Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that this is my first time speaking in the chamber since you have been elected to your position, my congratulations, Deputy Speaker Llew O'Brien, on your elevation to the deputy speakership.

It would be very tempting to respond to comments of members opposite, but I have far more important things to speak about and far more positive stuff to speak about in relation to my electorate of Forde. Firstly, I'd like to recognise the efforts of one of the young people in my community who each and every year puts his best foot forward in trying to raise supplies for kids who are going back to school who maybe can't meet the requirements or get the supplies that they need. What it shows is that young people are capable of many great things when empowered and given the opportunity to do so.

This is certainly the case for Samuel Glancy, who lives in Shailer Park in my electorate of Forde. At the age of just 12 years old he has made a greater impact on our community than most. Over this year he has collected over 23,000 items of school supplies to help disadvantaged students across 13 schools in Logan to get the necessities for their proper learning and development as part of his Kids4Kids school supply drive. Sam started his donation campaign four years ago, and in that time he has collected more than 70,000 school supplies for children in Logan. Each year he raises donations from local offices, businesses and organisations and takes them to Calvary Christian College where local volunteers, chaplains and welfare officers help pack supply bags to distribute them to the schools.

His mother, Tanya, told me the story of how it all started when Sam emptied his piggy bank to buy a Lighthouse Care voucher for a young family who he knew needed a helping hand. One day he was emptying his old school bag and he noticed he had spare supplies that he wanted to donate to that family but also to others in need. His generosity transcends boundaries, and now Sam is coordinating separate school supply drives to assist the women's resource centre in the bushfire affected Bega Valley shire fill their buddy packs for school children in those fire affected communities returning to school. I want to take this opportunity to give Sam a great and enormous thanks for his fabulous contribution, not only to our community in Forde but to many other communities that he has touched through his compassion.

In that vein, I think it's well worth recognising the efforts of a number of other young contributors to our community across Forde for their positive attitude, application and determination. These attributes have been amply displayed by youths such as Corah Francis, Isabella Oxenbridge, and Haydn and George Li. Corah Francis is a member of the Australian Budgerigar Society in Beenleigh. She's recently been nominated for the Eagleby young achiever of the year award. Corah is just 10 years old and is the first ever junior exhibiter in Australia to win a class at the National Budgerigar Championship Show a few months ago, winning the 2019 crested class for her full circle spangle cinnamon hen. Whilst I have the privilege of being the patron of the Australian Budgerigar Society I have no idea what that means. She beat dozens of high-profile breeders in the category and has since been inundated with congratulatory messages from budgerigar breeders all over the world.

Isabella in year 5 together with Haydn in year 6 and George in year 3 formed the Trio Bellissimo ensemble at Canterbury College and have started the year on a high note, having been selected to perform at the 5th International Stage4Kids festival in Hamburg, Germany this month. I wish them every success. I know they will represent the school and our community proudly on the international stage.

Congratulations again to Corah, Isabella, Haydn and George, and also to Samuel, for the wonderful work they do across the community of Forde.

House adjourned at 20:00