VM News

Pinchapoo and Hard cuddles

The senior VM and VCAL students were lucky enough to have two brilliant incursions during week three where we had guest speakers come and talk to the students to help them with their work on the unit on ‘Facing the Future through Resilience’. 

First on Monday 13/2 we heard Kate Austin from the charity Pinchapoo talk very frankly about the extreme trauma that she suffered while she was young and how she created the charity by herself that donates vast amounts of toiletries and care products to homeless people. To hear from someone that came from such a tough background and through her own persistence and determination has literally saved lives was inspirational. Our VM and VCAL students were an excellent audience who listened with respect and then bombarded her with questions at the end.

Secondly on Tuesday 14/2 we got to listen to James ‘The Hammer’ Harding the founder of the organisation of Hard Cuddles which helps ex-prisoners reintegrate into society as well as providing help for anyone at risk who could do with some real counselling. James had a very tough life being heavily involved with organised crime and violence before he reformed himself. The students were engrossed to hear from someone who has lived on the edge and found his way back onto the road. After the speech many of our students wanted to talk more with him during their recess and one student has already arranged to do some work experience with the organisation. A huge thanks to Dave, Brad and Lou for organising and running these events.

WAK