In 2016 Port Adelaide will be helping to deliver school programs that develop wellbeing and resilience skills in students most at need.
Power Community Limited, the community arm of the Port Adelaide Football Club, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Wellbeing and Resilience Centre which kicks off the initiative.
In 2016, along with its Power to End Violence Against Women program, Power Community Limited will introduce a Resilience program for students in years 4 to 8 in twenty schools across South Australia.
Power Community Limited will also deliver a remodelled Empowering Youth program to engage students in ten secondary schools across the State who are at risk of disengagement.
As part of the agreement the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute will coordinate training programs to educate Power Community Limited staff on the required skills to deliver resilience programs in schools.
Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said it was important that we all played our part to ensure young people are leading fulfilled lives.
“We all want to enhance the wellbeing and resilience of our young people,” Mr Thomas said.
“Sometimes, however, it’s not that easy and you need to draw upon your reserves of resilience to get through difficult circumstances that life confronts us with.
“Our players are no different and over the last few years have confronted times of grief and setback but with the support of the community around them have successfully bounced back.
“As a club we want to continue to give back to our community and we feel this program is an effective and meaningful way to do so.
“Through our community programs our players and staff want to share with students the lessons learnt about being resilient and about the need for gratitude and a focus on wellbeing.
“The MOU that we have signed with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute will allow us to bring highly credible, structured programs to young people in our community.”
Power Community Limited has made a strategic decision to use its programs to help address some of the greatest areas of need in South Australia.
Mr Thomas said the club will first offer its programs to schools in the western and northern suburbs of Adelaide, in the sweep that cover the council areas of Port Adelaide Enfield, Salisbury and Playford.
“It is clear that certain areas of Adelaide are suffering disproportionately challenging economic and social circumstances and clearly these challenges will remain in the coming few years,” Mr Thomas said.
“Some of these areas are in the Port Adelaide Football Club’s own backyard. These are our people and we are very passionate about the role we need to play in the renewal of this part of Adelaide.”
Wellbeing and Resilience Centre director Gabrielle Kelly said the partnership with Power Community Limited will enable young people to learn to build mental fitness through acquiring the skills needed for psychological resilience.
“Everyone needs a capacity for mental toughness, emotional strength and realistic optimism and the research shows that these capacities can be built in people of all ages,” Ms Kelly said.
“Power Community Limited is now a part of the drive to make South Australia a State of Wellbeing. The work they will do in schools to build physical and mental fitness is part of the work of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Wellbeing and Resilience Centre to measure and build wellbeing across the state.
“We are thrilled to be working with Port Adelaide and sports loving South Australians on this initiative”.
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