Prisoners and staff team up to break records at Australia's longest-running floral festival

Embedded in Grafton’s DNA is the annual Jacaranda Festival, a non-for-profit community festival that has been running for 89 years and relies on the support of local businesses and volunteers to continue. Grafton, which is in the Clarence Valley in Northern New South Wales (NSW), is home to many of the more than 490 employees that work at CLA that we operate.

At Serco, we recognise the importance of making a positive and lasting impact in the communities we serve. In 2023, our team at CLA extended their commitment to support this 10-day festival, finding innovative ways to positively contribute to the event’s success.

Three people wearing purple army polo's standing in the Jacaranda Festival headquarters smiling at the camera

As a major sponsor of the festival, the prisoners and our team from CLA volunteered their time to join the Purple Army, a grassroots initiative established to help ensure the festival runs smoothly. Our team wore specially designed shirts, created in collaboration with Green Fox Studios and a First Nations inmate, to distinguish themselves as part of the 'Purple Army'. With over 1,300 hours of contribution on the ground, our team worked alongside the committee and community to make this event a success.

Contributing more than $100,000 in in-kind community support this year has allowed our team to give back to the community by taking on labour-intensive and time-consuming tasks. Without our support, these jobs would have taken small volunteer groups weeks to complete.

Cherie Goodwin, CLA Manager Inmate Services said both the Serco team and prisoners were excited by the prospect of being involved in the festival.

“Collaborating with local communities where we work and serve, to ensure our impact is both positive and supportive is something we focus on at the centre”, said Ms Goodwin.

“This partnership and sponsorship was not only valuable to the Clarence Valley community but also important to the prisoners as they transition out of custody.”

Prisoners from the centre worked tirelessly in the community over nine days setting up and packing down throughout the festival, shouldering responsibilities that would typically fall on committee members or exhausted volunteers. Inside the centre, another group of prisoners worked under the guidance of a Trade Instructor to transform two old, unsafe floats into stunning works of art for the festival's Royal Party and Junior Royal Party, who act as ambassadors for Grafton throughout the festival.

Throughout the festival, more than 40 Serco volunteers took over operations at the Jacaranda Headquarters, which served as the main hub for visitors and locals in need of information and official merchandise. Their efforts resulted in a collection of almost $55,000 in funds, which will be used to expand the festival in 2024. The festival also highlighted a total of 31 official events and 16 community events, including the highly anticipated Crowning Ceremony, which featured Auslan Interpreters supplied by Serco to accommodate the hearing-impaired community members and visitors.

Mark Blackadder, Grafton Jacaranda Festival Manger said he could not be prouder of the partnership with Serco.

“It is an honour to witness the incredibly hard work of prisoners and staff, instrumental in delivering the biggest and best Grafton Jacaranda Festival in history,” Mr Blackadder said. “Community are talking about the strength of the partnership with the team out in the community working hard.”

The impact of our team’s involvement in the Jacaranda Festival goes beyond just the event itself. Their support and commitment to the local community has left a lasting impression on both festivalgoers and the prisoners involved. By providing opportunities for rehabilitation and giving back to the community, Serco is changing perceptions and helping to break down barriers.

The success of this year's festival is a testament to the power of collaboration and the positive impact that can be achieved when different groups come together for a common cause. Early data has indicated that 2023 has broken the record to become the largest festival ever celebrated, injecting more than $4.4 million into the local economy and attracting 45,000 people.

Michael Strickland, Managing Director for Serco Justice & Immigration said he is incredibly proud of the CLA team and their ongoing efforts to embed themselves into the local community. “The team’s dedication to making a lasting and genuine impact is a true reflection of Serco's commitment to the communities in which we operate,” Mr Strickland said.

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