Vanessa Hall  
Editor  

IN less than a month, a weekly ‘Drop In’ held in Coolum’s Tickle Park has fostered a surge in positive community engagement and relationship building between local young people, local police and PCYC.

Each week the turnout has grown with young people joining local officers for friendly chats, games and an all-important BBQ – all for free and held in one of the most picturesque beachside parks on the Sunshine Coast.

Sergeant Mark Haestier from QPS, who is also a Youth Club Program Manager with PCYC Sunshine Coast, said the response to the Drop In at Tickle Park has been outstanding.

“70 young people engaged positively with us, which is a sensational achievement.

“More and more teenagers are attending and starting to engage in the session, which was the original intention.”

Each Friday, the Drop In kicks off at 3.30 pm in Tickle Park in Coolum and runs until just on dusk, which is around 5 pm.

Local Councillor Maria Suarez dropped by the most recent Drop In and praised the positive community event.

“Great work Queensland Police and PCYC Sunshine Coast – we love having you here in Coolum.

“Around 50-70 young people turn up each week to have fun with PCYC and Coolum Police, with really positive comments from participants.”

The Hon Dan Purdie MP, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Member for Ninderry, also shared similar feedback.

“Congratulations to the Sunshine Coast PCYC team for this positive youth engagement initiative.

“Putting on a game of touch footy and cooking some snags is a great way to build rapport and provide a safe place for young people to hang out in Coolum Beach.

“In only a few weeks, they’ve seen numbers grow to nearly 70, which shows how well this fantastic initiative has taken off.”

The Drop In is FREE to attend and will run each Friday from 3.30 pm in Tickle Park in Coolum Beach.

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