Generous grant to Teen Challenge Tasmania

L-R – Adults:Laura Wheatland, Genni Ellis, Darcy Lake, CBA Bank State Manager, Abe Taylor – (CBA Branch Manager – Launceston) Mark Brown (at Rear), Tanya Cavanagh – Executive Director (Front), Sam Thiele (Rear), Peter Ferral (Director – Front), Helen Duffey, Diane Hooley, Nancyann Walters, and Holding Sign (Children) – Kayden and Mason Duffey

A generous grant, funded by staff of the Commonwealth Bank, has been presented to Teen Challenge Tasmania (TCT) in support of their #NotEvenOnce (NEO) Alcohol and Other Drugs Demand Reduction Project into High Schools, Sporting Clubs and Community Forums.

TCT is focused on turning young people away from the ‘top of the cliff’ of drug and alcohol addiction. The NEO education project, established in 2015 operates within the framework of the Australian Curriculum and aims to prevent addiction by raising awareness of the underlying causes of substance use among school students, sporting clubs, parents, teachers and communities. The powerful presentation, which includes real life stories from Teen Challenge graduates, who have recovered from addiction, challenges listeners to think about the choices they are making for their lives and provides strategies and tools to help build resilience and empower them to make intentional and positive choices for their futures.

Tanya Cavanagh, Executive Director of Teen Challenge Tasmania says “There are a lot of misconceptions and myths out there, about drugs and alcohol and what they do and don’t do to our brains and bodies. Alcohol and other drugs are often used as a coping mechanism that merely ‘masks’ the pain of underlying and unresolved issues. NEO highlights the consequences of the use of alcohol and other drugs and suggests proven and more constructive ways to deal with pain and stress”.

According to the findings of the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) – 2015 Tasmanian Drug Trends Report, the number of arrests related to the use of methamphetamine alone has increased dramatically from 2013/14 (72 arrests) to (383) in 2015. This represents a massive 432% increase in ‘Meth’ related crime in Tasmania in just one year. Whilst methamphetamine is not the only drug presenting a problem within our families and communities it is possibly the most high profile, and studies such as this indicate that its use and the associated problems are a major issue of concern and in dire need of address.

Since commencement, the NEO has reached over 4000 students and community members and feedback from all forums has been overwhelmingly positive. The Project has been delivered into 8 Northern Tasmanian High Schools, a number of community forums and is quickly expanding throughout local sporting clubs. One parent who attended a seminar at Latrobe Football Club commented; “My first session like this anywhere, there should be more like it!” And from school students; “It made me never want to try drugs because they ruin your life” (yr 8); “It was really well presented and the info they gave us and the stories were very powerful” (yr 9) and; “Definitely changes your view on drugs and alcohol quite dramatically” (Yr 8). Evaluations across 8 schools showed that 21% of students who indicated that they were likely to try drugs and alcohol before the seminar, positively shifted away from the likelihood of trying them into the future.

Strong support was also received from Teachers and Coaching Staff. Comments included: “The information and data were spot on and age appropriate”; “Of particular interest to me was how the students reported that your sessions had impacted their likely behavior into the future – Not Even Once seems to have struck a chord!” and; “The change in students has been the most positive endorsement possible for the program.”

NEO is passionate about strengthening resiliency within our young people and within our communities, to help shift the culture of thinking surrounding the use of alcohol and other drugs away from the current sense of hopelessness towards empowerment and positive change.

Ms Cavanagh expressed her appreciation for the grant funding stating, “The money will be used to purchase professional portable sound and media equipment. We greatly appreciate the CBA staff partnering with us as we deliver this vital message into schools and communities. Not every school or venue has access to AV facilities, so having our own equipment will reduce the need for expensive hire when not available in-house”.

If you are interested in having a seminar at your school, club or community venue, please contact Teen Challenge Tasmania via our website www.teenchallengetasmania.org to discuss further.
Teen Challenge Tasmania