Community hero honoured

St Lucia engineer Peter Jukes has been officially recognised for bringing a love of learning to a little boy – but it’s the unofficial rewards he enjoys most.

Child Safety Minister Margaret Keech today announced Mr Jukes has won the Child Protection Week volunteer award.

“We could not protect Queensland’s at risk children without our wonderful band of volunteers,” Mrs Keech said.

“Volunteers like Mr Jukes play a vital role in our communities. They make an enormous contribution to the cultural, social and economic life of our state.

“That’s why the Bligh Government has set a target as part of our Toward Q2 strategy to boost the proportion of volunteers in Queensland communities by 50 per cent by 2020.

“We want to support safe and caring communities, and caring for our communities means investing our time, talents and energy into helping out when its needed.

“From our passionate foster carers to those like Mr Jukes who offer their time to help these children catch up in their education after their parents have failed them, I can not thank them all enough.

“Volunteers such as Mr Jukes make a genuine difference to children who need it the most and he deserves this award.”

Community groups throughout Queensland have shared in $85,000 from the Bligh Government to participate in this year’s Child Protection Week, September 7-13.

At 23, Mr Jukes doesn’t fit the stereotype of a volunteer working with children, but he simply loves it ---- and it’s earned him a 2008 Queensland Child Protection Week Award.

Mr Jukes is a volunteer with The Pyjama Foundation, a Brisbane based not-for-profit organisation whose trained mentors read aloud to children in foster care to improve their literacy.

Mr Jukes mentors a child with a developmental disability, visiting him once a week to read to him, help him with his homework, and play football with him.

“I can see the benefit in what I am doing and it is very fulfilling,” he says.

“When I started visiting him three years ago he couldn’t sit through one book; now he listens to 10 at a time.

“I love seeing him starting to recognise words and pronouncing words properly and the changes in his behaviour.”

Mrs Keech publicly honoured Ms Jukes and seven other child protection workers and advocates at this year’s Child Protection Week Awards at Parliament House on Thursday, September 11.

“These awards acknowledged the dedication, hard work and commitment of many individuals and organisations towards the protection of children and young people in Queensland,” she said

Mrs Keech said this year’s Child Protection Week theme, Children See. Children Do …Make Your Influence Positive was a reminder that it is everyone’s responsibility to protect our children.

“I commend the award recipients and I hope they inspire others to work towards the safety and wellbeing of Queensland’s children and young people.”

Other award winners are:

Professional (non-government) – Commitment to promoting child protection issues in their capacity as a professional working in the child protection (or related) field.

Lifeline Community Centre’s Robgill project team of Brett Sceats, Trent Savill, Stephen Hoban and Clare Breaden

Public Sector – Outstanding contributions to child protection at a practice, policy or service development level within the public service.

Leanne Scoines, child protection worker with the Department of Child Safety

Regional Program – Program that operates within part of, or across, a whole region to address some aspect of child protection.

Sonia Townson, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs education officer, Bamaga

Education Initiative – Development of an innovative approach or resource to promote child protection.

Detective Senior Sergeant Charysse Pond of Safehands

Youth Participation – Involvement of young people in a local activity to enhance the wellbeing of children and young people.

St Francis Xavier School, Goodna for their anti-bullying strategy

Research Initiative – Academic research or project work that contributes to improved child protection outcomes.

Dr Maree Crawford, paediatrician, Child Advocacy Service, Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane

Media – Recognises an article or series which highlight child protection issues.

Sunshine Coast radio presenter and journalist Caroline Hutchinson

For more details on Child Protection Week, visit www.cpwonline.org

ENDS

Media contact: Matthew Hyde 3235 9236