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Pushing Barriers

06 Sep 2021

Great work from the team at Pushing Barriers to engage refugee youth through sport.

Pushing Barriers, a small not-for-profit organisation, reduces social and financial barriers faced by refugee youth as they seek to improve their quality of life and connection with their local community through sport.

The organisation received $2000 funding under the Queensland Government’s Active Clubs for training to assist the management of the organisation and $2000 funding under Active Clubs Kickstart to strengthen their capability and provide quality experiences.

Through the Queensland Government’s FairPlay vouchers Pushing Barriers was able to support 70 youth with a refugee background to participate in community sport in 2020.

Amongst the 70 children supported were Hasib and Mary. For 3 years Pushing Barriers has supported Hasib to play soccer. Born in Iran, Hasib spent most of his life in refugee camps where he had no opportunity for formal schooling. In August 2017, knowing limited English, Hasib and his family arrived in Australia. He attended Milperra State High School before transferring to Sunnybank State High School where he was named Dux in 2020. Hasib’s dedication has paid off and he is now undertaking a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Queensland.

Mary is another local sporting star who has been playing basketball for three years with the West Brisbane Falcons. With the support of FairPlay vouchers, Mary has continued playing the sport she loves this year whilst balancing her responsibilities as the Vice-Captain of St. James College in Spring Hill.

In August 2021 Pushing Barriers was awarded the Multicultural Queensland Award for Diversity and Inclusion, a well-deserved recognition of their tireless efforts to help refugee youth engage with community sport.