Youth News: Stories from the Youth Lead Connect weekend

The highlight of the weekend for me was definitely the empowering final session with Reach that taught me that leadership doesn’t have to always be a big gesture in order to inspire others and is definitely something I will take away into my interactions with local youth in the future.

There is an amazing support network out there for all types of bleeding disorders, male or female, that are always willing to help without judgement or hesitation.

Lauren

My favourite part of the weekend was writing a rap with Mantra. It was incredibly fun to get creative and put our feelings about bleeder struggles and resilience in words and to put them to music. It was eye opening to discover what everyone found to be the most difficult part of having a bleeding disorder and how they had to overcome these issues. It was heartening to be able to voice these opinions in such a supportive environment.

The biggest thing I learned from this weekend is that the future leaders of this community are an amazing group of people who really understand what we need and want and that we are in good hands.

Emily

Reach allowed for deep thought and conversation about leadership, it was a workshop that helped me find some realisation of what it means to be a leader.

One thing I learned from this weekend was that it’s okay to share your worry and doubts. People just want what is best for you and by speaking up it will allow for younger people to get the help and answers they need.

Nathan

My highlight was getting to hang out brainstorming with such like-minded people – that is always brilliant.

One thing I have learned is that there are others out there fighting for what’s important to us.

Ben