Preparing parents for Leavers Week 2021

Before thousands of school leavers flock to the state’s South West for Leavers Week celebrations later this year, a host of organisations – including Royal Life Saving WA – are busy preparing for the event. 

WA Police provide a coordinated response for Leavers Week, giving young people who have recently finished school the opportunity to celebrate with their friends in a fun and safe environment. As part of this response, information sessions are held with parents to inform them of the events that will be happening throughout the week. 

115 parents attended two information sessions held at AQWA on 25th July and the Tradewinds Hotel on 12th August. The AQWA event was live streamed to provide parents who couldn’t attend in person the opportunity to watch. The recording is available on YouTube and can be viewed here.

Parents heard from representatives from support services and community organisations involved in the event and were given tips to talk to their children about various topics including sexual health, alcohol, and driver safety.

Speakers included Dominic Wood, Superintendent of the WA Police Community Engagement Division, Allison Hass, Principal Road Safety Consultant for the Department of Education’s School Drug Education and Road Aware (SDERA) program, as well as representatives from the WA AIDS Council and Red Frogs.

Royal Life Saving WA’s Youth Water Safety Coordinator, Georgia Eaton, delivered a presentation on the activities that will run throughout the week, highlighting the importance of alcohol and water safety education at the event. Alcohol contributes to 37% of drowning deaths in young people aged 15-24 years. With so many school leavers holidaying near the ocean in Busselton and Dunsborough for their Leavers celebrations, Royal Life Saving WA provides an important presence at the event. 

On the Wednesday of Leavers Week each year, Royal Life Saving WA hosts the BeachFest event at Meelup Beach in Dunsborough. BeachFest provides Leavers with the opportunity to relax and hang out with friends at the beach while enjoying a range of fun activities. 

Stalls were also set up as part of the information sessions, allowing parents to learn more about what each organisation does at Leavers and to ask any further questions. Support services including Hope Community Services, the Department of Health and St John Ambulance were also in attendance.

In addition to these parent information sessions, Royal Life Saving WA provides presentations to Year 12 students on how they can be safe and prepare for the week. If you are interested in a Year 12 Leavers presentation for your school, please visit the link below.