Love Bites Program

Is it ok to know where your partner is and what they are doing at all times? How do you know if someone is giving consent?

These are just some of the scenarios played out in the Love Bites program that is teaching teenagers the importance of respectful relationships.

To date, CHRG (Castle Hill RSL Group) has provided around $50,000 in funding, through cash and in-kind support, which has helped to train more than 100 facilitators from the Hills, Hawkesbury, Hornsby and Parramatta Local Area Police commands.

CHRG Group Chief Operating Officer Andy Abey said: “CHRG is incredibly proud of the work we have done with the Hills Local Area Command and more specifically, Senior Constable Ethan West and Tara Gleig (Crestwood High).

“Several years ago, we came together to discuss the impact of domestic and relationship violence on youth – with each of us having our own experience as youth and the interaction we have had with youth.

“We recognised that we were in a unique position to provide information and resources to engage, inform and influence better outcomes for teenagers. And we started with offering the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN’s), LoveBites training for local police and civilians to enable them to get into classrooms and deliver thecontent in a supported environment.

“Training has also been provided to civiliansworking in the sector. Approximately 1000students have been delivered the Love Bites program in schools, since the program inception.

“Our ability to deliver these programs isborne from the position and relationships wehave in the local community. Tackling the topicof domestic and relationship violence takes awhole of community approach. Importantly,it takes action, difficult conversations and arelentless commitment to effect change.

“The model we have used to trainfacilitators and support the rollout of theprogram in local schools, can be replicatedcommunity after community – in particular withthe support of NAPCAN, Police and frontline service providers who are in desperate need for funding of education programs and resources that get to the core of the issue.

“CHRG is now working with NAPCAN to identify other programs and partnerships to be able to reach more pre-teens and teens and do our part to bring an end to domestic and relationship violence.

“Clubs are in a unique position to bring so many stakeholders together for a common purpose. And that’s exactly what’s required if we want to see the dial shift. The community must work together on the rollout of education programs to create enough groundswell in order to gain momentum for change.”

CHRG was recently presented with a Highly Commended Award by ClubsNSW for the Love Bites program initiative.