By KATIE DE VERTEUIL
Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club is once again calling on the community to get behind its Buoyed Up with Tackers sailing program.
Each year the local sporting group seeks to raise in excess of $60,000 to fund the initiative which is designed to provide Indigenous children aged from seven to 12 years old with a fun, confidence building sailing experience as a reward for improvements in school attendance and behaviour.
However, with no state or federal support the task is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
“The lack of attendance of Indigenous children at school remains a massive issue and teachers can’t change this if these students aren’t coming through the doors,” club sailing manager Paul Blundell said.
“This program is a soft touch way of encouraging school attendance through rewarding those who do come through selecting them to participate in Buoyed Up.
“And we have seen first-hand the results with some students having gone from 20 per cent attendance to 85-90 per cent.”
Participants not only complete a tackers level one certificate but, more importantly, are given the opportunity to build self-esteem, develop motor skills, enhance resilience, learn about their environment and value team work.
An evaluation of the program by the University of Canberra Institute of Sports Studies found that the new positive experiences may be the key to re-engaging children at school and reducing the risk of social exclusion for disadvantaged children.
“With a better education these children will not only be helped in the present but their future prospects will be enhanced tenfold allowing access to greater employment options and more affordable and comfortable lifestyles,” Mr Blundell said.
“However, as a small community sporting club we just do not have the funds to run the program each year.”
With a recent generous donation of $1000 from a Sydney lawyer for the program, Mr Blundell is hoping those closer to home will also show their support.
“If the 5000 local businesses of Noosa gave just $1 a month, they would have enough money for the year,” Mr Blundell said.
“Or, with over 30,000 motor vehicles registered in the Noosa region, if every car owner donated $2 a year we could fund the program for a year.
“These statistics prove that if we each just pitch in a little, we can help make a difference to these young children’s lives.”
All donations are tax deductable and can be made online by visiting asf.org.au/donate/?projectID=1861.
Further information about the program can also be found on this website.
