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Nicqui Yazdi, 2010 Byron Shire Citizen of the Year

For those that don’t know of Nicqui Yazdi yet, she is the lady that is continuously running around Byron Bay getting things done for the community. So much so, that she was voted Byron Shire’s 2010 Citizen of the Year. Here we find out what motivates Nicqui to do all that she does.

TRBB: Nicqui, what is your day job?
Nicqui: I guess that depends on the day and the time of year. Right now I am co-ordinating the Byron Schoolies Safety Response and the Schoolies HUB. I also run Friday Nights @ the YAC, a drop-in socialising program for 12-17 year olds at the Byron Youth Activities Centre and am Team Leader of the BUDDI-CDAT (Byron Underage Drinking & Drug Initiative – Community Drug Action Team) and the BUDDI Youth Team. On Wednesdays, I have a radio show on Bay FM from 9-11am, ’2481 Undone’, which is about connecting with community and I am the Byron Editor of internet news site www.byronbay.org and the Byron Bay News site on facebook. I also come up with ideas for things that I see that the community needs and particularly those that help our young people and write grant applications to get the various projects up and running. Many of these projects are in conjunction with Byron Youth Service, whose management committee I am on.

TRBB: Most people in Byron already know what a busy lady you are. What else are you involved with when you aren’t doing that?!
Nicqui: I have a training organisation, the MindRight Institute and specialise in the Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Programs. I also regularly talk to groups, organisations and students, particularly those studying Community Services, about Suicide Prevention and mental health.

TRBB: How long have you been doing this for?
Nicqui: Three and a half years now.

TRBB: What is your motivation?
Nicqui: I would like to improve the mental health of our community and particularly of our youth. I have a bit of a mission to increase literacy about mental health issues and reduce the stigmas, so that people are more aware of the issues and better able to help each other out when they see problems first arising. I believe early intervention is the key and the Mental Health First Aid programs achieve this by teaching people the clusters of symptoms and the signs and signals that they need to keep an eye out for and what to do from there, what help is out there and where to go to get that help.

TRBB: Best & Worst Moment?
Nicqui: Well I guess that depends on how you look at it. My worst moment actually turned out to be my best motivation. 6 years ago my best friend took her own life. The worst thing about it was that I hadn’t seen it coming. But it made me want to know what I had missed. I did a Mental Health First Aid course and eventually trained to become an instructor. I have now taught over 300 people how to talk to others about suicide. I believe that through our darkest moments we find the greatest light.

TRBB: What do you get out of it?
Nicqui: Incredible satisfaction in knowing that there are so many people in our community that are confidently walking around with the knowledge they need to help people when they are in a crisis, or suffering from mental health problems. It is wonderful to watch them putting into action the things that I taught them.

TRBB: Any frustrations?
Nicqui: The lack of funding for mental health in our country. It is the biggest burden, yet receives so little attention, particularly those services that assist our youth. 75% of all mental illness that will ever exist, are already there by the age of 25. We need to improve services that specialise in early intervention for our young people, before their problems become embedded and create more problems.

TRBB: What are your goals for the future?
Nicqui: Keep spreading the love.

TRBB: How can people get involved & support you?
Nicqui: There are so many ways that people can become involved in community. There are projects happening all year round that need people to help out. I guess the best thing that people can do is look at the things that they are passionate about, or that maybe they have skills in that they can give and then find a place that needs that kind of assistance.

TRBB: Do you look for volunteers? If so what qualities do you look for?
Nicqui: I am always looking for volunteers. I am aiming for 100 local volunteers to be involved with Schoolies this year, but there are so many other projects that require volunteers as well. The Youth Activities Centre is always looking for people to help out too. If you can cook a meal, the young people attending the programs at the YAC, and particularly those attending school there, are always in need of lunch. There is a small garden there as well, and the grounds that need tending to. There are other projects too, such as ‘Friday Nights @ the YAC, the breathaliser stalls at the festivals, school holiday programs and so much more. Very soon we will be looking for volunteers to become involved in a Mobile Youth Outreach Service that BUDDI and Byron Youth Service will be starting with the $127, 400 Proceeds of Crime Act Grant that we received.

The main quality I look for in volunteers is the desire to be involved and the passion to want to make a difference. It doesn’t take a lot to give a little and it comes back to you in so many wonderful ways.

TRBB: How do people get in touch for further information?
Nicqui: To volunteer for Schoolies people can email byronschooliessafetyresponse@yahoo.com.au or call me on 0402013177. We also have two pages on facebook ‘Byron Schoolies Safety Response’ fan site and the ‘Byron Schoolies Safety Response Group’ page, become a friend of both.

If people have interesting projects that they might like to talk about on my radio show, they can just give me a call or send me a message on ’2481 Undone’ on facebook and I am also interested in anything newsworthy for both Byron Bay News on facebook and www.byronbay.org.

If people want to know more about the Mental Health First Aid training programs they can email me at nicquiyazdi@yahoo.com.au or go to the MHFA website www.mhfa.com.au and learn more.

To volunteer at the YAC, contact Steffi on 66857777 or email stephanie@bys.org.au or go to the Byron Youth Service website www.bys.org.au for more information.