PCYC Queensland’s Oakey Connect, recently recognised in the 2026 Toowoomba Australia Day Awards, has delivered programs to Oakey young people for nearly five years, and has changed many lives in that time.
Nominated for Community Group of the Year, the team headed by Dale Smith and Nicole Fagan with the support of Sergeant Chantal Kelly and Senior Constable Fraser McLauchlan, deliver youth and community programs via outreach, heading to local schools, hosting barbecues and providing fun, opportunities and support to young people in the area.
The Oakey Connect team spends the majority of time running in-school programs encouraging teamwork and resilience building across the region. They are also active in the community with weekly Drop In basketball sessions and weekly barbeques in Oakey.
Program Coordinator Dale Smith said some of the schools are an hour out of Toowoomba and don’t have access to many events or programs.
“We provide something they can look forward to each week. Something fresh and fun,” Dale said.
Program Coordinator Nicole Fagan said the Oakey Connect team all love working with young people and in some cases, helping change their lives.
“We spent a lot of time and effort with one girl who was having trouble with a teacher. We worked on building resilience and communication skills. With our help and guidance this young lady improved her relationship with the teacher and had no negative behaviour reports! It’s cases like this that reinforce the value of what we do,” Nicole said.
Oakey Connect is funded by New Acland Coal to provide services and support to young people in Oakey and surrounds including Goombungee, Kulpi, Jondaryan, and Quinalow.
