Earlier this year, Member for Murray Helen Dalton MP put out the call for community and business members to get behind supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters in Griffith.
Michael Borg heard the call. Mr Borg is a Flight Lieutenant (AAFC) and the Commanding Officer of 340 (City of Griffith) Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets. He also wears a number of other hats within the broader community.
“I can have up to 30 Cadets in my charge at any one time, and that scares me as I do not want to lose another young person,” Mr Borg said
“The suicides we’ve had over the last year, year and a half, have affected my Squadron in one way or another.”
The high school students that form 340 Squadron attend the local high schools and they know each other.
“We did lose one of our ex cadets in 2019,” Mr Borg said.
“That really hurt.”
As a member of the NSW Rural Fire Service, Mr Borg also has personal experience being called out to do a search. As a result of his experiences and his love for young people, Mr Borg put his hand up as an interested party. Little did he know that he was going to be nominated to chair the group.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia is an organisation that helps support young people and their families through mentoring with the aim of preventing further loss of young people due to suicide.
Mentors are vetted before being matched with a child or young person aged between 7 and 17 years with similar interests. Mentoring has proven to provide a safe environment for these young people to build their confidence, increase their resilience and open their minds to new possibilities.
Even small choices can change the course of their future, so having a caring adult in their lives that they can trust enough to confide in and look up to is a huge benefit.
“We are not Counsellors or psychologists,” Mr Borg said.
“This program is another support mechanism. The people who are mentors are everyday people from within the community wanting to make a difference, this is why they are a Big Brother or Big Sister.”
Mr Borg said that people within the community could help in a number of ways:
Become a mentor by visiting the Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia website at Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia - Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Volunteering to serve on one of the sub committees.
Donating funds at https://bigbrothersbigsisters.grassrootz.com/bringing-big-brothers-big-sisters-to-the-griffith-riverina-region
Mr Borg said that they were currently looking for funding to employ a part-time worker to work with the mentors and ensure they have the resources they need and to help facilitate the local initiative. They need $55,000 in order to accomplish that goal. Generally, funding goes towards training, screening and supervising the matching of volunteer mentors with vulnerable young people within the Riverina community.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton MP said it was fantastic to see the Griffith community help out in bringing the Big Brothers Big Sisters service here.
“We have an advisory group going, we’ve started applying for grants and will be organising fundraisers next year,” Mrs Dalton said.
“This really is a much needed service. Our youth suicide rate is way too high. I’m determined to get this program going. If you’d like to help, please contact my Griffith office.”
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