Queensland Blue Light 40th Anniversary

Queensland Blue Light is marking a significant achievement – four decades of rocking programs and activities for young legends across the state, in partnership with the Queensland Police Service (QPS).

To celebrate this milestone, Blue Light are holding a Back to the 80s' event on Saturday, 20 July, at The Tivoli in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.

Tickets on sale now through Try Booking (Early bird tickets are available): https://www.trybooking.com/CQDKW.

The Queensland Blue Light Story

It all started forty years ago at the Albert Waterways Community Hall on the Gold Coast, where Police were looking for ways to positively engage young people in a safe environment.

This led to the first official Blue Light disco which was held on 26 July 1984 and had 219 attendees!

The disco proved to be a great diversionary tactic as we reached our peak in the 90's with an astonishing 2.3million young people getting into the swing.

Moving into the new millennium, social media has changed the way kids socialise and the popularity of discos began to decline, so we introduced new ways to positively engage with young people including movie nights, laser tag, skating and sports and family events.

Queensland Blue Light is a not-for-profit organisation with 40 branches throughout the state, all run by a Police Coordinator and community volunteers. Driven by passion for our work, if we can positively impact the trajectory of one child, all our efforts become worthwhile.

The Blue Light Programs

Queensland Blue Light has a number of programs which aim to engage young people, inspire their education and hone in on their interests, which they deliver alongside QPS volunteers.

Blue EDGE

In 2016, Queensland Blue Light developed their first early intervention program targeted at 12 to 17-year-old youths called Blue EDGE (Educate, Develop, Grow & Empower). Blue EDGE is delivered by Police and community role models and mentors groups of 20 young people over an eight week period.

Blue EDGE seeks to build relationships between at risk youths and police through an informal program of physical activity and motivational sessions, with the outcomes targeted at improved attitude towards police, school, community and each other, as well as improved team working skills, resilience, leadership capability, self-confidence and adaptability.

Blue Light Shearing

Officer Laurie Bateman, who holds a world record for sheep shearing and has over 28 years' experience as a shearer, began teaching this skill to young people to curb and prevent offending behaviour many years ago and from these humble beginnings, the Blue Light Shearing program was born.

This program provides students with an opportunity to develop future employment opportunities, creates a better mindset, builds strong work ethics and teaches them how to work in a team in a work environment. Students work towards completing a Certificate II in Rural Operations which provides credit towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).

Elevate

Blue Light have also developed the ELEVATE program (Everyone Lift to End Violence and Target Education). This primary prevention program (also delivered by police with the assistance of Blue Light Facilitators and teachers), educates children in Year five through to Year 12 to make better life choices in their relationships and potentially halt the escalation of Domestic and Family Violence in society. Delivered in Queensland schools, the program educates young people of the social, personal, physical, and emotional harms of Domestic and Family Violence and teaches them to expect respect and give respect in their relationships.