OUR HISTORY
1984 – THE BEGINNING
The first official Blue Light Disco held in Qld was on the Gold Coast on the 26th July 1984. Held at the Albert Waterways Community Hall it attracted 219 youths. Blue Light Discos were initiated by Police looking for a way to positively engage young people in a safe environment. Boredom and a lack of suitable entertainment for youth under 18 was leading to antisocial and at times criminal behaviour. The Discos proved to be a great diversionary tactic. Young people could socialise with their peers in a safe, secure activity free from alcohol, drugs and violence.
1990’s - THE GOLDEN YEARS
The popularity of the Blue Light Disco reached its peak during the 1990’s with an astonishing 2.3 million young people getting into the swing. The opportunity to socialise with friends outside of the school environment was irresistible to youth who had yet to even hear the term ‘social media’. You had to leave the house to see your mates. Popular Artists of the time were Madonna, Roxette, MC Hammer, B‑52’s, Aerosmith, Skyhooks, Midnight Oil, Bon Jovi and Jimmy Barnes. During the 2010’s we introduced Youth Development and Youth Leadership Camps to better meet the specific needs of multiple youth cohorts.
2000’s - INTRODUCTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The introduction of Facebook in 2006 and smartphones in 2007 forever changed the way kids socialised with their peers. The popularity of the Disco began to decline, and Qld Blue Light looked for new ways to positively engage with young people. Movie Nights, Laser Tag, Skating, Sports and Family events were introduced with 985,498 young people attending a Blue Light Activity during the decade. During the 2010’s we introduced Youth Development and Youth Leadership Camps to better meet the specific needs of multiple youth cohorts.
2017 – THE LAUNCH OF OUR INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
In 2016 Qld Blue Light began developing our first early intervention program aimed at at-risk teenagers. In 2017 we launched Blue EDGE (Educate, Develop, Grow, Empower), a program that saw Police and community role models mentoring groups of 20 young people over an 8 week period that included physical training and life skills lessons. During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 we developed ELEVATE, a program designed to educate young people about Domestic and Family Violence. ELEVATE (Everyone Lift to End Violence and Target Education) is also delivered by Police Officers with the assistance of Blue Light facilitators and teachers in a classroom environment. Through the development of these programs Qld Blue Light continues to remain relevant by meeting the ever-changing needs of at-risk youth aged 5 – 17 years.
