Breaking the silence on child sexual abuse and keeping kids safe in our community.
Over the past 11 years fly a white balloon has bought the issues of child sexual abuse to the forefront of our awareness by involving the entire community. Fly a white balloon is a community driven awareness supported by the local Lions Club, this project operates on a voluntary basis with minimal support. To enable activities to happen each year as well as continuous education, training and research to make OUR children safer in OUR community we are hoping that Businesses might find with in their budgets a little extra to help in this massive community issue effecting so many young children.
Local businesses have shown their support by: Flying white balloons;
- Making donations,
- Offering in kind support.
Local Businesses support is a key part our program and they help in many ways such as, Displaying flyers, offering goods for raffle prizes. All funds raised by Lions go directly into the projects which· are supported by your local Lion Club future activities.
Child sexual abuse affects great numbers of children in our community with 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys being sexually abused in some way during childhood. The first thing that we as a community can do is to clearly state that child sexual abuse is wrong, and not acceptable in our community.
We need to show that we do care, that we want to keep kids safe in our communities and break the silence surrounding child sexual abuse and child abuse of any kind.
Making it happen - Tuesday 6 September 2011
If you have done this before you will know how well 'Fly a White Balloon' activity works. But for a first timer, it can help to have ideas of how others got things started. II Lions Clubs empowering our community."
To start the ball rolling read this hand out and should you have any Questions please, Contact us to talk through what you want to do and how you think you might do it.
Local coordination and planning
It is much easier to work with others, working with groups will build on each others ideas and energy. You may already know others in your community who are interested in joining you, or there may be others in your area that we can put you in touch with. To get others involved, will build on your community social capital. Work together to help to develop a plan for what you want to do. Some communities decide to focus on the Tuesday in Child Protection Week, others do a launch the week before, and some have groups working on ongoing activity the list is only limited to your dreams and imagination.
Local support and networks
Once you have decided what you want to do, to start making this a whole community aware and activity, it helps to have a few key players involved (if they aren't already). In your community this might be the school, police, church, Council, supermarket, other service clubs, community centre or other key local organisations. The best way of gathering support then it is for everyone to use their contacts to involve as many as possible.
It is always enough
Our aim is to encourage community engagement in prevention, but this is a difficult topic, so whatever happens, it is always enough! In Child Protection Week everyone is encouraged to display a White Balloon - tie it to the desk, fence, mailbox ... but some just take it home, whatever you are comfortable with just do it. What ever is done it is something, and probably enough.
Balloons & Posters - up and down
We will organise plain and printed balloons.
For more ideas see the activities page or call us to talk it through.
Most Councils are happy to let the balloons fly the whole of Child Protection Week, if this is discussed beforehand. But to keep everyone happy "if you put it up - you take it down" so remember to take down all balloons by 5pm Tuesday 6 September 2011 if no previous arrangements have been made with Council or Police to leave longer, but please remember to take them down.
Donations
This is run as a community campaign with all funds staying in each area for further local activity.
As 'fly a white balloon' is unfunded -so we ask everyone who can to make a donation towards covering the costs we are suggesting each club donates $100, for which we will supply 200 balloons.
Covering the costs
Ordering what you need
Once you decide what you want to do, we need to know how many balloons you will need. Email or phone order should be made to the above by 23 August 2010. Your order will be confirmed, so please let us know if you don't get confirmation.
Getting commitment before the day
Many communities encourage agencies, businesses or service clubs to commit to support the day, enabling flying balloons at their agency and in the community
- $3 donation 5 printed balloons
- $30 donation 20 printed and 40 plain balloons
- $50 donation 25 printed and 100 plain balloons
- $100 donation 50 printed and 250 plain balloons
Supporting literature and information will also be supplied
A good suggestion is to have an open bowl for donations and seed it with some gold coins and donations will follow.
Creating a community contribution
If you want to fly hundreds of balloons round town, then some communities raise sponsorship from local councils, businesses, churches, service clubs, sporting clubs and so on, and others include fundraising by schools and youth groups. This will then give your volunteers plenty of balloons to spread around. Call us to talk through what you are thinking of.
Gathering donations on the day
Donations from main street businesses - most businesses are happy to make a donation to fly a bunch of balloons, e.g. $5 for three balloons received on the day.
Donations from other businesses - businesses outside town are often happy to make a donation for a specific activity e.g. printing fliers, info, balloons in town etc.
Individual community members - often want to make a donation and take a balloon via donation boxes.
In Culcairn our Lions Club delivers an invitation to Fly a White Balloon along with a balloon on the Sunday preceding the date to all houses via the letterbox.
We wish you all the best with this awareness program - together help us to make our communities aware of child abuse, By Speaking Out!
This is a LIONS District 201V6 approved Project Contact Mr Jeff Sanderson.
Culcairn Lions Club
0439 966 397
Click the image to download an A4 flyer in PDF format (230kb)
