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At a glance, Scope and Yooralla’s colour walk in Benalla in regional Victoria looked like any other colour run: a sea of people wearing white t-shirts splashed with brightly coloured powder.
But if you looked closer, this colour walk was different.
In partnership with Victoria Police, Scope’s Benalla Social Connections and Yooralla held a Community Colour Splash walk and wheel on Friday 4 April to support people with disability to build connections with local police.
In this inclusive and accessible event, clients from Scope and Yooralla, like Tracy, were splashed with water and showered in colour by local Victoria Police officers as they walked along Lake Benalla.
“The best part was getting paint all over us. We went back [to the finish line] four times. We loved it!" said Tracy.
"The police were really nice with everyone and joined in. I just hope we do this again.”
AndrewIt was a great opportunity organised by the partners. I loved getting together and having fun with everyone, and the camaraderie. It was such a great way to socialise and interact with people you haven’t met before. I would like to thank everyone who helped organise today and I hope we can do it again someday.
Many people in the disability community lack trust in police and can be reluctant to report crime because of challenges they face when making reports, such as being unable to provide a clear account of what happened or not being believed.
Nardia Stovell, Coordinator of Benalla Social Connections, said Scope, Yooralla, and Victoria Police joined forces to help break down these barriers through a colour walk and barbecue lunch.
“The Community Colour Splash was an opportunity for people with disability to connect with local police officers and break down barriers, while building new friendships with participants from other local disability service providers,” said Nardia.
“We wanted to support our clients to build trust in police, feel safe to access their support, and increase their confidence to report crime so they feel better supported in their community.”
James Bland, Yooralla Acting Service Manager, said this was an important opportunity for the disability community in Benalla.
“To see Yooralla and Scope participants connect with each other and our local police was amazing. This event was very important to the Yooralla team because it fosters a united community with the common goal of instilling confidence in our teams with the local police and each other.”
Jenni Lamond, Senior Sergeant at Victoria Police Benalla, said events like the colour walk are a powerful way to build connections between police and community.
“It provides an opportunity for those who may only encounter police when they are in crisis or in fear to interact with us in a relaxed and fun environment. It was a positive experience for all.”
L-R: Jenni Lamond (Victoria Police Benalla), James Bland (Yooralla), and Nardia Stovell (Benalla Social Connections).
ThomasMy day has been great. It’s been a lot of fun to get out and about with a lot of friends. I’ve always had a great sense that police are friendly and in the community to protect the local people. It was fantastic to see them helping out the disability community.
The Community Colour Splash was made possible by a $1500 ‘Social Connections’ grant from Benalla Rural City Council’s Social Inclusion Action Group (SIAG), funded by the Victorian Government’s Department of Health.
Representatives from the council came to see the action, including Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn and Bridget Moran, SIAG Coordinator.
Bridget said SIAG was proud to support the initiative as it aligns with its core mission of fostering social inclusion and connection in the community.
"The collaboration between Scope, Yooralla, and Victoria Police is a great example of how diverse organisations can come together to create accessible and inclusive social experiences, something the SIAG is deeply committed to," said Bridget.
"They have worked together to break down barriers, challenge misconceptions, and build trust and inclusivity. It has been great to collaborate with such respected local organisations and we’re proud to support efforts that strengthen connections within the Benalla community."
L-R: Cr Jillian Merkel, Rachael Goss (Victoria Police Benalla), Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn, Cr David Blore.
GeordieIt was nice. The [police] are lovely people and they’re friendly too. I told the police hopefully we can do this again.
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