

prepared healthy hamburgers for everyone.

On Wednesday 23rd June, 15 SPAYC Cadets (Intake 2) were celebrated at a Graduation Ceremony in front of family, friends, mentors, dignitaries and past Graduates after successfully completing the 6-month leadership and mentoring program. Gerard Ndale won the Leadership Award for demonstrating exceptional commitment to the program. Congratulations!

Despite the major impact that COVID-19 had on all club sports last year, participation in sports this year is thriving with around 100 young people being connected across nine (9) sporting codes through the Parks to Clubs program so far this year. Thanks to the Parks to Clubs initiative these girls were able to join a sporting club where they will receive mentoring and support whilst participating in their chosen sport of AFL.   The newest recruits for Cairns Hawks Junior Football Club can now enjoy the 2021 Youth Girls AFL Cairns Season.  

 Participants in the SPAYC+ program have been keeping active with the first in a series of adventure walks around the region taking place on Tuesday 15th June.

To burn off their pent up energy the group ran up the popular Yellow Arrow walking track and back down.  After some dinner to re-fuel the group headed to the Cairns Esplanade to enjoy some basketball and volleyball activities.

Parks to Clubs recruits, Sarsha Myngha-Thompson and Akallah Canuto travelled to Horn Island recently to participate in the Migi Kokan Hockey carnival. The Cairns West State School Aspire Leadership group team competed against 11 other teams from the region where they made connections and friendships and displayed great leadership skills. Students were selected based on a minimum 90% school attendance and good behaviour. 

Another of our SPAYC Cadets, Chris, has successfully passed his Prep-L course and got his learners drivers license.  Like Jacques and other Cadets he will now receive driving lessons with National Job Link's driving school to get him some practical driving experience.  

SPAYC Cadets, Jacques, has successfully passed his Prep-L course and got his learners license.  He will now receive driving lessons with National Job Link's driving school to get him some practical driving experience.  

18-year old Jo-Nesha (JoJo) Daniels of Mooroobool is Graduate of our first SPAYC Cadets leadership program in 2020 and recipient of the illusive Leadership Award. Throughout the 6-month program, mentors from Harbrow Mentoring supported JoJo to become job ready and has recently JoJo scored herself a full-time traineeship with JT Academy.  We are so very humbled to have watched her growth and extremely proud of everything that she has achieved! 

Recently we had a surprise visitor to Shang Park and Murray Street, comedian Gabrielle Willie aka Bush Tucker Bunjie who dropped in to talk to the kids about being strong and resilient, share a healthy snack, followed by a game of the popular Traditional Indigenous Game of Edor.  

Thanks to PCYC Indigenous Programs and Harbrow Mentoring Australia

 OurSPAYC Seasons of Dance program is an inclusive dance program for people of all ages, cultures and abilities. 

Participants are currently working towards a performance at the upcoming SPAYC+PLACE SuperSession.

Meet some new people and be introduced to some dance and body movement routines by our wonderful Miss Rose from The Dancing Rose every Tuesday from 4-6pm at The MaraWay. 

 The SPAYC Karate Kids program encompasses the domains of health and wellbeing such as connection to land/country, culture spirituality ancestry, family and community.  Participants are currently working towards a community demonstration at the upcoming SPAYC+PLACE Supersession

This FREE activity is delivered by Sensei Hassan every Wednesday from 2.45-3.45pm at Cairns West State School. 

Cairns West Deadly Runners + Walkers have been an activity provider for SPAYC+PLACE  since the trial stage (and prior to funding) of the program.  It continues to gain popularity with residents in Manoora participating every Friday afternoon at Murray Street Park.

Always a popular activity with young people, Basketball in Shang Park, SPAYC+PLACE facilitators were joined by youth workers from Youth Empowered Towards Independence (YETI) to provide positive engagement with role models.  The team at YETI also provided a barbeque for the youth.

Tennis Hot Shots at Shang Park has proved to be a great success, with new Facilitator Matt McCray from Baseline Tennis engaging up to 25 young people who were keen to learn techniques on how to hold a tennis racquet correctly and practiced volleying the ball.  Working with modified equipment helps kids to develop basic skills and techniques to get them interested in the game.

We have just wrapped up another jam-packed SPAYC+PLACE school holiday program delivered in the Cairns West area.  With some of our regular favourites such as Edor and Street Soccer, there were also lots of fun activities added to the program including Hip Hop Afro Dance, Big Party Games, Slip 'N' Slide and Playground Tag.

SPAYC Cadets showed their leadership skills by volunteering at the Harmony Day event held on Saturday 20th March at Cairns West State School.  The Cadets were seen backstage assisting with co-ordinating the performers, assisting as MC at the front of the stage, as well as helping with the set up and pack down of the event.

Sensei Hassan Bin Tahal of  Zenadth Kes Karate School shared the ancient art of Karate to participants at the Harmony Day event  held on Saturday 20th March at Cairns West State School.  Participants were fully engaged in the lesson where Sensei talked about how to remain physically and mentally strong by using the correct technique and through consistency.

 The newest activity on the SPAYC+PLACE program, AcroKids in the Park, tests your co-ordination and balance through a range of yoga poses.  A big hit at the Harmony Day  event  held on Saturday 20th March at Cairns West State School, Taryn and Leo built up the confidence of the participants who wore big smiles whilst being suspended in the air. 

The Nepalese and Bhutanese cultural dance group presented the New Nepali Lok Song / Aakashai Ko Kalo Badal dance at the Harmony Day event  held on Saturday 20th March at Cairns West State School. The performance expressed their longing and love for their homeland as they embrace their new home here in Australia.

Chinese community member Bill Lee Long family and Mayor and Mrs Manning sharing stories of family migration and the benefits of Manning Pies in sport circa 1970’s at the Harmony Day event  held on Saturday 20th March at Cairns West State School.  

SPAYC Cadets graduates of 2020 continue to be engaged and connected with a wide range of opportunities.  Three of our Cadets shadowed the End Credits film crew assisting with filming the Harmony Day event held on Saturday 20th March.  Participants and Elders at the end were delighted to share their views on the importance of culture and community coming together in harmony.