Posted on 5th December 2024
Youth Solutions campaign aims to keep them safe and well-connected
The summer season is upon us and for many, it is the peak time for catch-ups, celebrations and parties. So, the team at local youth health service, Youth Solutions, is bringing safer celebrating practises to the fore with its annual safer celebrations campaign, this year titled “Bright Summer”.
Touting the importance of connection, Bright Summer aims to bring practical tips – aka health-literacy building information – to local Macarthur and Wingecarribee young people to make safer celebrating as much a part of the summer routine as applying sunscreen.
Launching this week, the campaign is running through until the end of January with the goal of increasing awareness around the topics of standard drinks, drink spiking, what to do in an emergency, alongside understanding alcohol effects and harms. Importantly, the campaign also aims to encourage connection to support services.
The Youth Solutions team will has already started taking the Bright Summer campaign out to the community and schools, via a range of events and outreach activities, including the Festival of Fun in Wollondilly Shire (24 November), Narellan Town Centre (12 December) and at Julia Reserve’s end of year celebration (18 December).
The hope of the team is that the summer season shines brightly for the region’s young people; that they will connect and celebrate the holiday and festive season with family and friends, safely.
Members from the Hunt Family Community Foundation celebrating a safe summer with members from our Youth Solutions team
This year’s Bright Summer campaign will be delivered with the support of campaign donor, the Hunt Family Community Foundation, which came on board last year as part of its vision to invest back into the local community. Youth Solutions Chief Executive Officer, Geraldine Dean, said Youth Solutions was grateful for the funding and backing to help share health literacy information and connections to support with young people this celebration season.
“We’re very grateful to the Hunt Family Community Foundation for its support of this campaign,” Mrs Dean said. “As a youth health service, we aim to connect people to correct information about alcohol, drugs and celebrating safely, alongside support and connections to services that can help – should they need them. So, at this time of year, we focus on enabling young people to know the facts and risks around alcohol and other drugs. We encourage them to make plans in advance and have a back-up plan. We share information around things like drink spiking, standard drinks and the risk with driving, and of course, the importance of calling emergency services if there is a drug or alcohol emergency. Ensuring these messages are heard can help our young people to have a Bright Summer.”
Hunt Family Community Foundation’s Sue-Lei Hunt-Mingay said the foundation was honoured to support the safer celebrating initiative for a second year in a row.
“We are committed to supporting valuable projects and initiatives that benefit our community, particularly those that make a difference in the lives, health and wellbeing of young people. Supporting this campaign and its important messages around safer celebrating is something we are passionate about.”
Tips for a Bright Summer include:
Connect with the Bright Summer campaign content on Instagram and TikTok or visit the campaign webpage.
