{"id":5289,"date":"2024-10-11T11:55:33","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T02:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/?p=5289"},"modified":"2024-11-28T07:37:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T22:07:48","slug":"full-circle-garys-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#8217;s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Gary Spence began his adult working life in the police. He moved on to community services and came full circle with a unique achievement: successfully lobbying for the inclusion of blood borne virus education into the standard training program of the South Australia Police (SAPOL).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sitting down for a chat with <em>Community News<\/em> just before his retirement (to a lovely life of peace and quiet in the country), Gary said successfully negotiating with the SAPOL\u2019s Training and Development Branch to deliver that program gave him a great feeling of completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Up until then, training and education that the <a href=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2017\/03\/hep-sa-educators-make-it-simple-as-abc\/\">Hepatitis SA Education<\/a> Team delivered to SAPOL had always been a little ad hoc, with no set times, locations, time frames or even standard length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That all changed with the new \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/training-breakthrough-with-sapol\/\">Blood Safety &amp; Viral Hepatitis<\/a>\u2019 on-going education program. The SAPOL-compliant program was given a SAPOL Health Safety and Welfare training code which means it is now a SA Police requirement for all operational personnel to have received this training. All personnel have a five-year period in which to compete their training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d7493156f0c&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d7493156f0c\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"336\" height=\"480\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-the-officer.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-the-officer.jpg 336w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-the-officer-300x429.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gary back in the day in SAPOL (photo provided by Gary Spence)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was quite a challenge and a bit touch and go at one stage,\u201d he recalled. Negotiations took a year, delayed by staff changes at the SAPOL end. What clinched it was the fact that Gary had worked with SA Police for 20 years before moving to the community sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hepatitis SA Education Coordinator, Jenny Grant, said much of the success in getting the \u2018Blood Safety &amp; Viral Hepatitis\u2019 program incorporated as required training for their operational personnel was due to the trust that Gary had built with the SA Police training department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey knew that he understood how SAPOL works, what their operational staff training needs were, and how to provide content that was useful and relevant,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary started working when he was 11. \u201cAfter school, in the afternoons, I\u2019d earn pocket money by helping out at the local deli,\u201d he said. At 16 he graduated to selling white goods at Harris Scarfe, before applying to join the SA Police Academy at age 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d7493157587&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d7493157587\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"294\" height=\"228\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-the-officer2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5312\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gary&#8217;s policing career was diverse. (photo provided by Gary Spence)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had to live in the Police Academy for two years and hated everything about it,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI started on a Thursday and by the second day I was ready to quit.\u201d His parents convinced him to stay on and keep it up. And so, two years of training turned into 20 years of policing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His policing career was diverse, from general patrols in Port Augusta from 1985 to 1990, to communications back in Adelaide, taking calls and dispatching jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What gave him a new direction was a domestic violence course which he attended \u2013 it motivated him to go into that area of policing, helping the victims of DV. That\u2019s when policing for him clearly became more of a service than a force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>We got shunted around from one desk to another, one service to another. It was very bad.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was quite harrowing to see what the victims suffered,\u201d he said. \u201cMany of the perpetrators looked so respectable from the outside.\u201d In time, the role expanded to include sexual assault, and in that process extended to the gay and lesbian community as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary remembered one week in particular, where two male victims approached him for help, and he couldn\u2019t find any services for them. \u201cWe got shunted around from one desk to another, one service to another. It was very bad,\u201d he said. That experience prompted him to push for the role of a gay and lesbian liaison officer in SAPOL \u2013 a role he filled from 1998 until it was abolished in 2001. The position was never officially formalised, and that allowed it to be done away with easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d7493157b87&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d7493157b87\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pep-rally2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pep-rally2.jpg 640w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pep-rally2-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pep-rally2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gary (standing, at the microphone) at a rally, in his capacity as Manager of Gay Men&#8217;s Health (photo provided by Gary Spence)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In his capacity as the liaison officer, Gary provided training to police officers with support via the AIDS Council, and Gay Men\u2019s Health. \u201cThere were other changes happening in the police department as well. A female non-Police person commenced as head of HR, and she was very supportive of this position. The culture was shifting,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>&#8230; abolition of the role had the unexpected consequence of every officer needing to be aware of the issues and needs of the community&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonetheless, there was still a lot of opposition to the change and despite the inevitable cultural shift, the liaison officer\u2019s position was done away with quite swiftly by a very senior police officer at the time, with no discussions entered into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ironically, the abolition of the role had the unexpected consequence of every officer needing to be aware of the issues and needs of the community, and to be able to do the job previously done by the gay and lesbian liaison officer. The training package which Gary had developed for SAPOL operational personnel became all the more important. It is still in use today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2002, Gary decided it was time to move on. \u201cOtherwise, it clouds your view,\u201d he said. \u201cGay Men\u2019s Health at the AIDS Council had a position open, they asked me if I would apply, and I decided to go for it. It was time for a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d749315815e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d749315815e\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/deident-pep-rally1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/deident-pep-rally1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/deident-pep-rally1-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/deident-pep-rally1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At a HIV PEP rally &#8211; Gary in black Tshirt, in the foreground (photo provided by Gary Spence)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDuring the seven to eight years with Gay Men\u2019s Health, I was a project worker and then manager.\u201d He was also Acting CEO of the AIDS Council for a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary left the AIDS Council in 2009 and purchased a trendy little environmentally-friendly gift shop, The Waste Not Want Not Shop in Goodwood (which he later moved to Blackwood), with his partner Jayson Smart, a school teacher who also ran a dance studio. Gary had met Jayson in 1993 through the now SA Police Commissioner, Grant Stevens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne highlight of having the shop was the opportunity of working at some stage with all three of my grown-up children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the shop was a nice challenge, it wasn\u2019t quite enough, so in 2016 he sold the shop and joined Hepatitis SA as an educator where his experience in education, and understanding of community needs could be applied to another good cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d74931586de&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d74931586de\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"296\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/samesh-interview-shots-1200x296.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/samesh-interview-shots-1200x296.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/samesh-interview-shots-600x148.jpg 600w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/samesh-interview-shots-300x74.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/samesh-interview-shots-768x190.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/samesh-interview-shots.jpg 1256w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gary in an animated interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/samesh.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAMESH<\/a> \u2013 for the 2022 World Hepatitis Day campaign \u2013 raising awareness about viral hepatitis and who&#8217;s at risk. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CgtL8Y7MMvH\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Watch the interview.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gary\u2019s journey took him from a young person who \u201chated everything\u201d about the Police Academy, through 20 years in policing, helping to shift the culture, and on to another 20 years as organiser and educator in the HIV and hepatitis sectors. His 41-year career was rounded off with that final feather in his cap: successfully getting blood safety and hepatitis education built into standard South Australian Police training \u2013 tying it up nicely, like a bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a nice feeling \u2013 coming full circle,\u201d he admitted as he walked out the door with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d7493158c4f&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d7493158c4f\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"598\" height=\"480\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-n-partner.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-n-partner.jpg 598w, https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/gary-n-partner-300x241.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 598px) 100vw, 598px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gary and Jayson (photo provided by Gary Spence)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gary Spence began his adult working life in the police. He moved on to community services and came full circle with a unique achievement: successfully lobbying for the inclusion of &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[293,295],"issue":[296],"ppma_author":[56],"class_list":["post-5289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-sa-police","tag-education","issue-issue-103"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#039;s Story | HepSA Community News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#039;s Story | HepSA Community News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gary Spence began his adult working life in the police. He moved on to community services and came full circle with a unique achievement: successfully lobbying for the inclusion of &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HepSA Community News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HepatitisSA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-11T02:25:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-27T22:07:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cecilia Lim\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hep_sa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hep_sa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cecilia Lim\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Cecilia Lim\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/person\/efdf385408c3eb224631b1314de31e49\"},\"headline\":\"Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#8217;s Story\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-11T02:25:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-27T22:07:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\"},\"wordCount\":1192,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"SA Police\",\"education\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\",\"name\":\"Full Circle \u2013 Gary's Story | HepSA Community News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-11T02:25:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-27T22:07:48+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":900},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#8217;s Story\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/\",\"name\":\"HepSA Community News\",\"description\":\"Hepatitis news and views from South Australia\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Hepatitis SA\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/HepSA_rgb.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/HepSA_rgb.png\",\"width\":2025,\"height\":955,\"caption\":\"Hepatitis SA\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HepatitisSA\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/hep_sa\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/person\/efdf385408c3eb224631b1314de31e49\",\"name\":\"Cecilia Lim\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=gafa69379198950dc40495a8dfb125bd3\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Cecilia Lim\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/author\/cecilia-lim\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Full Circle \u2013 Gary's Story | HepSA Community News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Full Circle \u2013 Gary's Story | HepSA Community News","og_description":"Gary Spence began his adult working life in the police. He moved on to community services and came full circle with a unique achievement: successfully lobbying for the inclusion of &hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/","og_site_name":"HepSA Community News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HepatitisSA","article_published_time":"2024-10-11T02:25:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-11-27T22:07:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Cecilia Lim","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@hep_sa","twitter_site":"@hep_sa","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Cecilia Lim","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/"},"author":{"name":"Cecilia Lim","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/person\/efdf385408c3eb224631b1314de31e49"},"headline":"Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#8217;s Story","datePublished":"2024-10-11T02:25:33+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-27T22:07:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/"},"wordCount":1192,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg","keywords":["SA Police","education"],"articleSection":["Community"],"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/","url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/","name":"Full Circle \u2013 Gary's Story | HepSA Community News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg","datePublished":"2024-10-11T02:25:33+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-27T22:07:48+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/FullCircle_Gary_header6-web.jpg","width":1600,"height":900},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2024\/10\/full-circle-garys-story\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Full Circle \u2013 Gary&#8217;s Story"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/","name":"HepSA Community News","description":"Hepatitis news and views from South Australia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#organization","name":"Hepatitis SA","url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/HepSA_rgb.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/HepSA_rgb.png","width":2025,"height":955,"caption":"Hepatitis SA"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HepatitisSA","https:\/\/x.com\/hep_sa"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/#\/schema\/person\/efdf385408c3eb224631b1314de31e49","name":"Cecilia Lim","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=gafa69379198950dc40495a8dfb125bd3","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Cecilia Lim"},"url":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/author\/cecilia-lim\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":56,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"cecilia-lim","display_name":"Cecilia Lim","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0791a46acf6147a34520719a3f0680a122d9e93c36d981f734e9d7d3d5a24b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5289"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5648,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5289\/revisions\/5648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5289"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=5289"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}