As Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) Program Manager for the South Coast, Carolyn Ardler has had the opportunity to apply her enormous passion for community-driven capacity building and development to her role.
When she joined FRRR, Carolyn brought an extensive toolkit of skills from life experiences, including growing up in the country, working in community and Indigenous affairs, and living in remote Australia. Over time, she realised that this unique combination of experiences gave her the ability to identify the strengths others bring to working in community and to encourage them to embrace their capacity.
What are the main things you have learnt through your role?
I have come to understand that communities usually hold the solutions to challenges and just need to be supported to step up and make change. In cases where they don’t know the answers, feeling supported gives them confidence to reach out for a different perspective or professional support. Deeply listening to the community and learning about participatory practice is something I reflect on and carry with me every day. How you turn up matters, how you interact matters, how you communicate with clarity matters. Community work keeps me very humble as I am engaging with such resilient individuals who step up – and step down when the time is right.
What is the most satisfying thing about your work?
The place-based nature of the work is so wonderful. When you see an organisation that was a bit of an island and struggling to meet its purpose begin to thrive, that is empowering. When the community’s need becomes greater than its own and leaders step up, it is so inspiring.
What is the most challenging thing about your work?
Working remotely is a challenge when you are isolated and realise that your entire life revolves around your home. You need to make the effort to get out there and spend time with people. When you are in an office, you have little interactions that are so cup-filling and it can be difficult to find these when you work remotely.
What do you do outside work?
With the beach a stone’s throw away, I make sure to walk there every day possible or go out on the paddleboard. I love my dogs and also spend a lot of time being a taxi to drama, sport and other events. I volunteer on a few community committees focussed on arts and culture. At home, we are keen landscapers and gardeners and I have a passion for herbs and fungi. Most recently, I have become obsessed with my sourdough journey. Overall, it’s a joyfully hectic life.
What are you most excited about in your next few years at FRRR?
Building on the work we have done in the South Coast and finding efficient and helpful ways to support the community. It’s such a privilege to work in long-term place-based work and I continue to learn every day.
Can you tell us about a hidden talent or something we might not know about you?
I am pretty adept at campfire cooking and always surprise people by giving anything a go over the open fire. Another one is that having been an exchange student many years ago, I speak Spanish. Which I love to pull out as party trick, or unnecessarily translate lines thrown at the gringos while watching American movies with the family.