Latest news with #Pathfinders
Times
08-05-2025
- General
- Times
Gwen Thomas obituary: WAAF signals operator with elite RAF Pathfinders
Gwen Thomas had just turned 18 when in September 1942 she volunteered for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). She did not want to go into the army and 'liked the uniform' of the WAAF, a view held by many young women who found the RAF blue more flattering than the army khaki. Having trained as a teleprinter operator, she was posted in June 1943 to the signals section of the Pathfinders, an elite unit established the previous August to help Bomber Command to find targets in the dark. They flew ahead of the main force, mainly in Lancaster bombers and more nimble Mosquitoes, dropping coloured flares to mark targets in Nazi Germany that would later be bombed from the air. Thomas was based at
The Age
06-05-2025
- The Age
Jack's mother thought he was being looked after. He died desperate and alone
A spokesperson from Pathfinders said the organisation couldn't comment about specific clients. Children enrolled in the program received a 'structured, fully supervised 24/7 routine that includes education and pursuit of a young person's individual interests', and remained DCJ's responsibility. The spokesperson was unaware of any report from a child protection officer, and protocol was to call an ambulance and notify DCJ in case of a medical emergency. Neither DCJ nor Pathfinders responded to questions about Jack being found unresponsive. On his return to the central-west, Jack's care was outsourced to the multimillion-dollar social services charity Life Without Barriers. Other children stole his belongings there, and he was again not enrolled in school. National Disability Insurance Paperwork was never lodged. 'They wouldn't let him be a child,' Renee said. In 2022, the company's CEO, Claire Robbs, apologised after the Disability Royal Commission found the organisation had failed to prevent violence and abuse against residents in its group disability homes. In 2023-24, Life Without Barriers made $845 million in revenue and other income. According to financial documents, just $93 million was spent on service delivery costs. According to job advertisements, youth workers are paid $36 per hour and can be TAFE students with relevant work experience. Life Without Barriers declined to comment for this article. 'I'm not burying another child' When Jack moved in with Mick in late 2022, away from outsourced care, he started finding his feet. He began an apprenticeship and got a part-time job. Child protection caseworkers' assessments found his mother's former partner was 'totally dedicated to meeting all of Jack's needs,' noting the pair had a 'close bond'. Mick was assessed as a suitable permanent placement option for Jack. Mick quit his job, sold shares in his businesses for cash, and completed multiple parenting and child psychology courses while waiting to be approved as a specialist carer and permanent placement option for Jack, who required 24/7 care. However, payments he said Life Without Barriers and DCJ promised never arrived. Life Without Barriers denied ever making the promise but paid Mick a lump sum in January 2024 to recognise the 'unacceptable delay' in completing his assessment. One delay included a change made by DCJ to Jack's assessment needs, rendering Mick's application ineligible, only to reverse the decision months later. I'm not burying another child … Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help. Mick Mick said the struggle of getting Jack regular funding support led to a deterioration in his mental health. Just days after Life Without Barriers acknowledged their failures, Jack attempted to take his life at Mick's home. Loading Mick, who found Jack after the attempt and called an ambulance, said he couldn't do it any more. Several years earlier, he had lost a son of his own in a car accident. 'I said, 'I'm not burying another child, '' Mick said. 'Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help.' 'We'll be burying him within months' After more stints in motels and temporary accommodation, Jack moved into an apartment in Orange rented by Life Without Barriers, where he lived alone. Mick objected to Jack living in an apartment: 'I said if you move him into a home by himself, we'll be burying him within months,' Mick said. Renee wanted him at home. With minimal supervision, no school, TAFE, or structure, Jack spent his time on trains and on the street, sometimes staying with a friend in Sydney. [DCJ] are acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson. Renee The friend's mother, who spoke anonymously to protect her son, said Jack frequently arrived at her doorstep early in the morning from Orange. She suspected he spent the night at train stations. She said his clothes were often dirty, he didn't travel with a toothbrush, and he was living off credits for fast-food restaurants. 'DCJ and Life Without Barriers were enabling him,' she said. A body in the mountains Loading On his 18th birthday, Jack travelled to Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains. He sent videos to friends of himself sitting on the rock face playing music. He appeared to be alone. He died the day after that birthday, on October 31. Police discovered his body several days later. His death is not being treated as suspicious. A DCJ staff member not authorised to speak to the media questioned whether anyone from Life Without Barriers or DCJ had discussed that supports remained in place for children in the state's care after their 18th birthday or whether staff planned to celebrate Jack's milestone. Jack was farewelled at a ceremony attended by more than 100 friends and family who spoke of his loyalty, adventurousness and strong protective instincts. He is buried in the Orange cemetery. His grave, adorned with flowers, angel statues and a rubber chicken, reads 'Forever 18.' No coronial inquest has been announced into Jack's death to understand the failures that may have caused it. Mick said DCJ never contacted him after Jack's death. Renee said she has been told DCJ will review the case, but she won't be privy to the details and was told it won't lead to disciplinary action. 'They're acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson,' she said. Washington said: 'It is highly premature for a DCJ staff member to tell a grieving mother that there would be no disciplinary action while the department is still conducting an internal review of Jack's tragic death, and I apologise for the understandable distress this caused. 'The Minns Labor Government is undertaking significant reforms to the child protection system, focused on improving safety, lifting accountability, and providing stability for the vulnerable children and young people,' the minister for families and communities said. Renee visits Jack's grave daily.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Jack's mother thought he was being looked after. He died desperate and alone
A spokesperson from Pathfinders said the organisation couldn't comment about specific clients. Children enrolled in the program received a 'structured, fully supervised 24/7 routine that includes education and pursuit of a young person's individual interests', and remained DCJ's responsibility. The spokesperson was unaware of any report from a child protection officer, and protocol was to call an ambulance and notify DCJ in case of a medical emergency. Neither DCJ nor Pathfinders responded to questions about Jack being found unresponsive. On his return to the central-west, Jack's care was outsourced to the multimillion-dollar social services charity Life Without Barriers. Other children stole his belongings there, and he was again not enrolled in school. National Disability Insurance Paperwork was never lodged. 'They wouldn't let him be a child,' Renee said. In 2022, the company's CEO, Claire Robbs, apologised after the Disability Royal Commission found the organisation had failed to prevent violence and abuse against residents in its group disability homes. In 2023-24, Life Without Barriers made $845 million in revenue and other income. According to financial documents, just $93 million was spent on service delivery costs. According to job advertisements, youth workers are paid $36 per hour and can be TAFE students with relevant work experience. Life Without Barriers declined to comment for this article. 'I'm not burying another child' When Jack moved in with Mick in late 2022, away from outsourced care, he started finding his feet. He began an apprenticeship and got a part-time job. Child protection caseworkers' assessments found his mother's former partner was 'totally dedicated to meeting all of Jack's needs,' noting the pair had a 'close bond'. Mick was assessed as a suitable permanent placement option for Jack. Mick quit his job, sold shares in his businesses for cash, and completed multiple parenting and child psychology courses while waiting to be approved as a specialist carer and permanent placement option for Jack, who required 24/7 care. However, payments he said Life Without Barriers and DCJ promised never arrived. Life Without Barriers denied ever making the promise but paid Mick a lump sum in January 2024 to recognise the 'unacceptable delay' in completing his assessment. One delay included a change made by DCJ to Jack's assessment needs, rendering Mick's application ineligible, only to reverse the decision months later. I'm not burying another child … Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help. Mick Mick said the struggle of getting Jack regular funding support led to a deterioration in his mental health. Just days after Life Without Barriers acknowledged their failures, Jack attempted to take his life at Mick's home. Loading Mick, who found Jack after the attempt and called an ambulance, said he couldn't do it any more. Several years earlier, he had lost a son of his own in a car accident. 'I said, 'I'm not burying another child, '' Mick said. 'Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help.' 'We'll be burying him within months' After more stints in motels and temporary accommodation, Jack moved into an apartment in Orange rented by Life Without Barriers, where he lived alone. Mick objected to Jack living in an apartment: 'I said if you move him into a home by himself, we'll be burying him within months,' Mick said. Renee wanted him at home. With minimal supervision, no school, TAFE, or structure, Jack spent his time on trains and on the street, sometimes staying with a friend in Sydney. [DCJ] are acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson. Renee The friend's mother, who spoke anonymously to protect her son, said Jack frequently arrived at her doorstep early in the morning from Orange. She suspected he spent the night at train stations. She said his clothes were often dirty, he didn't travel with a toothbrush, and he was living off credits for fast-food restaurants. 'DCJ and Life Without Barriers were enabling him,' she said. A body in the mountains Loading On his 18th birthday, Jack travelled to Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains. He sent videos to friends of himself sitting on the rock face playing music. He appeared to be alone. He died the day after that birthday, on October 31. Police discovered his body several days later. His death is not being treated as suspicious. A DCJ staff member not authorised to speak to the media questioned whether anyone from Life Without Barriers or DCJ had discussed that supports remained in place for children in the state's care after their 18th birthday or whether staff planned to celebrate Jack's milestone. Jack was farewelled at a ceremony attended by more than 100 friends and family who spoke of his loyalty, adventurousness and strong protective instincts. He is buried in the Orange cemetery. His grave, adorned with flowers, angel statues and a rubber chicken, reads 'Forever 18.' No coronial inquest has been announced into Jack's death to understand the failures that may have caused it. Mick said DCJ never contacted him after Jack's death. Renee said she has been told DCJ will review the case, but she won't be privy to the details and was told it won't lead to disciplinary action. 'They're acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson,' she said. Washington said: 'It is highly premature for a DCJ staff member to tell a grieving mother that there would be no disciplinary action while the department is still conducting an internal review of Jack's tragic death, and I apologise for the understandable distress this caused. 'The Minns Labor Government is undertaking significant reforms to the child protection system, focused on improving safety, lifting accountability, and providing stability for the vulnerable children and young people,' the minister for families and communities said. Renee visits Jack's grave daily.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
J&K forest dept to close all its trekking destinations for tourists
In the backdrop of the attack on tourists in Pahalgam, the J&K forests department has decided to close all its trekking destinations for tourists. The trekking routes of forests are located in every district of UT and for the past three years locals as well as non-local tourists were trekking on these routes and with every passing year the number of trekkers was going up especially in summers. Most of these routes are off-beat locations in Jammu and Kashmir and trail deep inside forests providing a thrilling experience to the adventure seekers, trekkers and the tourists who are aficionados of nature's wilderness. 'We have decided to close all our trekking routes after the attack on tourists in J&K,' said a senior J&K forest department official on anonymity. 'The decision to open treks for trekking will be taken after assessment of the situation,' he added. Meanwhile, police in every district have been asked to compile the list of trekking routes both long as well as short which leads deep into forests. 'I was asked by police officers about the trekking routes which we usually take in different districts, especially my home district,' said Tariq Ahmad, an avid trekker of North Kashmir. The trend for trekking picked up among both locals and non-locals especially after the government opened 100 new tourist destinations in J&K for tourists, explorers and trekkers last year. Also Read | 14 'active' terrorists identified in Kashmir These tracks opened in the past three to four years and had been into six circles - Srinagar, South, North, East, West and Chenab circles with each circle having more than 10 identified trekking routes. North circle which comprises Baramulla and Kupwara districts and has highest 26 identified routes - some close to the Line of Control. Similarly, Srinagar and south circles have more than 20 routes. In Jammu division, as many as 24 trekking routes in the forests of Jammu, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Kishtwar and Doda have been identified. 'Only for Great Lakes and some other long trekking routes we needed to get permission. Now it will all be closed,' said Jalal Jeelani, a prominent trekker of Pathfinders group. 'Even from past few years tourists have been trekking at Kashmir Great Lakes in hundreds. Now everything will be closed. Nobody would want to take a risk,' he said. Also Read | 'Bodies everywhere… people ran barefoot': Rescuer, pony operator body's chief, recounts Pahalgam attack horror Kashmir is known for its trekking routes especially Tarsar Marsar, Famber Valley, Kulgam Alpine lakes, Kousarnag, Chornar lakes Kishtwar, trans Himalayan trek from Kishtwar to Panikher, Ladakh. The famous virgin snow-fed lakes that are part of the journey of Kashmir Great Lakes are Kishansar, Vishansar, Gadsar, Satsar, Nundkul and Gangabal has seen many tourists and trekkers in past few years. Some of these lakes are home to famous trout species. Trekkers often take the opportunity to catch the fish in these lakes at altitudes between 3,500 to 3,800 metres and satisfy their taste buds Not only trekking routes, in the last five six years the government with the help of the army had opened several tourist destinations close to the Line of Control in north Kashmir which attracted good numbers of tourists, especially outsiders. Though the government is yet to take a call on those destinations, many tour operators, who fear the restrictions, could go further up. 'After this attack many restrictions will be imposed on tourist destinations which are far-off as nobody wants to take the risk,' Omar Ahmad, a tour operator in north Kashmir, said.
