This story was submitted as part of FRRR’s 25th birthday celebrations.

“It has been a good experience being part of the work that FRRR leads in regions like the Shoalhaven. We wish FRRR a big congratulations for the 25 years of practical contributions it has made to building and supporting local communities to thrive and meet their aspirations”

Lynne Dooley, Strategic Policy Manager

“We used FRRR funding to support a number of initiatives within our organisation and our work in decolonising community and health care systems in our region. FRRR funding has supported our social and cultural enterprise, Blak Cede, with resources to build our workforce capacity and grow our business. It has also supported our traditional food garden at Kareela Ngura through the purchase of a water collection system, plant cultivation and education workshops. We have been able to access FRRR funds to support our delivery of decolonisation workshops with members of the community services sector in Nowra, aimed at improving understanding and cultural safety of these organisations for our local Aboriginal communities. 

“More recently, FRRR has supported our Aboriginal Women’s Cultural Gathering in Nowra with funds to host the event, enabling us to bring together Aboriginal women from across the region to share stories, participate in cultural activities and ceremony and nurture our connections to community, Country and each other.

“It can be challenging accessing funding for local initiatives that are flexible, are not report heavy, that have a quick turn-around and support capacity building efforts to strengthen our local community networks, programs and infrastructure. Without FRRR, it is unlikely we would have been able to attract funds for these kinds of projects, and therefore the ripple effects from the decolonisation workshops, the progress of our social enterprise and our traditional garden would not have been possible. We tried numerous other sources to support our Women’s Gathering, and these were not successful, so without FRRR we would not be in a position to host this important event.”

Waminda’s vision for the future

“Our vision is that we continue to build a strong and thriving community and social services sector in our region, where Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing are understood, respected and empowered to progress self-determination for our First Nations people.”

In January 2022, a review of the Glen Innes health workforce revealed that all three local GP practices had closed their books to new patients – one GP practice had a 300 person wait list! Local health care had become victim to an ageing population, with two GPs scheduled to retire at the end of 2022 and only one in the area under 50 years of age. There were also vacancies in OT, physiotherapy, dentistry, RNs, speech therapy, psychology, and disability care, and many residents, as well as the Aboriginal Health Service, were relying on GPs from up to 60kms away.

Modelled on a Canadian-borne approach, Attract Connect Stay – Glen Innes (ACS-GI) is a grassroots initiative to better attract and support the recruitment and retention of qualified health professionals for the 9000 strong Glen Innes community. During the program’s 2022 pilot, the community demonstrated strong support and capacity to ensure momentum for the model, including building a capable Board and governance structure.

ACS-GI holds an FRRR Fundraising Account, to support operational costs including wages of a Health Workforce Recruiter Connector (HWRC) and general activities. The HWRC role is key to embedding the initiative – this person ensures new-to-area health professionals and their families are supported so that they stay in the district. ACS-GI says this can range from helping them find suitable accommodation to helping their partners find work, daycare or schools for children, connecting them with sporting groups and more.

“The recruitment of Health Professionals is a complicated mission and requires a lot of research. It is a matter of trying anything to elicit the attention of those elusive people who may be just looking for a green-change, a new start for young families away from the city.”

In just under a year the HWRC has saved one GP surgery from closure, assisted 166 patients to move from waiting lists to receiving GP care locally, enabled 153 existing patients to continue receiving care in Glen Innes after their GP retired, and supported 21 new-to-area health professionals to connect and settle in Glen Innes.

Every dollar helps local residents have better access to local healthcare when they need it. If you can help, donate here. 

FRRR’s Fundraising Accounts enhance an organisation’s network and fundraising capabilities by offering tax deductibility for donors. FRRR manages the funds with a team of financial experts and offers valuable administrative support, ensuring proper allocation and supports good governance by providing financial statements to account partners for donations supporting their activities. Currently, FRRR hosts 51 fundraising accounts. If you’d like to know more about how this works, contact Jo Kemp at FRRR.