No Postcode is too Far

For Kat, our School Engagement Coordinator based in Queensland, and John, who runs our Community Sports Program, the recent trip through regional Queensland meant visiting six schools, driving hundreds of kilometres and having plenty of conversations with students, teachers and local communities. 

The schools they visited included Pentland, Prairie, Hughenden, Cameron Downs and Julia Creek, as well as a stop in Richmond. Each community was different, but there was one thing they all had in common: a willingness to talk about bullying, kindness, inclusion and what it means to look out for one another. Which is exactly why we go. 

One of the highlights for John was Cameron Downs, about 65 kilometres from Hughenden. 

It was the smallest school they visited, with just 12 students from Prep through to Year 6. 

There was a horse in the playground, a mini peewee motorbike, and a community that made the Dolly’s Dream team feel right at home. 

“It was such a small school, but so impactful,” John said. 

With the students varying so much in age, the team had to adapt the way they approached the day. But the size of the school didn’t make the conversations any less important. If anything, it showed why reaching smaller communities matters. 

For students in rural, regional and remote areas, distance can be a huge barrier to accessing services and opportunities. The tyranny of distance can mean that support that feels readily available in a city can be much harder to reach when your nearest town, school or service is hundreds of kilometres away. 

That’s why we are committed to reaching schools wherever they are. 

No matter the postcode, we want young people to know that they matter, their experiences matter, and support is available. 

We meet communities where they’re at. 

During the trip, one conversation stayed with the team. 

At a school in Richmond, one student stayed behind after the workshop had finished. The other students had left, but he stayed behind talking with the Dolly’s Dream team. 

For around half an hour, he opened up about how he was feeling and what was happening in his life. 

For the Dolly’s Dream team, that moment was a reminder of why being physically present in schools matters. 

Sometimes, a young person needs time to feel comfortable enough to talk. Sometimes, they need to know that an adult will stay and listen. And sometimes, the most meaningful part of a school visit happens long after the school bell rings. 

The team left knowing that the student had felt comfortable enough to stay, talk and feel heard. 

A school workshop is only one part of the relationship. After the workshops end, our team follow up with resources, check in with teachers and continue building on the conversations that started during the visit. It’s also an opportunity to remind teachers that they’re not on their own. 

We hope the conversations started at school continue beyond the classroom – at home, in sports clubs, workplaces and across the wider community. 

For Kat, revisiting schools is an important part of building that connection. 

“You’re not just coming in, delivering a workshop and leaving,” she said. “It’s about continuing to build that relationship and letting schools know we’re there if they need us.” 

Four days, six schools and hundreds of kilometres might look like a lot of time on the road. For the Dolly’s Dream team, it’s time well spent. 

Your postcode shouldn’t determine whether a young person gets to hear that bullying isn’t okay, that asking for help is okay, and that there are people who will listen. 

So we will keep showing up, from city schools to the smallest rural communities, and everywhere in between. 

Wherever a school is, that’s where we want to be.