ROEBOURNE SWANS RIDE BUILDS BIKES, SKILLS, ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS AND CELEBRATES NEW RIO TINTO PARTNERSHIP
BY ASAD KHAN AND LATISHA KADIBIL
A Journey for Safety and Connection
In the final week of the recent school holidays, the Roebourne Swans capped off a 12-week bike-building program with a community ride aimed at raising road safety awareness among local youth.
Departing from Yandina Youth Services in Roebourne, the convoy travelled to Cossack, creating what Social Impact Manager Jimmy Westbrook described as “a whole bunch of traffic jam” — but for a good cause.
The ride brought together young participants and mentors who had helped assemble the bikes, all of which were fitted with front and rear lights, pedal reflectors, and helmets. High-visibility clothing was provided, and riders followed strict safety formats to protect participants, with children riding in the centre of the convoy.
Community Backing from Start to Finish
Mr Westbrook credited strong community involvement for the success of the event.
“We had close to 65 people as part of the ride, not including support staff,” he said.
Teams were stationed at key points along the route, including Yandina, Roebourne Regional Prison, and Cossack, where the event concluded.
The bike-building process itself ran for more than two months, engaging different groups of young people at various times.
“The kids got exposed to different people and different yarns and positive messages through role models,”
Small Town, Big Collaboration
Roebourne’s size, Westbrook noted, is an advantage when delivering community programs.
“A lot of people are related, a lot of people wear multiple hats,” he said.
This overlap means fewer points of contact are needed to coordinate large-scale events, enabling strong collaboration between local organisations.
Rio Tinto Partnership to Sustain and Expand Programs
The Swans are preparing to launch a new community partnership with Rio Tinto on August 11, marked by a basketball event with music, food, and activities for local youth.
Mr Westbrook said the sponsorship would provide long-term stability for the club’s youth programs.
“We’ve been a one-man operation for a long time now,” he said.
“This partnership’s allowed us to make a sustainable program at the capacity we’re all running without having to stop and start things again.”
The funding will focus on expanding and solidifying projects that have previously been trialled. Early initiatives include outreach at Wickham ovals before school and plans for additional programs in Roebourne and surrounding communities.
Creating Career Pathways for Young People
From next week, the Swans will offer work placements for young people to learn graphic design and signwriting skills. Participants will work on real projects such as stickers, t-shirts, banners, and vehicle wraps.
Mr Westbrook described it as “a cool way of bridging some gaps between stepping into the big world” by providing a more approachable learning environment.
An Open Invitation to Get Involved
Westbrook encouraged residents to connect via the Swans’ Facebook page, Swans Roebourne, for updates and volunteer opportunities. The club regularly calls for “mentors” — community members with skills or passions they can share with young people.
“Reach out, send us a message,”.
“We’ll have a yarn and see how we can fit you in.”
Listen to Ngaarda Media’a Latish kadibil speak with Jimmy Westbrook: