Canberra ‘froggers’ providing harm prevention for young adults

(L-R) Archdiocesan Emerging Leaders & Creatives Manager Christian Nobleza, Red Frogs founder and CEO Andy Gourley and Canberra Red Frog volunteer Lachlan Bull

Canberra ‘froggers’ are breaking new ground and safeguarding a generation, according to Red Frogs founder and CEO Andy Gourley.

The Boss Frog is in the ACT this week, connecting with the Archdiocesan community and leaders across the city to share the organisation’s vision.

“Red Frogs is one of the largest harm prevention organisations or programs in Australia for schoolies, universities, music festivals and sporting events,” he explained.

“The Canberra froggers have been going for 18 years and they have a strong presence at university parties doing harm prevention work with students that are celebrating with a bit too much alcohol. The teams also do music festivals to make sure festival-goers stay safe. We’ve got the cricket coming up – the one day at Manuka oval – so they work with Australian cricket and do hydration support. Canberra froggers are very active, and they are doing innovative work reaching places that haven’t been reached before.”

Andy said Australia had issues with experimental drug use and alcohol use in the youth sector.

“My goal is always to see more resources, more volunteers, more ways we can engage young people well and achieve really good results,” he said.

“Our philosophy is not to reproduce the wheel, but seeing what does exist and how we can add to it to see it become more effective and more efficient. There’s already so many great programs out there doing good work. We want to really see how we can take it to the next level.”

The dynamic nature of youth culture, Andy noted, meant it was critical to always be researching, analysing and understanding those Red Frogs was trying to impact.

“Youth culture changes and shifts so fast, and I think we can have an old model going into a new generation that does miss the mark,” he said.

“If you’re not up to speed with how they are moving culturally, how they are processing, if we don’t adjust our programming to reach that, then we miss a generation. Bridging the gap between really good youth programs and the youth themselves is one of the key things for Red Frogs.”

Archdiocesan Emerging Leaders & Creatives Manager Christian Nobleza said the partnership with Red Frogs had been a keystone for young adult and university outreach in recent years.

“Red Frogs offers the young adults in our Archdiocese unique opportunities to connect with this generation where they are and to genuinely serve their needs across a variety of contexts, whether that be handing on a cup of water at university social events and music festivals, the offer of a safe walk-home after a night out; playing boardgames and cooking up pancakes; creating spaces that offer alternatives to alcohol-fuel environments; or simply being a listening ear,” he said.

“I’ve personally been associated with Red Frogs for about 15 years now across different parts of Australia, and I’ve just been so impressed with how the organisation both inspires and empowers young adults to make a real impact in today’s world – especially among their peers.”

• Breakfast with Andy Gourley will be held on Friday 2 February at Haydon Hall.