A NEW HQ, NEW LEADERSHIP, & THE NEST RETURNS.
It has been an incredibly busy but productive start to 2021 with many new partnerships, activities, and strategic relationships being established and nurtured. Our Every Child, Every Chance initiative is gaining momentum across the Shire. It is fantastic to witness our partners seizing the opportunities to participate, align, and collaborate around our five priority areas.
Our Leadership Table
Our new Leadership Table has officially formed bringing together local people with lived experience with executives of key service providers including Bendigo and District Aboriginal Corporation, Maryborough District Health Service, Centre for Non-Violence and Anglicare, Central Goldfields Shire Council, along with Departments of Families, Fairness and Housing and Education and Training to support better outcomes for children and their families in the Central Goldfields Shire.
The Leadership Table has been focused on understanding and committing to their new role. This has included exploring how best to support and enable collaboration to drive outcomes. There has also been much discussion about working differently in the Central Goldfields Shire to better respond and support our context. The next meeting is scheduled for mid-May 2021.
Big News on our new GG HQ
Go Goldfields is setting up HQ in the Maryborough CBD. In a significant development, the Central Goldfields Shire Council has supported Go Goldfields to take on the prime civic space to further our important work.
We have created two distinct spaces for Community-Led Collaboration and Innovation.
The first is an Engagement and Collaboration space to enable our partners and critical friends to collocate, codesign and innovate with us. This space will be open to the public so our community can engage and contribute to our work. This new space will also allow us to host forums and events to enhance knowledge sharing across our partners and the community.
The second is a new Nurturing and Learning space. This area will be furnished to create a relaxed atmosphere and be available for peer learning and development programs and networks including ‘The NEST’ (see below). This space also has two private consulting rooms that will be available to visiting professionals and practitioners who are looking for an accessible and welcoming space to meet with children and their families.
Join the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas Minister for Regional Development, Go Goldfields Leadership Table, our partners, and critical friends as we officially launch our new HQ!
Wednesday 19th May 2021, 11.45 am – 1 pm.
Corner of Alma and Nolan Streets, Maryborough, Central Victoria.
All welcome: Please RSVP to Jodie Bennet to assist with catering and Covid safe planning – jodieb@cgoldshire.vic.gov.au
Transforming Parenting Seminar
Go Goldfields hosted an online seminar on Transforming Parenting – New possibilities through peer-led approaches this month. This event was organised in collaboration with the Goldfields Family Centre. Over 30 attendees heard about new possibilities that are being created for families through peer-led interventions and how we can make this happen in Central Goldfields Shire. Speakers included Dr. Paul Prichard and Kitrina Edwards of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Annette Harwood, CEO of Kwinana Early Learning Services in WA, along with parent participants who generously shared their personal experiences.
Hear from families and services who had been directly involved in the Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) program in other parts of Australia in the recording of this seminar here.
This is seminar was developed through our Every Child, Every Chance (ECEC) Confident and Connected New Parents priority area.
The NEST
The NEST – a community-led, professionally supported parent drop-in space, will also be launched on 19 May 2021. Open every Wednesday for new and soon-to-be parents to connect with each other. The Nest responds to a need expressed by parents for a welcoming space for parents and carers to learn from each other, find out about services available in the shire. The Nest will be supported by Best Start facilitator Shelly Feilding.
The NEST is a partnership between Go Goldfields, Maryborough District Health Service, and Central Goldfields Shire Council under the Every Child, Every Chance (ECEC) priority areas of Confident and Connected New Parents and Healthy and Supported Pregnancies.
Community Engagement
Our community engagement program for Every Child, Every Chance begins this month. The program is focused on increasing awareness of what is needed to support children and families in the shire. We are keen to understand the challenges and pressure points for families and caregivers as they undertake their important role in raising children. We will also be hearing from children about what is important to them. The engagement builds off extensive research already undertaken in the shire and will offer significant insights into raising children with the aim to reduce child vulnerability.
Please share this community update with your staff, collaborators, and local decision-makers.
Carolyn Bartholomeusz
Manager, Go Goldfields
Central Goldfields Shire, Victoria, Australia
