Vital funds raised for kids
A TEAM on motorbikes rolled into Toowoomba on a mission to raise funds and awareness for child abuse and neglect.
The team of nine Ride for a Cause bikers left Brisbane on Monday to cover 2000km over five days in support of Act for Kids and was in Toowoomba yesterday.
Act for Kids CEO Dr Neil Carrington said the ride was led by ambassador and Mercedes-Benz Brisbane dealer principal Shane Parkins.
“Act for Kids is an organisation which is focused on prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect,” Dr Carrington said.
❝ It is about making sure we can work beside that family and get their lives back on track. — Dr Neil Carrington
“Our centre in Toowoomba and Roma services the south-west through a program called intensive family support.
“That is about working with families who perhaps are in a little bit of difficultly, and helping them before things get worse.
“It is about making sure we can work beside that family and get their lives back on track.”
Act for Kids is in its 29th year and has been in Toowoomba at the University of Southern Queensland since 2015. All its services are free.
“Everyone wants to think it’s the police responsibility or the government’s responsibility. But it’s not,
it’s everyone’s responsibility to look after kids,” he said.
“That is our vision. That all kids have a happy and safe childhood and we don’t think that is too much to ask.”
Act for Kids program manager south-west Heidi
Fowler said at any one time they had about 100 families on their books at one time, which added up to about 400 children.
“We have a consistent flow of referrals. I think the great thing is we work in families’ homes and we work
to really support them,” Ms Fowler said.
“In the last quarter we travelled more than 30,000km to get to homes. It is huge numbers but it is so important to support families and in their own homes.”