News & Resources

September 2023

In this newsletter, you’ll find News, Stories of Impact, Local Community Heroes, Research, Events and Career Opportunities from across Queensland.

Emerald Neighbourhood Centre and Chinchilla Community Centre win the Queensland Government's Training Awards!

Huge congratulations to Emerald Neighbourhood Centre and Chinchilla Neighbourhood Centre for winning their regional categories in the Queensland Government's prestigious 2023 Training Awards.

Emerald Neighbourhood Centre won the Central Queensland Regional Community Training Initiative of the Year category for their Get Set for Work Program. The Get Set for Work program supports people aged 15-19 to become competitive and successful in the job market. The funded program runs for up to 10 weeks and enhances young people's skills to engage in employment and further studies including Construction White Cards, RSAs, Certificates in Vocational Pathways, Support Plans, Interview Skills and many more skills and confidence building activities. This is the second year in a row their Centre has won this award.

Chinchilla Community Centre won the Darling Downs South West Regional Community Training Initiative of the Year category for their Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW): Knowing Nutrition Program. Their SQW program provides hospitality training, workplace expectation information aand employment opportunities targeted toward vulnerable and disadvantaged community members.

Pictured: Jeanelle Horn (Emerald Neighbourhood Centre) & Louise Judge (Chinchilla Neighbourhood Centre)

Queensland Community Impact Awards Finalists Announced!

Congratulations to North Burnett Community Service, Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre, Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, Nambour Community Centre and Laidley Community Centre who were announced as the top five Finalists for the Neighbourhood Centre Award in the Queensland Community Impact Awards! 

Congratulations to the people from Queensland Neighbourhood and Community Centres who have been nominated for the Frontline Hero Awards: Kylie Dean from Community Plus+, Marian Brooks from Encircle Community Services and Lynda Rendall from Laidley Community Centre.

You each deserve the recognition for your extraordinary contribution to your communities. 

Congratulations also to the finalists for the Human Rights Award: 
MATE Bystander Program
Conrad Townson from IFYS
Sisters Inside
Michelle Royes from DV Connect
Sandra Creamer from UQ

Congratulations also to the finalists for the Community Impact Award: 
The Shelter Collective
Eat Up
Footprints Community (Stand Up Step Out)
Autism Queensland
North Queensland Women's Legal Service
Tivoli Social Enterprise
Jorgen Gullestrup from Mental Health Lived Experience Peak QLD
Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service
Brisbane Youth Service

Congratulations also to the finalists for the Frontline Hero Award: 
Kylie Dean from Community Plus+
Daniela Henninger from Women's Legal Service QLD
William McMilllan from Inala Meals on Wheels
Marian Brooks from Encircle Community Services
Lida Daliri from Multicultural Australia
Jacqueline Oswald from Footprints Community
Lynda Rendall from Laidley Community Centre

We look forward to the awards night on Thursday 2 November. All are invited to register for the event here.

Queensland Neighbourhood and Community Centres embracing
R U OK? Day

All year round, Centres offer their local communities a range of mental health supports. This month, the colour yellow spread across the state as Centres hosted events designed to engage, check in with, and support their local communities on R U OK? Day.

💛 Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centre went out and about, stationing themselves in the local Kolan Community Park to meet with locals, hand out cupcakes and check in with community members.

💛 Graham House Community Centre also took to the streets with two of their "bee-themed" workers dropping into local businesses and asking R U OK?

💛 North Townsville Community Hub visited Indie School, and their worker Dave gave a presentation about the meaning of RU OK? Day and his own personal experiences with mental health.

💛 The Neighbourhood Hub hosted a community event and morning with adults and children in recognition of the day.

An incredible 49% of Centres across the state offer counselling and/or psychology services, and all 150 Centres across the state offer supports that directly and indirectly support mental health.

Celebrating Neighbourhood and Community Centres as sites for Adult Learning

Adult Learners week shone a light on Neighbourhood and Community Centres, who have always been key sites of adult learning for a wide range of contexts, skills and participant outcomes.

🏠 Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre is providing free one-on-one support from tech savvy teens to teach adult community members how to use their devices during Get Online Week.

🏠 Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centre recently held their Healthy Lunchbox Session at playgroup which gave parents a great opportunity to learn about their child's nutritional needs from a qualified dietician.

🏠 Zillmere Community Centre just hosted a Women's Wellness Group Lunch and event that included a facilitated session on connection, and provided information to women about the importance of connecting with others and building good relationships to support positive mental wellbeing.

🏠 East Creek Community Centre held a drive through of Queens Park providing opportunities for participants to learn about the incredible plants in the park.

🏠 The Neighbourhood Hub just hosted a First Aid Essentials workshop specifically for migrants to ensure everyone in the community has an understanding of first aid and safety

These are only a few of the myriad innovative programs, activities, courses and workshops Neighbourhood and Community Centres right across the state offer to adults in their communities.

Looking to learn something new? Visit your local Neighbourhood Centre! www.ncq.org.au/find-a-centre/

Child Protection Week Events

Throughout September, Neighbourhood and Community Centres across Queensland are hosting events for Child Protection Week 2023.

❤️ Caloundra Community Centre is hosting a community event featuring information stalls from a range of community and childrens organisations including Legal Aid, Centacare, Connect Kids and Centrelink, among others.

🧡 Baringa Community Centre is hosting a free workshop "Power of Pretend Play", which is designed to teach families about the benefits of play relating to emotional regulation and provide practical guidance for playing at home.

💛 Mura Kosker Sorority Incorporated who runs the Buai Mudh Neighbourhood Centre is hosting a fun family event including free sausage sizzle, outdoor games and colouring booklets.

💜 Kyabra Community Association Inc. is hosting its Annual Free Family Fun Day which includes showbags, free food and a petting zoo.

These are just a few of the Centres hosting events this Child Protection Week. Find out more by visiting your local Neighbourhood or Community Centre: www.ncq.org.au/find-a-centre

Alongside holding events, Centres are consistently hosting and running innovative programs, events and activities for our young people and their families. Connect with your local Centre to see what they have on offer.

Multi-lingual Referendum Information Sessions

The Social Policy Group is hosting free online Referendum Community Information Sessions in a wide range of languages

The sessions will share information on:

• What the Constitution is
• What a referendum is
• How to participate in a referendum
• How to enrol to vote (or update your information)
• How to make your vote count
• How the results of a referendum are decided

This project is funded by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to help all eligible voters participate in the first referendum held in more than 20 years.

Please note that Referendum Community Information Sessions will not discuss the yes or no cases, the proposed Voice to Parliament, or make any political commentary about the debates.

The sessions will be delivered in English with an interpreter present to live interpret the information presented.

If you can't find a session in your language, please contact training@socialpolicy.org.au

Yes: A guide to talking about the Voice to Parliament 

This conversation guide is a tool that provides easy to understand information and conversational frameworks to assist individuals and organisations to have conversations about the upcoming referendum. 

The frameworks provide different options and discussion points to use in response, depending on the views, standpoints and perspectives of the other people/s in the conversation. 

Together Yes: Resources and Arguments for a Yes Vote

Together Yes provides information, perspectives, research and arguments about the Yes Vote and what the outcomes of the referendum might mean for Australia.

Learn more about how voting works in the upcoming referendum on October 14

ABC News has produced an article outlining the voting process in the upcoming Referendum on the Voice to Parliament. The article explains how to vote as well as how votes will be counted. 

Career Opportunities

Neighbourhood Centre Receptionist and Admin Assistant
Encircle

Applications open: 8 September 2023
Applications close: 29 September 2023

Bookkeeper/ Administration Officer
Kuranda Neighbourhood Centre

Applications open: 14 September 2023
Applications close: 28 September 2023

Support Aged and Disability Workers
Co.As.It Community Services Ltd, Lutwyche

Applications close: ongoing

Manager - The Way Back Support Service 
Communify QLD 

Applications open: 6 September 2023
Applications close: 15 October 2023

Board Position - Treasurer
Mount Gravatt Community Centre 

Applications close: ongoing

Board Position - General Board Member
Mount Gravatt Community Centre 

Applications close: ongoing

Upcoming dates of recognition or celebration

1 October International Day of Older Persons
10 October World Mental Health Day 
14 October Referendum on First Nations Voice to Parliament
15 - 21 October National Carers Week
27 October National Teachers Day 
5 November International Volunteer Managers Day 
13 - 19 November National Recycling Week 
11 November Remembrance Day 
12 November Diwali

NCQ acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the Country; we pay our respects to their Elders, ancestors, land and seas.

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