The GSF team enjoyed a short break over the festive season, and we have returned refreshed, enthusiastic and in a new office! We are now co-located with the Committee For Greater Shepparton in an office upstairs in the Spiire building at 144 Welsford St, Shepparton.
The start of the year has been busy. Applications to our Lift Off Education Scholarship program closed just before Christmas and have since been short-listed by the Lift Off independent committee. With interviews concluding this week, we look forward to awarding scholarships to the successful applicants at a ceremony on Wednesday, February 7. You can read more about our Lift Off Scholarships on the Scholarships page on the GSF website.
This year, there has been some change in our major projects. GSF’s major projects are established to address an identified need locally. Via these projects, we connect partners, leverage their strengths and mobilise investment to support transformational outcomes with lasting benefits for the Greater Shepparton community.
Projects are not intended to remain as an ongoing Greater Shepparton Foundation project. Success is measured by these projects achieving their aims (making them no longer required) or by partnerships being established, enabling sustainable projects to be taken over by the community. We are pleased to let you know that 2024 marks a change in our major projects.
While Lift Off Education Scholarships, Oral Language Intervention program and Flood Recovery Campaign funds continue to be allocated to finalise flood recovery projects, we are coming to a natural conclusion with our Little Learners, Community Health Educators and African House programs.
Little Learners was a great success, assisting in removing barriers to enable children from our multicultural communities to access early education. It provided bilingual support to reduce language, social and cultural barriers to education. By providing culturally sensitive language support to parents and children and reducing financial barriers, Little Learners achieved its aim of improving the enrolment experience, supporting children’s development and increasing the number of children from our multicultural community accessing early education. Little Learners will continue to be delivered by Uniting with the support and guidance of Catholic Care’s Communities for Children program.
African House was a major project facing closure due to two years of the COVID-19 pandemic decimating its income. GSF intervened to ensure this facility was not lost to the community by providing a grant to keep the doors open. We are pleased to see Africa House back on its feet and operating with regular events and festivals.
The Community Health Educators project saw women from multiple ethnic backgrounds trained as community health educators to address poor health literacy in their wider communities. The CHEs offer, in their first language, health education and pathways through health services to women and families who struggle to navigate the Australian health system. The project was community-led by Well Wise Women, and GSF assisted in funding its establishment with the support of the Upotipotpon Foundation.
Many community organisations have recognised and acknowledged the value of the CHE program and the work of Wise Well Women in training and supporting our multicultural community. Discussions are ongoing to find long-term sustainable funding to grow and embed the program across the many organisations that use the services, skills and expertise of CHEs.
On the horizon is the Regional Youth Journalism Program. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from young people in the Goulburn Valley who are interested in writing, journalism and crafting stories for and about our community for this program.
This fellowship program will see successful candidates paid to learn and build skills in The News newsroom, with the support and mentorship of Melbourne Press Club journalists to provide guidance and advice. The fellowship is a full-time, six-month placement, with interviews being held in February. Young people wishing to submit an expression of interest can email info@greatershepparton.foundation by February 5, 2024.
GSF has exciting major projects on the horizon this year, and we look forward to telling you all about them in future columns. Of course, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to be the first to know about our upcoming major projects.
To read more about our current and past projects, visit the Major Projects page on our website at www.greatershepparton.foundation
With our community at the heart of our decision-making and to ensure success and adequate resources for the year ahead, the GSF staff team will undertake strategic planning in February.
So, 2024 is set to be another positive year; we are excited for the year ahead and are committed to delivering place-based solutions and collective impact for our community.
Until next time.
Amanda McCulloch,
Greater Shepparton Foundation executive officer
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