News
19 December, 2024
Somerset lights up blue
Somerset now officially has a Blue Light program, with the newly formed committee’s latest meeting, on December 5, establishing there will be four Blue Light events happening in 2025 across Somerset.
The committee, established on November 16, has decided to split the huge region into four ‘clusters’, with each cluster having one event next year.
These will be: Kilcoy, Toogoolawah, Esk, and Lowood/Fernvale.
According to committee president Judyann Roberts, these were decided based on the availability of volunteers and the availability of local police stations.
“It’s just from an event management point of view that we made these four clusters.”
The committee has a lot of background volunteers, who will be key to each location and date still to be determined.
The executive committee will have to undergo specialised training in the new year, with all volunteers participating, regardless in what capacity, being required to have a blue card and fill out paperwork to be allowed at an event.
Every event is also required to have local police attend.
Blue Light events are run by police and civilian volunteers, aiming to reduce youth crime by delivering activities and events, such as discos and movie nights, along with early intervention and crime reduction programs.
“These cluster areas will be supported by local volunteers, so we can facilitate events in areas where it’s accessible to the majority of the community,” she said.
“People can choose whatever event they want to go to, regardless of where in Somerset they live.”
“The meetings are the core committee, but then we will have sub-committees in each cluster who help organise each area but overseen by the executive committee,” she said.
Ms Roberts said the committee is hoping the first event will take place at the end of March, with the cluster event, as they are locals of their township and will be able to help in the organisation for that cluster.
“We’ve had very positive response from the communities, in terms of volunteers, with community organisations and schools offering their halls for the events,” Ms Roberts said.
The committee also received a laptop donation from Ross Pratt, in Esk, to help with their organisation.
