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Year 8s raise funds for Doncare

Student leadership has become a large focus of the Gentle Men at Whitefriars College, along with the 2019 College theme of ‘Service’. Through the endeavours of a large group of motivated Year 8 students, service has reached far beyond the gates of Whitefriars College, with this group acting to serve and promote awareness for the organisations of Doncare and the newly founded organisation EACH.

College Youth Workers Brie Ellett and Simone Livingstone, who met on numerous occasions with the Youth Resource Officers from the local police, supported the students to facilitate a course of action that recognised building positive relationships with young people. To further advocate the ideas of the students, EACH Youth Services conducted a youth focus incursion to ascertain what young people want in community services. These ideas were taken back to the Council to propose what is needed to help young people in Manningham.

In collaboration with the Doncaster and Warrandyte Police, the young men of Whitefriars ran a barbeque fundraiser to raise both funds and awareness for Doncare. Prior to the successful day, the boys spent many weeks organising the event, raising $415 in less than an hour. The efforts of both Whitefriars College, EACH and the local police certainly delivered the EPIC service model of EACH to ‘Empower, Partner, Innovate and Connect’ young people with their community, by encouraging acts of responsibility for people beyond themselves. A truly successful event and hopefully the beginning of more advocacy for youth voice amongst the community of Manningham.

Last Friday, Angus Taig, Lucas Crema, Miss Ellett and I went to Doncare to present the cheque for funds raised in the previous term by the boys. It was great to see all the services on offer and learn more about the work Doncare volunteers had done for the community. The money raised will be donated to Foodbank, Australia’s largest food relief organisation that provides more than 70% of the produce for food relief organisations nation-wide.

 

Toby Brown

College Vice Captain