Youth Safety Outreach Program

The CityRail Youth Safety Outreach Program helps young people identify behaviour that is unsafe in the rail environment, assess the risks involved and devise alternatives to dangerous and at times potentially fatal behaviour.

The program is delivered by Jonathan Beninca, who has direct experience of injury, having been run over by a train while trespassing at the age of 19.

Jonathan is available to come and speak to your school or community group, free of charge. We use Jonathan as a visual for young adults as, for most, his story cuts right through the attitude of invincibility.

Presentation available

Risk and the consequences of dangerous risk taking around railway property

Age group: Year 5 to Year 12 students
Who can book? Schools, youth groups/organisations of any kind, charitable organisations
Numbers: Suitable for groups of 3 to 500
Resources required: Overhead projector
Running time: 30 minutes (minimum) to 1 hour and 30 minutes (maximum).

Presentation outcomes:

• Identify dangerous behaviour on or around train stations
• Identify innocent individuals harmed by dangerous behaviour, e.g. train drivers, guards, staff, passengers
• Educate about rail related safety specifics, such as: the weight of trains, stopping distances, silent approach, stand behind the yellow line
• Create a better understanding of life after a dangerous risk that results in a serious injury
• Encourage healthy friendships and peer support
• Encourage positive decision and choice making
• Encourage students to accept responsibility for their actions
• Break down invincibility attitudes
• Encourage choosing positive behaviours over dangerous risk-taking
• Facilitate positive role modelling

CityRail presenter profile - Jonathan Beninca

In 1999, Jonathan Beninca was a healthy 19 year old who enjoyed all the usual things, sport, socialising and partying. After one Friday night drinking session he decided to catch a train to another suburb. Thinking the trains had stopped for the night he jumped down onto the tracks and started walking. His life was to change forever. His next recollection was waking in hospital minus his right arm, leg and several fingers on his left hand.

Today, Jonathan - who's miraculously alive and highly articulate - is a powerful motivational speaker. He talks with young people about the dangers of trespassing on railway tracks and other related themes, such as safely using trains and public transport. Jonathan is available for rail or public transport related safety talks only.

For the last five years Jonathan has built strong partnerships with schools across Sydney and its greater outer areas, Police and Citizens Youth Clubs, Mission Australia, Links to Learning, Department of Juvenile Justice and many other youth groups and organisations. On average Jonathan presents over 180 sessions to over 17,000 young people each year.

Jonathan is committed to ensuring the sessions he delivers are appropriate to each age group he is addressing. Whilst the topics he covers may seem confronting, Jonathan ensures there's an approporiate mix of humour to match the seriousness of the session. This ensures students are engaged throughout the entire talk and kept entertained and focused. Jonathan specialises in talking with at risk youth or youth with previous negative behavioural patterns.

Contact Jonathan to speak at your organisation:
E-mail: outreach@railcorp.nsw.gov.au
Phone: (02) 8202 3273