10 years at CREATE – A decade of learning, inspiration and sometimes frustration
CREATE Foundation legend Lucas Moore has recently celebrated his massive 10 year anniversary at CREATE Foundation. Lucas has reflected on the past 10 years at CREATE Foundation and has shared one of his many stories from his time at CREATE and some of the things he has learned along the way.
“Just turn around and keep walking. I will be behind you”
I’ll never forget the moment – It was 2008 and I was running my second Young Consultants Training (now called Speak Up) up in Townsville and I was trying to encourage a 14 year old young woman who had made it halfway across the park to the training venue to join the rest of the group so we could start the training.
It wasn’t just the north Queensland heat that was making me sweat. The girl looked terrified and I was nervous she was going to take off – to where I didn’t know but I sure wasn’t looking forward to explaining to her carers that I had lost her in the first 10 minutes of the training.
I was young and inexperienced so I did what the girl said – I turned around and walked towards the training venue, hoping she would follow. She did, it turned out she had a friend at the training and within two hours she was at ease and growing in confidence. Four hours later in a panel where young people got to ask people who work in the care sector about how the system works she asked a question that gave me goosebumps ‘How come you take kids into care when you don’t have enough places for them to live?’
I think the experience sticks in my head for two reasons. Firstly – I never really asked the young woman why she felt the need to ask me to walk in front of her but it did teach me something – sometimes you have show trust to gain trust. Over the years to follow at CREATE I showed young people trust, gave them positions of responsibility, asked them to step up and was very rarely I let down – so much for this negative image of young people in care – my overall impression of young people in care is defined by strength and resilience.
The second reason that day in Townsville sticks in my head is the simple power of the young person’s question to the care sector panel. I later encountered the term ‘speak truth to power’ which I think sums it up best. Over the years, in meetings with politicians and bureaucrats so many times I have seen CREATE Young Consultants ‘speak truth to power’- that is talk about their experiences of the care system in such a powerful and brave way that no amount of political spin or bureaucratic responsibility shifting can ignore the inalienable truths they share about their lives.
I feel very grateful to have the opportunity to work at CREATE with such amazing young people over the past 10 years. Together with so many wonderful CREATE staff we have helped to improve the care system through successful advocacy to establish services like Next Step After Care in Queensland and we have had a LOT of laughs (and a few tears too).
Looking forward, thinking about how many intelligent, funny and determined staff and young people we have as part of the CREATE family, I can’t help feel grateful for the opportunity to still be here and also optimistic about the future possibilities for CREATE.
Thank you Lucas!
On behalf of all of the CREATE team, we would like to thank Lucas for his tireless efforts and dedication to creating a better life for children and young people with a care experience. Lucas has been a part of the CREATE family since March 2008, starting as Community Facilitator, moving on up to Queensland State Coordinator and is now the National Marketing Communications Manager.
Lucas has played a part in so many projects in Queensland, and Nationally and has personally had a huge impact and made a massive difference, for children and young people in out-of-home care throughout the last 10 years. We are so proud of you for all you have achieved and continue to inspire so many with numerous key contributions in your journey at CREATE.
