The team at Martu Patrol are celebrating an exciting milestone with the arrival of their new bus and the establishment of their new premises, which will help the team continue to support young people in Newman.
Piloted in 2021, Martu Patrol was co-designed as a rapid response program to provide support to young people who were street present at night. Now Martu Patrol runs every night of the week, and young people know they will be greeted by a friendly, trusted face and will be able to get something warm to eat, some water and a lift to a safe space.
Martu Patrol is an example of good collaboration. Developed through consultations with Martu leaders, Newman Women’s Shelter (NWS), Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ), WA Police, Newman Futures and the Newman Feedback Group, the outreach service now plays an important role in the wide network of services that exist to support Newman’s young people.
Martu Patrol is also supported by Compass Group ESS, who supply meals from their chefs at Whaleback Village and Kalgan’s Rest Village. Not only does this help ensure young people have access to a nutritious meal, but it’s also a win-win in helping reduce food waste in the villages.
The program, led by NWS, also provides employment and training opportunities for Martu who are best placed to staff the patrol because of their connections to family and knowledge of language and culture.
Evaluations of Martu Patrol have shown it has already begun to achieve many of its intended outcomes for the community and will continue to support local young people with its new bus and headquarters.
Martu Patrol is the result of effective collaboration between a multitude of passionate, dedicated people in Newman. Keep an eye out for the new bus, as they continue to support young people to help them thrive.
