A hero born

Meet Melbourne’s Reuben Cullen. By day you’ll find him in his highvis working in electrical, but as soon it’s time to knock off you’ll catch him at home writing poetry, working on his next children’s book or hanging out with mates having a laugh.

Reuben Cullen’s spiky bleached hair and funloving grin are the first things you notice about him. Even before he speaks you know this down-to-earth construction worker is not your average children’s book author. But life hasn’t always been laughs for Reuben who has faced challenging life experiences with addiction and recovery as well as losing contact with a child he considered his daughter.

“During the day you can find me in my high-vis vest working in demolition, but once I clock-off you’ll catch me writing poetry and stories – always with music on,”

At his darkest point Reuben’s relationship fell apart and his drug addiction spiralled out of control which ultimately contributed to the loss of contact with his ex-partner’s daughter Kasey, who he had raised as his own daughter from the age of 1 to 8.

Reuben not only lost the ability to read and write but loosing contact with the little girl he taught to read, write and ride a bike was equally heartbreaking. Thankfully he realised that ultimately only he could bring himself out of his situation, and he had to step up and be his own hero. Today his aim is to inspire and empower children to also be their own heroes.

With his love of writing helping him heal, Reuben has recently launched his first book, A Hero Born, that he hopes will pass on a message of self-love, confidence and selfesteem to children across Australia – all things he was struggling with himself while writing the book during his recovery from addiction.

During the dark period of his addiction, he became incapable of doing what he loves most; writing. This for him was the turning point that inspired him to turn his life around and became the motivation for him to write A Hero Born.

“Working hard on the book gave me an outlet again and made me accountable for something in my life that I was interested in. I found it helped me with removing the drugs from my life.”

It might seem strange for a recovering addict to write a children’s book, but Reuben had a deeply personal reason to want to share his story of empowerment with younger audiences. Naturally this book is dedicated to Kasey Jane, the young girl Reuben loved and helped raise from the age of one when he was in a long-term relationship with Kasey’s mum.

“Kasey was a big reason I wanted to write the book. I wanted to one day have something to show her and hopefully read to her. I just hope kids can learn to be the best person for themselves from reading the book – if I can just help one child not go through what I did then I’ll be happy.”

More than 6% of Australians aged over 14 years have used amphetamines, including Ice, one or more times in their lifetime, and 2.4% of 12 to 17-year-olds have tried amphetamines.

Reuben’s own experiences taught him that you need to start young in sharing messages of selfesteem and resilience to help adolescents avoid the same destructive path he went down.

Others agree and see the power in someone with Reuben’s reallife experiences sharing a genuine, educational and inspiring story of hope with Australian children.

Reuben’s words have been brought to life by vibrant and imaginative illustrations from Michael Glenda, a father of three, and a well-known street and tattoo artist.

The book follows the parallel adventures of both a caped hero and an everyday hero to prove that anyone can save the day. The motivational messages throughout the story encourage children to be ambitious, healthy, reliable, selfless, caring, honest, confident, determined and happy.

“A Hero Born is about a child looking up at a hero and talking about the traits and values of a hero, but by the end he realises he is his own hero through simply acting out these values himself. My journey has taught me the importance of believing in yourself.”

Reuben wants to inspire kids all over the world, and to help them understand just how special and important each of them is. His writing is carefully considered in order to surprise and educate children in a fun and meaningful way. He would love to share his stories with children to help them develop the tools to live a positive and happy life.

A Hero Born is available from reubencullenkids.com RRP $24.99

IS YOUR POOL REGISTERED?

On average, four young children die in Victoria in home swimming pools or spas each year, and many more are taken to hospital for near-drownings. We encourage the active supervision of young children in and around swimming pools and spas at all times.

In Victoria, the construction and installation of swimming pools, spas and safety barriers and barrier maintenance are all subject to the requirements of the Building Regulations 2018 (the Regulations).

Swimming pool and spa owners have a legal obligation to ensure that they maintain the effective operation of swimming pool and spa safety barriers. Gates and doors must remain closed, except when entering the pool or spa.

On 1 December 2019, new laws to improve swimming pool and spa safety came into effect in Victoria. It is now mandatory for owners of land where a swimming pool or spa is located to register their pool or spa with the relevant council.

The new laws apply to swimming pools and spas that are capable of holding more than 300 mm (30 cm) of water. This includes permanent pools, above ground pools, indoor pools, hot tubs, bathing or wading pools and some relocatable pools.

Relocatable pools that do not consist of multiple components and do not require any assembly are not subject to the barrier requirements. An example of such a product is a small inflatable pool that requires no assembly other than inflation.

For more information, visit Kidsafe

Registering your pool or spa

If you are the owner of land on which a pool or spa is located, you must register the pool and/or spa with the relevant council. You can contact your local council or check their website for more information on how to register your pool or spa, including the fees payable.

Failure to register a swimming pool or spa within the relevant timeframe can see a fine of up to $1,652.20 being issued.

Pool barrier inspections and compliance

An inspection system has also been introduced as part of the new laws – all pool and spa owners are required to arrange an inspection of the safety barrier to determine if the barrier is compliant with the applicable barrier standard, every four years.

The deadlines for inspection and lodgement of certificate of barrier compliance are staggered based on the date your pool or spa was installed – further information on the deadlines can be accessed via the Victorian Building Authority.

Pool barrier restrictions

All pool and spa barriers experience wear and tear over time (including rust, missing bolts or screws and damage), which is why it is important to ensure your barrier is regularly checked and maintained.

Even with the new laws introducing inspection and certification requirements once every four years, it’s still important that you regularly check and maintain your barrier to ensure it is in proper working order.