Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise this afternoon to acknowledge a wonderful achievement by a young lady in the electorate of Forde. Amie Jessop of Tanah Merah recently penned a poem commemorating our brave soldiers who landed at Anzac Cove in 1915. Amie won the first prize in the Keeping the Spirit Alive competition. She is now part of a small select group of individuals who will travel to Gallipoli in 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of those landings. It is great to see young people remembering the brave men and women who fought for our nation so many years ago.

I would also like to acknowledge the continuing work of the Beenleigh PCYC who have been assisting youth in the community with the new and improved truancy program called Get Set for Learning. This program is helping kids who have been absent from school for a period of time and assists them particularly in the areas of maths and English. Senior Constable Matt Massouras believes this program helps youths with teambuilding and self-esteem and says it has already had a dramatic impact for those involved. I strongly support the efforts of the PCYC to see the program funded through the local community and have met with local businesses in an effort to ensure its continuation each year.

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