Staff from the Australian Border Force (ABF) on Thursday Island have donated more than 30 items of clothing to children on Saibai Island today. The clothes, made by volunteers from discontinued uniform fabric, were the first to be donated by the ABF as part of the multi-agency Uniform 4 Kids program.
Fiona Pemberton, ABF Inspector on Thursday Island, said the ABF was delighted to support the program, which comes with both community and sustainability benefits.
“We are constantly striving to foster great connections with the Torres Strait community. The ABF plays a unique role in protecting Australia, and we also operate in some of the most remote regions of the country,” Fiona said.
“In getting behind this program, we are able to give back; to build on our community relationships that are so important to us and also kick a fairly big sustainability goal. These clothes were made from old, discontinued stock which we could no longer use. Rather than being destroyed, the fabric has been transformed into children’s clothing.”
Pioneered by Order of Australia recipient Yvonne Pattinson, the world-first program firstly recycled police uniforms and turned them into clothing for disadvantaged children around Australia. The program has now expanded to include uniforms not only from Police but from the ABF, Australia Zoo and Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.
The overall plan for the program is to donate 12,000 sets of clothes over the next two years and 100,000 sets of clothes per year within five years.
The program will officially be launched later this year at the 2017 International Women and Law Enforcement Conference in Cairns from 17-21 September.
A small number of additional items today were also provided by Queensland Police and Australia Zoo.