It is with great pleasure the HIV and Related Programs (HARP) Unit, in partnership with Youth & Homelessness  Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and Multicultural Communities Council Illawarra  announce the winners of this year’s CaddyShack Awards!

Outstanding achievement – Individual Award Winner: Luke Downie

Luke  is a clinical psychologist at headspace Wollongong who is taking the lead in creating better access to health services and transition support for transgender young people in the Illawarra. In a first for our region, transgender young people are able to access this support via Luke. As with all headspace Wollongong services, this support is free and bulk billed under Medicare, making it much more accessible for young people.

Outstanding achievement – Service Award Winner: Triple Care Farm

Mission Australia’s Triple Care Farm is a residential alcohol and other drugs (AOD) program. Triple Care Farm is located on 110 acres in the NSW Southern Highlands and accepts referrals from young people Australia wide. Since attending various capacity building workshops run by the HARP Unit, Triple Care farm have enhanced their service provision around sexual health considerably. They had condom dispensers installed at the service, attended ‘On the Couch- LGBTI’ as a team, and created the Wingman safe sex pack for weekends for their clients.

Outstanding achievement – Project Award Winner: South Coast Correctional Centre

The goal created a game for inmates called ‘Risky Bizzo’. The cards developed from plasticine models depict risky behaviours that some inmates could potentially participate in which could expose them to STIs or BBIs.  ‘Risky Bizzo’ was created using a peer education process where current  inmates from the South Coast Correctional Centre were involved at every stage of the game’s development. The inmates developed their own scale of risk based on behaviours that can occur both in and out of prison. The game includes cards of high/low/no risk and don’t know. This project has resulted in many inmates presenting for testing to the Justice Health nurses at the centre and the resource now runs on the internal TV channel at the gaol and inmates all have TVs in their cells.

The CaddyShack Innovators Encouragement Award Winner: Zac Kelson

Zac is passionate about youth sexual health issues, especially LGBTI and about the promotion of sexual health screening  at the local Nowra sexual health clinic. Zac has attended several HARP training events this year including ‘Doin it Right!’ and ‘On The Couch’. During his Diploma of community services work placement with the Red Cross, Zac ran an education session with young people on cyber safety and sexting, both educating and empowering young people. Zac would one day love to work in sexual health and is keen to continue attending HARP events in 2017.

Congratulations to all individuals and services who were nominated for the annual 2016 CaddyShack Awards. We were overwhelmed by the response, and the number of individuals, services and projects dedicated to improving the sexual health and well-being of individuals and communities across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven! We thank you for the great work you are doing, and encourage you to keep up the effort!

Congratulations again to all winners, and nominees. We feel honoured to be able to showcase your work, and celebrate your achievement.