The Queensland Government implemented the Safer Schoolies safety initiative in 2003 due to the large number of Year 12 students celebrating their graduation on the Gold Coast.
Twenty years later in 2023, it is estimated that over 15,000 school leavers participated in Schoolies Week activities. Safer Schoolies ensures that year after year, there is the infrastructure in place to support young people during this week.
Although Lives Lived Well has participated in Schoolies Week in different capacities before, this year marked our official inclusion in the Safe Schoolies Response.
“As part of the Safer Schoolies Response, Lives Lived Well operated the Day Space, Welfare Space and Late Night Service, helping ensure there was always a safe and supportive environment for young people in need of wellbeing support,” Lives Lived Well CEO Mitchell Giles explained.
“The Day Space on Surfers Paradise Esplanade served as a hub for information and a relaxed environment for school leavers to chill out, the Welfare Space catered to those feeling overwhelmed or in psychological distress, and the Late Night Service offered wellbeing assessments, support and referrals.”
In the Welfare Space alone, we provided care to 95 clients. Thanks to generous staff contributions of clothing, blankets, and sanitary products, we ensured that Schoolies felt warm, dry, and comfortable. Additionally, our headspace services donated bean bags and pillows. Lives Lived Well is grateful for the opportunity to support school leavers to have a memorable and safe celebration. We enjoyed being able to demonstrate our values and skills in action, with solid clinical governance frameworks to back our work.
Other participating services included Rosies, Red Frogs, Event-Co, Queensland Police, SES, Gold Coast University Hospital and the Gold Coast Youth Service Recharge Zones.
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