clubCREATE Magazine Under 12's Edition 1 2024

Edition 1 2024
The connection issue
Reach for the sky!
CJ did, and made it.
Find out how inside.
Win an Easter
Hamper Pack
worth $100!
What
does it mean
to connect with
CREATE?
WIN WIN WIN in the fun zone!

Welcome to THE
Hi clubCREATE-ers,
I'm thrilled to present the first clubCREATE magazine of 2024! And guess
what? It's none other than the Connection Issue – perfectly themed to explore
the magic of connecting with CREATE!
Ever wondered what it truly means to connect with CREATE? Well, here's a
little teaser for you: it's not just about having fun, it's about making
friendships that will last a lifetime. Our state teams have loads of amazing
activities planned for the year ahead and we can't wait to ‘connect’ with you
there! Also in this edition, we meet clubCREATE member CJ, and learn how she
soared high in the sky and made her flying dreams come true!
Make sure you keep your eyes peeled because hidden throughout the pages
are CREATE’s mascot, Gus and the Easter Bunny getting up to mischief. Spot
them and you might just snag yourself an Easter hamper filled with yummy
choccies worth a whopping $100!
Enjoy the mag and if you ever have any ideas on how we can make this
magazine better for you, send us an email to clubCREATE@create.org.au
Jacqui Reed
Head Honcho
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Acknowledgement of Country
CREATE would like to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples as Australia’s first people and Traditional
Custodians. We value their cultures, identities, and continuing
connection to country, waters, kin and community.

EDITION 1 2024
6
IN THIS
ISSUE:
7
10
CEO Welcome letter 2
In the Loop 4
What is connection? 6
National families week 8
Meet CJ 10
what's your dream? 11
CREATe's new influencing
manager 12
Connect, Empower, Change 13
Fun Zone 14
State Round UPS 16
Competition winners 24
clubCREATE’s Editorial Policy
clubCREATE Magazine is produced by
CREATE Foundation for children and
young people in care. This magazine
contains information about CREATE
programs that create a better life for
kids in care and also has articles and
artworks by clubCREATE members.
It’s really important to us that children
and young people in care are safe and
protected and we do our utmost to
ensure their privacy. For safety
reasons state laws don’t allow the faces
of kids in care to be published without
proper permission. So please
understand that if these young people
are not reflective of the story or blurred
it is for safety and legal reasons. All
contributions to be considered for the
magazine can be submitted by email:
clubCREATE@create.org.au or post:
Reply Paid 87694, Spring Hill QLD 4004.
If you do not want to receive newsletter
and program information
from CREATE Foundation
please email
clubCREATE@create.org.au
or phone CREATE on
1800 655 105 to have your
address removed from our
mailing list.
3

In the Loop
COMPETITION ALERT!
In this magazine, you will find both the Easter Bunny and CREATE’s
mascot, Gus, hanging out together and being a little sneaky hiding!
Count how many times you see them together in this edition to go into
the draw to win an Easter Hamper worth $100! When you know the
number, send it to clubCREATE@create.org.au. *The winner will be
selected at random from all the correct guesses. Hint: this is number 1...
Smiley survey
Fill in this survey to go in
the draw for prizes
4

World Care Day
In February, we celebrated World Care Day 2024, the coolest
celebration for kids growing up in care all around the world!
We listened to all the awesome things you told us about how we can
make things better for kids in care at important stages of their life.
"It's not just about the changes we've made; it's also
about all the awesome changes still to come!"
A huge shoutout to all those who made their voices heard. You rock!
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What is
connection?
Connection is like a special link between friends, family, or even
things! Do you have a favourite Teddy? It's when you really
understand and share fun times together. Imagine having a
connection with your best friend – you talk, play, and laugh together,
creating awesome memories! CREATE believes that friends make
the world more awesome, and our ‘Connection Events’ are the
perfect way to meet new friends who may understand what you are
going through.
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From exciting games to
fantastic adventures, our
Connection Events are where
the fun begins! Check out some
of these cool events from across
Australia! If you would like to
attend a Connection Event, get
in touch with us.

Let's create our very own ‘Friendship Chain’
to celebrate the awesome connections in
our lives.
Follow these simple steps:
What you will need:
• Colored paper or strips
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Glue or tape
How to do it!
1. Cut Strips: Cut out strips of coloured
paper. Each strip represents a
connection or friend.
2. Decorate Your Strips: On each strip,
write the name of a friend, family member,
or someone special. Get creative
and decorate the strips with colors and
drawings that represent your connection.
3. Form a Loop: After decorating, form
a loop with the strip and secure it with
glue or tape. This creates the first link in
your Friendship Chain.
4. Connect the Links: Keep adding
more strips, connecting each one to the
previous loop. Watch as your Friendship
Chain grows with every connection you
make!
Share your creation with us!
Take a picture of your completed
Friendship Chain and send it
clubCREATE@create.org.au. You could go
into the draw to win a $25 voucher just for
getting arty with us.
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National
Families week
National Families Week is happening from May 13 to May 19, 2024!
It's a whole week dedicated to cheering for families and the
incredible role they play in our lives. This year's theme is 'Living
Real, Dreaming Big,' celebrating the strength and resilience within
families. Every family is different, and that's the magic!
“We're not different
because we don't live
with our parents or
anything like that, we're
the same as everyone
else”
(Young person, TAS)
“I consider a lot of
people family - a lot
of cultures merged
into one, they're
still my family and
I would do anything
for them”
(Young person, SA)
Let's Draw Our Families:
Now, it's your turn! What does your family look like? Draw the
people you consider family – it could be parents, friends, or even
pets! Make it as colourful and creative as you want.
Frame Your Masterpiece:
Once you're done, grab a frame or make one from paper, and
showcase your awesome family drawing. You can even share it
with us too. We would love to see it.
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My Family

Meet CJ
CJ is a CREATE Young Consultant and now Qantas’ first
female Aboriginal Pilot learning to fly!
CJ grew up in
care with her
eight siblings
in the NT.
She loved it so
much she knew
this was what she
wanted to be - a
pilot!
She has now moved from
Darwin to Toowoomba
where her dream will
become a reality and train
to be a real pilot through a
scholarship program with
Qantas. CJ knew what she
wanted and worked hard to
make it happen.
“I felt so free!”
Her love of flying all started
when her uncle gave her
a flight lesson for her 16th
birthday!
CJ worked really hard at school,
flew in the sky when she could
and helped CREATE advocate for
change all whilst staying focused
on her dream to become a pilot.
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"Sometimes there are just
so many pressures on you
as a young Indigenous
[person], and distractions,"
she says.

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What's your
dream?
When I grow up I want to...
I feel happy when I am...
My favorite thing to learn
at school is...
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Meet CREATE’s new
advocacy and
Influencing
Manager,
Sarah
When I was little I wanted
to be?
A zookeeper because I was
certain that zookeepers didn't have
bedtime curfews, or had to wake
up early for school or even had
homework to do.
My favourite subject at school
was...
English because it was the only
class in school where I had the
chance to borrow and read all the
books from the Goosebump series.
What do you do at CREATE?
I am currently working in the
Advocacy and Influencing
Manager role with CREATE and
my team oversees and promotes
the advocacy work for the states of
South Australia, Western Australia,
Northern Territory and Queensland.
Our goal is to influence change in
the out-of-home care sector that
will lead to better outcomes and
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improve the lives for all children
and young people with a care
experience.
Why do you love it?
I love that CREATE is fully
committed towards holding hope
and championing the voices of all
children and young people with
an out-of-home care experience.
This is embedded in the heart and
soul of the work that we all do at
CREATE and I am constantly
inspired by the amazing
individuals in CREATE who are
so passionate about the work
that they do. I love and value the
opportunities I have in my role to
be able to push and drive for real,
positive changes in the out-ofhome
care sector.

Do you know what these
CREATE Icons mean?
Everything we do at CREATE is based on our ethos –
Connect, to Empower, to Change.
Grab your pencils and colour the icons, then draw a line to
match which ones mean Connect, Empower and Change!
Connect
Empower
Change
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The fun zone
Find-a-word
Words to find:
Bowling
Connection
Family
Friends
Relationships
Welcome
Care
Food
Fun
Safe
Children
Create
Love
Swimming
All challenge and competition entries go in the draw to WIN!
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To enter this competition:
1. Send your entry via email to clubCREATE@create.org.au
2. Send us a message on Instagram @CREATEfnd or Facebook /CREATEfnd
3. Enter on our website at www.create.org.au/competitions
4. Post it back to us free of charge! Send to Reply Paid 87694 SPRING HILL QLD 4004
Entries close 3rd May 2024. Make sure you include your name and age, and if you know it
your clubCREATE ID number. GOOD LUCK!

Welcome to the Fun Zone! Where you can
WIN WIN WIN!!!
Connect the dots and colour!
All entries go in the draw to win a $50 Voucher that you can use at places like
Timezone, Roblox, the Cinemas! You get to choose! How cool is that!
* The vouchers will come through via Gift Pay. You can choose to spend it at the locations
stipulated or you can choose another store.
All challenge and competition entries go in the draw to WIN!
To enter this competition:
1. Send your entry via email to clubCREATE@create.org.au
2. Send us a message on Instagram @CREATEfnd or Facebook /CREATEfnd
3. Enter on our website at www.create.org.au/competitions
4. Post it back to us free of charge! Send to Reply Paid 87694 SPRING HILL QLD 4004
Entries close 3rd May 2024. Make sure you include your name and age, and if you know it
your clubCREATE ID number. GOOD LUCK! 15

ACT ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
What a time in Australia's Capital Territory!
With two YAG’s focused on mental health, we got a strong
understanding of what mental health means to young people in
care and how the care sector can best support mental health. We
also had the opportunity to reflect on the year that was at our end
of year YAG and got some great ideas about what CREATE in the
ACT can do in the year to come.
The ACT team is also really excited to have welcomed Melissa to
the team. What a year 2024 is going to be!
NSW ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
CREATE in New South Wales have been
having an absolutely great time with a heap
of events and programs with members
from all over the state. We have had the
opportunity to spend time with members
from the south coast region at Flip Out and
Inflatable World. We had some unreal (and
spooky) costumes at our Halloween Youth
Advisory Group and brought out our Ninja
Skills at Tru Ninja.
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We also welcomed some new Young
Consultants to the CREATE team after they
completed our Speak Up program!
Want to know what events are on near you? Call your local state

NT ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
CREATE in the NT have had a great couple of months! We
got into the festive spirit at our Christmas Connection Event
which was so much fun! We had lizards and snakes, DJ
Charly, Rapper Riley P, a photobooth, an art table and a
performance by some of our clubCREATE Members and much
more!
In the New Year, we held a Youth Advisory Group at Darwin
Ice-Skating, the coolest place in town! Our awesome
clubCREATE members got to test their ice-skating skills and
teach CREATE staff, Tenneil and Jesse, a thing or two on how
to ice-skate – we both think we’ll stick to organising fun
programs for you all!
Recently, we held Speak Up 1, 2 and 3 – but not to worry if you
missed out, there will be more programs soon and an exciting
Sibling Connection Event in the coming weeks, so watch this
space!
Meet Jesse, our new Program Facilitator!
“Hi everyone, my name is Jesse! I have been
with CREATE for a few months now and
some of you may have seen me around. I am
a Program Facilitator and I am so
excited to meet more of you and hang out at
our programs! I love getting to know each
young person and the things that make them
unique. Some things I love are the outdoors,
adventures and sport. So if you want to talk
about camping, hidden gems, crazy hikes, or
have a competitive game of something, I’m
your girl!”
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team or check out all our events at create.org.au/find-an-event

QLD ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
Brisbane wrapped up the 2023 year with a bang! In October, the
Connection Event at Wynnum beach, in partnership with Sails at
Bayside, saw 19 young individuals enjoying kayaking and
catamaran trips. One Young Consultant said, “We come to this
event every year and it is always run so well by CREATE staff and
volunteers.”
November kicked off with a fun Transition to Adulthood Month
launch in partnership with YFS, featuring special guests like
Principal Commissioner Luke Twyford and Federal Treasurer Jim
Chalmers. The day was filled with music, fun, and even dunking,
making it an unforgettable experience.
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December brought festive cheer with a Wet and Wild
Christmas party, bringing together over 77 children and young
people with care experience, creating lasting memories.
We finished off the year on an empowering note, with Speak
Up (SUP) level 1 and 2 at Visible Ink in Fortitude Valley. Young
participants, initially shy, transformed into confident
advocates. As one young person shared, "I started off shy and
quiet, and by the end of day 2, I agreed to come to a
Ministerial Round Table to talk about my residential care
experience and make some significant changes to the care
system!"
Want to know what events are on near you? Call your local state

WA ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
CREATE in WA have had so much fun over the past few months
getting to know young people across all of our programs and
events. We loved celebrating World Care Day with young
people in Northam, Youth Week up in the Pilbara, and meeting
so many families at multiple connection events in metro Perth!
We also heard from young people about things that are affecting
them in care through our monthly Youth Advisory Groups, learned
new skills through the CREATE Your Future program, and
discussed how to advocate for change at Speak Up training.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for these programs!
We welcomed Emily to the team as a
program facilitator, and also
welcomed Leanne as our very first
intern! It has been great to have a full
office, especially to help prepare for
the 2024 Voices In Action conference.
Thanks to support from the WA
Department of Communities, we were
able to send 10 young people from WA
to attend the conference in Adelaide,
where they spent 4 days workshopping
and collaborating ways to improve the
care system with other young people
from around the country. We are very
proud of everyone who attended – go
team WA!
We are looking forward to connecting with more young people
in the second half of this year, and would love to hear from you
if you have suggestions or ideas for our next event!
team or check out all our events at create.org.au/find-an-event
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SA ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
The CREATE South Australian team has been buzzing with
activity leading up to Christmas! Our goal was to visit and
present all the amazing work we are doing alongside our
young people at all Department of Child Protection (DCP)
offices in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, and we've nearly
accomplished it – with just two left on our list for 2024.
In November, we joined five fantastic Young Consultants at
the DCP Symposium at the Adelaide Oval. The event gathered
carers, parents, sector workers, and children and young
people from out-of-home care to discuss important topics in
the out-of-home care sector. Minister for Child Protection,
Katrine Hildyard, has committed to making this an annual
event. How cool is that!
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Listening to valuable feedback from young people, we created
the 'Calming Connection Event'. This event, held at the
inclusive 'We Rock the Spectrum' Play Centre in Kilkenny,
caters specifically to children and young people with sensory
needs. It was a hit, and we're making it an annual tradition to
ensure everyone feels included.
Want to know what events are on near you? Call your local state

Also in December, we hosted our thrilling 'Big Wedgie'
Connection Event at West Beach. Over 100 enthusiastic
children, young people, and their carers joined us, along with
partners like Key Assets, Lutheran Care, and Connecting
Foster and Kinship Carers.
Starting 2024 on a high note, we ran a Speak Up Program at
Carclew House Youth Arts Space in January. Special thanks to
Carclew for providing us with this magical venue, often likened
to 'Hogwarts.' We're hopeful for more collaborations with
Carclew in the future.
As the new year began, we bid a fond farewell to our dear
teammate Kimberley, who secured a full-time position in
education. Wishing Kim the best, she'll be missed by the team
and the children and young people. Here's to hoping we'll see
her at future CREATE events!
team or check out all our events at create.org.au/find-an-event
21

VIC ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
Exciting news from the Victorian team! We've got some new
members on our team, and that means we've been super busy.
We've teamed up with cool groups like HoMie, Orygen, Rapid
Relief, and RMIT for fun projects. Plus, we've added awesome
members to our Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG).
We recently had a big celebration at TGI Fridays to thank our
team for working hard all year. We also made sure some friends
from different parts of Victoria could join us. It was a blast!
Our Christmas party was at Geelong Adventure Park. Despite
some tricky weather, we had water slides, a yummy BBQ lunch,
and even Santa dropped by with treats for everyone. Thanks to
those who came and hung out with us!
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Guess what? Our Ministerial Youth Advisory Group (MYAG) is
back! We're excited to restart this project where our awesome
CREATE Young Consultants meet and share ideas with the
Minister for Children and Disability.
Our team has planned lots of fun events for the coming year. We'll
have regular Youth Advisory Groups, Speak Ups, and Create Your
Future workshops. We can't wait to see you at these events!
Want to know what events are on near you? Call your local state

TAS ROUND UP
What’s been happening?
It’s been super busy here in Tasmania and we have so
much planned for you in the next few months. During
our December Youth Advisory Group we chatted
about the Tasmanian Commissioner for Children and
Young People’s recent report ‘A place at the table’
which is about the new case management
model. Check out more info on this report here.
Read the
report
A huge shout out to Young Consultants Nikita, Lara and Tatum who
participated in worker training with a large group of Child Safety
Officers (CSO’s) in December. These incredible Young Consultants
shared their views on what makes a great CSO and how they can
build relationships with young people. If you’re keen to join us at
Case Worker Training, get in touch!
We closed out 2023 with our Christmas party at Bonorong Wildlife
Sanctuary, as a joint celebration with the lovely team at FKAT! Huge
shout out to the Rapid Relief crew for putting on a BBQ, and to all of
the young people and families who came along and shared in the fun;
feeding kangaroos, getting up close with Tassie devils and other
wildlife, and even having their photos taken with our very special
guest- Santa!
Our January CREATE Your Future workshop was a success, providing
a safe space for the group to discuss healthy relationships and how
to handle conflict. Keep your eyes open and make sure your details
are up to date to not miss the upcoming Connection Event in Hobart
during April!
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team or check out all our events at create.org.au/find-an-event

YOU ROCK!
Edition 4 2024 Winners
YOU OUR ROCK! COMP WINNERS FROM LAST
MAG ARE (DRUMROLL PLEASE!):
Our comp winners from last
mag are (Drumroll please!):
Ethan, aged 10
Madeline, aged 6
Nahzayah, aged 7
CONGRATULATIONS! WE HOPE YOU
ENJOY YOUR VOUCHERS!
HOW TO STAY
CONNECTED WITH CREATE
CREATE Foundation Limited
National Office
Level 6, 80 George St
Parramatta NSW 2150
Tel 1800 655 105
ABN 69 088 075 058
If you do not wish to receive
newsletters and program
information from CREATE
Foundation please email
clubCREATE@create.org.au or
phone CREATE on (07) 3062 4860 to
have your address removed from
the mailing list.
If you want to attend awesome events with
CREATE make sure you are a
clubCREATE member so you can
automatically receive invitations and
information. Other ways to contact CREATE:
1. Become a clubCREATE member and join up
at www.create.org.au
2. Call your local CREATE office on 1800 655
105 and talk to one of the team about
what’s coming up.
3. If you are already a clubCREATE member –
make sure your clubCREATE membership
details are up-to-date.
4. Visit www.create.org.au to find out more
about how we can support you.