The wait is over for the Caboolture community, with the all-new PCYC Caboolture officially open.
The hotly anticipated new club has reopened in a modern, fit-for-purpose new space conveniently located at 152 King Street after 30 years in its previous location.
The new club has a dedicated youth space, multipurpose sport, recreation and community areas, an upgraded gymnastics facility, a state-of-the-art 24/7 Gym+Fitness centre, and an outdoor basketball court. This will allow PCYC to build on its strong community connections and welcome even more locals to enjoy everything it has to offer.
PCYC Queensland CEO Phil Schultz said the response from the community had been incredibly positive.
“We have had so much interest and excitement from the local community which is really encouraging,” he said.
“I know this club will cement itself at the heart of the community here in Caboolture.
“Even more young people can access programs like After Dark, Drop In, our Youth Leadership Team, and our driver mentoring program Braking the Cycle, families can enjoy Gymnastics and Little n Active, and we’ve already had lots of interest in our Gym+Fitness Centre.”
The new, $17.5 million PCYC Caboolture is being delivered in partnership with the Australian Government ($10 million funding), the Queensland Government ($5 million funding) and Moreton Bay Regional Council ($2.5 million funding).
2026 started with some wild weather across Queensland, with Winton being just one of the places heavily affected by rain and flooding. Winton has just one SES member so the community relies on extra support in times of disaster. This time PCYC Emergency Services Cadet Sally was there to help!
Sally worked alongside SES personnel, door-knocking and advising residents to evacuate as flood waters rose. Sally found the experience incredibly meaningful, feeling a strong sense of purpose in supporting a community in need and helping ensure residents’ safety.
Sally says her time in Emergency Services Cadets has helped her feel more knowledgeable and confident when approaching situations like this, particularly in communicating with others and delivering important safety warnings to the community.
Well done Sally!
As Term 1 approaches, 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for PCYC Aquatics, with PCYC Queensland set to take over management of the much-loved learn-to-swim school at The Gap in late January.
This marks the organisation’s second PCYC Aquatics service, following the recent opening of its first facility in Allora, and signals PCYC Queensland’s growing presence in the sport and recreation space.
PCYC Queensland CEO Phil Schultz said the move into aquatics was a natural next step for the organisation and welcomed the opportunity to establish a presence in The Gap just months after the Allora opening.
“All Queensland children need to learn to swim, and as an organisation with such a long history of providing high quality sport and recreation activities, we are well placed for this,” he said.
“We look forward to working with the local community to make it a vibrant hub for health and connection.”
PCYC offers a range of engaging aquatic programs, including learn-to-swim classes. The pool will also open up employment opportunities for locals interested in aquatics and youth development.
Sport and Recreation Manager – Aquatics Ilka Lebbink said the response from The Gap community had already been enthusiastic.
“We have had so much interest in our learn-to-swim programs already, and we just can’t wait to welcome the community to the pool to enjoy all PCYC Aquatics has to offer,” she said.
“We are pleased to become a part of this great community.”
Our Emergency Services Cadets Youth Psychological First Aid (PFA) pilot has now wrapped up across all participating Units in the Wide Bay-Burnett region, and what a powerful journey it has been.
Across Gin Gin, Biggenden, Hervey Bay and Childers, Cadets and Volunteer Leaders embraced the training with a strong sense of responsibility to their communities. Our young people showed us that they are more than ready to engage in conversations about wellbeing, support, leadership and resilience.
Dilo Alazeez, 17, has passed his driving test, and that’s not the only milestone he’s marked – he is the 550th graduate of Braking The Cycle at PCYC Toowoomba.
Braking The Cycle supports learner drivers without access to a supervisor or registered vehicle to complete their 100 logbook hours. Volunteer mentor drivers guide learners on their way to passing their driving test.
Braking The Cycle Program Coordinator Tim Darr is proud of Dilo’s hard work and determination, noting that Dilo is not the first in his family to come through the program.
“Dilo is keeping it in the family, after his older brother Sameer gained his license via Braking The Cycle in 2022,” Tim said.
PCYC Queensland CEO Phil Schultz said Braking The Cycle provides young people with the freedom and independence to help them connect with their community.
“Having a licence doesn’t just give these young people the key to drive, it gives them the key to finding and maintaining employment, pursuing study opportunities or the ability to support their families and the wider community,” Phil said.
PCYC is looking for more volunteer mentor drivers. PCYC provides full training and support to help mentors guide participants in becoming safe and confident drivers.
As Queenslanders ready themselves for summer and the festive season, road safety returns to the spotlight – and a PCYC Queensland driver mentor program proven to produce safe drivers is calling out for volunteers to keep building safe driving habits.
Braking The Cycle (BTC) connects learner drivers who lack access to a car or supervising driver with trained volunteers who guide them through the 100 hours of practical experience needed to become safe, capable motorists.
This year, a study by BTC funder Motor Accident Insurance Commission and Queensland University of Technology found that drivers who learned to drive via BTC were safer drivers who were involved in fewer traffic accidents and offences than others of the same age.
That’s thanks in no small part to the mighty team of volunteer driver mentors – and as demand for the program grows, PCYC Queensland is calling out for more mentors.
PCYC Queensland CEO Phil Schultz said the study findings confirmed the value of the program, and of the mentors who guide young people towards achieving their licence.
“Our mentors give young people the confidence and the right advice to make good decisions behind the wheel,” he said.
“Every hour a volunteer spends with a learner helps make our roads safer for everyone.”
PCYC Queensland is currently seeking more volunteer mentors right across Queensland. Volunteer Services manager Andrew Parkinson said the role offers a meaningful way to give back.
“Mentoring is a practical way to make a real difference, and all our mentors say it’s deeply rewarding,” he said.
“You don’t need special qualifications and you’ll receive full training and ongoing support. You just need patience, empathy and a driver’s licence.
“We hear all the time that our mentors get as much out of BTC as the learners do.”
Gauta Brown is a driver mentor who works from PCYCs Logan and Inala, and has done for six years. He said being a mentor gives him purpose, and he values the rapport he has with young people.
“When they get their licence, it is a really great feeling; knowing I have played a part in helping them get to that next part of their life, because everything opens up when you have your licence,” he said.
“They are all so different, but they all really need someone who is calm and confident, who won’t judge them or be too hard on them, and who is patient. That’s the approach that I use.
“Sometimes it feels like we are doing more than simply teaching these young men and women to drive and we are building their confidence, too.”
A love of teenagers and a belief that everyone deserves a chance at independence is what drives Braking The Cycle mentor Miriam Houweling in her volunteer role.
For 18 months, she has volunteered as a driver mentor with PCYC’s Braking The Cycle, one of a statewide team of volunteers helping young learner drivers build up their 100 driving hours.
Braking The Cycle allows young learner drivers to build up their 100 driving hours with volunteer mentors like Miriam. The program is designed to assist young people who don’t have access to a car or an adult at home who can supervise their driving.
Miriam said she has always enjoyed volunteering, and was seeking new opportunities when she moved from Ipswich to Mackay. She joined the Older Women’s Network , and learned about Braking The Cycle at PCYC Mackay.
She knew this was a role where she could make a difference and feel connected to the young people she was helping.
“I love spending time with teenagers, they all have their funny quirks. If I show them respect, then they show me respect,” Miriam said.
“They all deserve a chance in life,” she said.
Miriam recommends volunteering to anyone who has time to give, and she encourages Mackay locals to come in to PCYC and find out more. PCYC provides full training and support to help mentors guide participants in becoming safe and confident drivers.
PCYC Queensland CEO Phil Schultz said Braking the Cycle provides young people with the freedom and independence to help them connect with their community.
“We have more than 700 BTC volunteers across the state who provide their time, skills and experience to help young people who may not be able to access or afford driving lessons the chance to gain their driving skills – and become safe drivers for the future,” Phil said.
“Having a licence doesn’t just give them the key to drive, it gives them the key to finding and maintaining employment, pursue study opportunities or the ability to support their families and the wider community.”
Having grown up at PCYC doing dancing and swimming as a child, then participating in youth programs as a young person, Krista Flick has come full circle and is now a Practice Leader in the Organisation Development team at PCYC Queensland.
Krista has worked at PCYC for 10 years, and her history with PCYC goes back to childhood with her parents being Life Members of PCYC.
The role of the Practice Leader is to ensure that we are delivering evidence-based quality programs to young people in our communities. In this role, Krista makes sure that PCYC’s programs are informed by listening to the voices of young people in our communities as well as experts in the field.
Krista said she is often out and about, consulting with people, talking with people, and listening to what they’re saying or what they’re not saying.
“I spend a lot of time connecting with young people, communities, and experts across the state, the country and even internationally to make sure our work is informed by a diverse range of voices and that our research is broad, informed and meaningful,” Krista said.
“PCYC Queensland has two Practice Leaders working towards our programs being based on best practice and evidence, so we can deliver programs in a safe and effective way. There is also a focus on delivering programs in the way that is most practical for young people. We are in constant consultation with PCYC volunteers, participants and young people within communities. We centre the voices, thoughts and opinions of young people. Young people are the experts in their own lives and their communities, and they know what they need.”
In her time with PCYC, Krista has seen first-hand what a difference our programs can make in the lives of young people, and remembers fondly the time she spent at PCYC Sunshine Coast as a child.
“PCYC creates a space for all young people. Even those who might have been ‘written off’ or overlooked by the adults around them can find a place to belong here, and we help them rewrite their story. “One of the best things about my job is knowing the impact that our work will have on young people and the lives that it will change.”
Duke of Edinburgh Australia hosted an Ambassador Event in Brisbane to shine light on the important outcomes that the program achieves in front of an audience of generous donors.
PCYC was represented by Chantel Walmbeng (21), Police Liaison Officer and Bronze Awardee from Aurukun; Troy Hudson (15), Bronze Awardee from Napranum; and Lilly Matthews (19) Gold Awardee from Bundaberg.
Our Awardees formed part of a panel and responded to questions relating to their Duke of Edinburgh experience. They represented PCYC with confidence and maturity and collectively offered a public display of the far-reaching impact that PCYC Queensland is having through this incredible program.
PCYC Queensland CEO Phil Schultz said it was an absolute pleasure to attend
“It was great to hear from these young people and see firsthand the impact the program has on PCYC Queensland’s young people,” Phil said.
The young people in PCYC Queensland’s Emergency Services Cadets (ESC) program are nothing short of inspiring.
They’re stepping up in big ways, and proof that the future is in good hands: in the past year, they’ve rolled up their sleeves and lent a hand during natural disasters, learned life-saving skills, and taken on leadership roles within their communities.
When ex Cyclone Alfred swept across Southeast Queensland in March, communities prepared for flooding and long nights of hard work.
Among those stepping forward to help were three ESC units, activated to support their local SES teams by filling sandbags and helping prepare their towns for severe weather. The cadets took on tasks usually handled by trained volunteers, freeing SES crews to deal with urgent jobs such as tarping roofs and responding to emergency calls.
The spirit that drove those cadets into action is the same spirit shown by Jack Daw, ESC participant who, with his father, rescued a man from a burning vehicle near Gin Gin, pulling him to safety moments before the car was fully engulfed.
His courage, leadership and calm response reflect the values that sit at the heart of the ESC philosophy.
The ESC program provides young people with a safe, fun and inclusive environment that offers them practical life skills and leadership opportunities. It is delivered in partnership with QPS and QFES and is usually based out of local emergency service facilities. Cadets try everything from first aid and search and rescue to radio comms, K9 demos and team challenges. Led by volunteer Adult Leaders and supported by real emergency services crews, the program helps young people build confidence, make friends and discover what it’s like to be part of the emergency services community, whether as a volunteer or in a future career.
One of the highlights each year is ESCape Week, a hands-on adventure where cadets try marine rescue, water safety challenges, search scenarios, fire equipment training and even sessions with Polair and the bomb squad.
Program Coordinator Kerrieann Ruatoka said her favourite part was watching the students stretch themselves.
“There is such a great sense of connection, energy and growth. It is really rewarding to hear the positive feedback from both students and staff about the impact the program is having,” she said.
That same sense of teamwork is carried into the annual Cadet Games, held in Brisbane and Townsville. Cadets from PCYC Queensland, Surf Life Saving Queensland, Australian Army Cadets, Royal Australian Air Force Cadets and Australian Navy Cadets participate in activities that tested communication, skill and problem solving.
ESC Program Manager Sue Bernard described the event as busy, exciting and full of connection.
“The day is all about the young people getting together with cadets from other organisations and making connections in a fun way, and of course plenty of competitive spirit,” she said.
