The Riverina region is home to a large number of current and former Australian Defence Force personnel and first responders. It is well-documented that these groups face significant mental health challenges. A survey by the Pro Patria Centre (PPC) revealed alarming statistics: nearly half of respondents were medically discharged; over 40% had been hospitalised for service-related injuries; and 60% had experienced suicidal thoughts in the past two years.

Established in 2021, PPC set out to create a multidisciplinary support hub focused on the mental, emotional and physical health of veterans, first responders and their families at Wagga Wagga’s neglected Carmelite Monastery site.

With a $17,160 In a Good Place grant funded by CCI Giving, the “Kitchen Garden to Plate” initiative set out to restore and expand the two-acre garden, creating a welcoming environment where veterans, first responders and their families could engage in therapeutic gardening. Overgrown areas were cleared, fresh produce was planted, and gardening zones were introduced to accommodate accessibility needs. Raised garden beds, a Zen Garden for reflection and a propagation tunnel for sustainable planting are now all integral parts of the space.

Beyond gardening, participants took part in hands-on workshops that brought the experience full circle. Garden-to-Plate cooking classes empowered them to turn their homegrown produce into nutritious meals, reinforcing the connection between food, health and wellbeing. As the project developed, additional activities such as sustainability workshops and community engagement initiatives enriched the experience further.

The program is supporting more than 500 people with fresh food and it continues to foster awareness of mental health challenges in the wider community. For participants who have given so much in service to others, the therapeutic outlets are reducing stress, encouraging healthier lifestyles and cultivating a renewed sense of purpose.  

As with any project, there were challenges along the way. Coordinating schedules to ensure participation was difficult, as was securing additional funding to accommodate the expanded scope. The disruptions caused by COVID also required adaptability and resilience. Reflecting on these experiences, the team has identified key learnings, such as the value of early needs assessments and the importance of flexibility to accommodate participants’ varying commitments.

Volunteer horticulturalists are providing labour and expertise pro bono to support the development of the garden and its impact. The initiative is more than just a garden, it has become a foundation for healing and resilience and as it continues to grow, it will ensure that even more veterans and first responders can benefit in the years ahead.

You can watch the project in action on ABC News.

Gemma Hart works as a Youth Programs Manager at Dunn Lewis Youth Development Foundation. The mission of the organisation is to provide access to services and create opportunities for all youth to live their best lives, by developing programs and undertaking outreach services. 

Participating in FRRR’s IRCF Program supported Gemma to further develop leadership skills and form new connections. Gemma has shared what she got out of being involved and how this has fed into the vital and impressive work she does with youth in the Ulladulla region.

What did you get out of being involved in IRCF, from a leadership and personal development perspective?

Being involved in the IRCF program gave me benefits on multiple levels. I learned more about my own leadership style, how to work in ways that enable the quieter voices in a room to be heard, and how to design workshops and programs that are more collaborative and that utilise a systems approach. But perhaps the most beneficial thing for me was that the programs brought several leaders together in the same room, from the broader region, which enabled us all to learn from and connect with each other in ways that ensured future collaborations.

What did you learn?

I learned more about the strengths in my leadership style and how to apply it, I learned a variety of ways to present problems and collaboratively find solutions. I learned several techniques to bring people together in a space and problem solve, and I learned that there are so many passionate, community-focussed people in my region that are wanting to support their communities in amazing ways.

How have you applied what you learned?

I use many of the techniques I learned for group work and problem solving with the young people I work with, I definitely use my own leadership style more now and I have actively collaborated with quite a few people and groups from around my region that participated in the same events. Those connections have been invaluable for me as a lone operator in the service I work for. It has been amazing to know that I have more people in the region I can collaborate with when designing projects, people that are just as passionate about community as I am.

What would you say to anyone else thinking about stepping up and getting involved in IRCF, or investing in leadership development activities?

Do it, don’t hesitate, don’t second guess anything. I really wasn’t sure what to expect from any of these events at first, but they far exceeded my expectations. The connections and support you will have from other participants when you leave is priceless. When you work in community, often on a shoestring, there is so much benefit in collaborating with other people and services who want the same things for their communities. And there is so much you’ll find others have done and are willing to share so you don’t have to ‘reinvent the wheel’ so to speak. It improves your projects, and the outcomes of everything you try to do. 

The Family Place has supported families of the Eurobodalla for more than 30 years. The community hub they operate in Moruya brings together community and health services through the provision of financial and support services to a culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged community.   

In 2020-2021, through IRCF, The Family Place was supported to develop a five-year strategic plan to equip the organisation for a planned period of growth.   

A $40,785 FRRR IRCF grant funded a 12-month program of work to engage a consultant, run a staff wellbeing program and retreat, invest in technology for telehealth and a make contribution to management wages.  Training in leadership, values and ethics, as well as self-care in a disaster planning and recovery context were all incorporated into the program.  

The Family Place said the IRCF support was instrumental in ensuring strong strategic objectives, skilled leadership, connected staff and a clear vision.  

A second grant of $20,000 at the end of 2021 enabled the appointment of a part-time role to further support fundraising, compliance and governance.  This allowed The Family Place to respond to rapidly escalating demands from vulnerable families and become better positioned for exponential growth.  

Changes to the structure and culture of the organisation also made it a stronger and more sustainable non-for-profit, while continuing to support and lead community development and wellbeing initiatives. 

FRRR has announced the latest funding from the returns on its Disaster Resilience & Recovery Fund.

A grant of $50,000 has been awarded to the recently established Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance (the Alliance). The funds will be auspiced through Resilient Lismore Inc.

The Alliance was established in March 2024 in response to an increasing recognition of the need for regional grassroots collaboration. Following the catastrophic floods and landslides in 2022, local community organisers have played a crucial role in disaster response, recovery, and adaptation. They have dedicated thousands of volunteer hours to developing sophisticated community-based systems, enhancing skills, building knowledge bases, and increasing organisational capacity at the local level. Despite minimal formal support, these organisers have amassed significant expertise in community-led disaster recovery and expressed a growing need for a peer support network, which the Alliance aims to provide.

The Alliance currently comprises of 60 full members who are predominately grassroots community-led resilience groups The Alliance actively connects and engages with a network of more than 150 associates, supporters and stakeholders across the Northern Rivers.

FRRR is among the first funders of this new regional Alliance. The grant funding will support the appointment of an Alliance Project Coordinator and cover essential operational expenses, including travel and coordination activities.

FRRR’s Disaster Resilience & Recovery Lead, Nina O’Brien, said FRRR recognises the value of community-led initiatives that enhance disaster resilience at a regional scale and is pleased to support NRCRA as it establishes its critical role.

“We know the strongest outcomes in disaster resilience happen when local community groups and organisations collaborate proactively, not only during and after disasters but importantly beforehand.

“The formation of the Alliance represents a significant advancement in disaster preparedness and resilience across the Northern Rivers region. Recent events such as Tropical Cyclone Alfred highlight the importance and urgency of coordinated, community-driven disaster preparedness initiatives,” Ms O’Brien said.

Donations to FRRR’s Disaster Resilience & Recovery Fund are tax deductible and those wishing to contribute can do so safely online.

Bay & Basin Community Resources (BBCR) is a community-led, not-for-profit that has served the Shoalhaven and Illawarra communities for more than 30 years. Established to address a large gap in services, BBCR has built on its services over decades and supports youth and community programs, aged care and disability services. Aimed at supporting communities to thrive and live happy, healthy, meaningful and productive lives, its dedicated staff and volunteers provide personalised care.

BBCR has received nearly $150,000 via six IRCF grants, which have provided the necessary funding to enable them to deliver a series of impactful projects.

In 2021/22, a $30,000 IRCF grant supported BBCR to improve communications and marketing by employing a marketing coordinator for six months. This allowed BBCR to refresh its profile and brand, build a new website internally, with stakeholder input, as well as a separate website for the organisation’s community radio station.

A further $30,000 grant in October 2022 helped increase training and employment opportunities for youth. A project coordinator was appointed to establish a work, life and training centre.

BBCR has continued to evolve to meet the growing needs of the Bay and Basin communities. Engaging with local youth as design partners, BBCR went on to successfully secure a $558,000 Regional Youth Investment Program grant in 2023, to build a dedicated Youth Space in Sanctuary Point.

Other projects BBCR has embarked on, thanks to IRCF funding, include a targeted school-refuser reengagement program; a community NFP asset mapping project to help inform planning, policy and program decisions; and engaging a dedicated part-time administrative professional to lead the development and delivery of an innovative Learn-to-Drive Mentor Program for disadvantaged youth in the Bay and Basin area.

BBCR has shown a sophisticated understanding of the capacity building opportunity that IRCF presented and, as a significant player within the NFP sector in the Bay and Basin region. This investment in BBCR and the capacity building work they’ve done over the past five years through the IRCF Bay and Basin program has set them up to act as the umbrella / connector organisation when the IRCF program concludes.

Two former Community Facilitators have moved into positions where they can draw on the extensive knowledge they now have of their communities. This showcases why the IRCF model invests in local Facilitator roles – so that highly skilled local social impact practitioners become even more deeply embedded in the important work happening in their home communities.  

After two years as the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program Bay and Basin facilitator, Kate McBride (pictured below left) is building on her wonderful work in a role with Uniting’s place-based initiative, Firefly.  

Firefly supports and advocates for young people in the Bay and Basin through collaboration, working with the community and organisations for better outcomes and experiences for youth.  

Kate said one of the many rewarding aspects of her time at FRRR was deepening her understanding of place-based work and seeing firsthand how it strengthens communities and improves outcomes.  

“I loved my time as a Community Facilitator, making all the wonderful connections both in the Bay and Basin, as well as more broadly on the South Coast,” Kate said.  

In her new position on the Firefly team as the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist, Kate will assess the impact of Uniting’s place-based initiatives by tracking effectiveness, analysing data, and providing insights to enhance outcomes.  

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to remain connected to the Bay and Basin community, while also sharing learnings with others looking to foster similar place-based initiatives. I look forward to continuing to support and strengthen the vital work happening in our region and beyond,” Kate said.  

Meanwhile Steph Chiu (pictured top right), former Batemans Bay Facilitator, has been engaged as Coordinator for the Eurobodalla Community Support Network (ECSN).  

The ECSN is made up of Eurobodalla community members, community groups, service organisations and government agencies.  Established to build connection during the Black Summer recovery, its purpose is to connect, share and collaborate to increase community resilience.  

ECSN has been supported by the IRCF program, most recently through Toolbox funding for the Coordinator role, which will help ensure ECSN continues to function and flourish to provide social cohesion, capacity building and future resilience.  

Steph believes a network such as ECSN is incredibly important for strengthening community resilience. 

“Engaging in a network is a way to practice sharing and collaboration around larger issues that impact multiple sectors and groups,” Steph said. 

ECSN has emerged as the only collective that has relationship with council, state and federal government. It currently represents 66 different NFP’s and government agencies. 

Beyond Empathy (BE) is creating pathways for young people, fostering their creative talents and providing them with sustainable opportunities in the arts sector. 

BE’s Nowra-based social enterprise, BE Studios, pairs experienced creative producers with emerging arts leaders, who receive mentoring, skills development and support. Together they deliver a range of sound, video production and podcasting services. 

Through an Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) grant, BE Studios has grown its capacity. The enterprise sought support to work on business development, marketing, community engagement, recruitment and collaboration. 

Consciously building stronger ties within the community and formulating sustainability and fundraising strategies has better equipped the enterprise to support professional development and employment opportunities for young artists. 

The initial $14,144 grant helped BE Studios leverage additional funding, including reaching the final stages of a possible $120,000 through the Federal Government’s Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI). 

In 2024, a fundraising campaign to support development for emerging leaders raised over $63,000. Further training, mentoring and professional development were provided to young participants through BE Studios’ increased resources and business development. 

Client-based trading income of $88,354 was also used to increase investment into the capacity building and business development project, to the value of $41,452. 

As each of the project activities has been implemented, including reviewing the business model, recruitment of a BE Studios Coordinator and strategic policies, the capacity and wellbeing of the BE Studios Team has continued to grow. 

BE Studios has embraced new opportunities within their broadened network, allowing emerging leaders and participants to have greater involvement and employment in community cultural development projects. 

If this story sparks a thought about a program in your region, connect with BE to learn more about how you could implement a similar initiative or collaborate with them to strengthen each others work.

As the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program culminates in the South Coast communities, one of the biggest impacts has been the growth in the people that have delivered the program.

The Community Facilitators have not only held the space for conversations, nurtured the roadmaps, listened deeply to community; they have also gained important skills and knowledge around leadership, storytelling, “Art of Hosting” techniques and a deeper cultural understanding. Along with many other wonderful social impact skills, these will be an asset to their communities for many years to come. 

Last week Monique, Kate, Steph and Carolyn had the chance to connect in person, reflect on the last few years and enjoy a wonderful lunch at The Cup’N’Cake’N’Co, a social enterprise that was initially seeded with an IRCF start up grant in 2020. It was wonderful to be together and feel the connection that has been forged through shared experience in delivering this impactful program. 

The team also took the time to gather a parting gift for each of the 50+ organisations we have been on this journey with over the last five years, with special items from a few of the social enterprises who have been partners in the IRCF journey on the South Coast. 

Much gratitude to facilitators: Monique Carson, who has been on this journey since the first roadmapping in Ulladulla and always gives above and beyond; Kate McBride, who has stepped up with poise and confidence in the Bay and Basin Community; Stephanie Chiu, who in a deeply connected way stepped into the Batemans Bay community with such impact; and Leah Szanto who supported the Bega Valley community with such professionalism and commitment. A deep and heartfelt thank you to Kate Dezarnaulds, Jules Klugman, Meg Stratti, Natalie Lloyd and Bree Morgan who supported their communities in the program.

The IRCF program is not possible without the key element of investing in people and engaging local facilitators who are part of and know their community deeply, these committed individuals who do so much in their two days a week with us are the key reason for the incredible impact this program has delivered. Thank you all for your generosity, humour, kindness and sharing of your love for community. 

In the Bega Valley, strengthening capability for sharing resources was a community roadmap goal. The Bega Valley Data Collective (BVDC) had support through the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program to develop a community-led wellbeing framework aimed at empowering the community to thrive.

The first stage of this was the Measuring What Matters in the Bega Valley project, which has now been successfully completed. As a community engagement initiative, the project provided crucial insights into the issues and priorities that matter most to Bega Valley residents.

Organisations who participated learnt how to access and use community data and how wellbeing frameworks can achieve meaningful impact for community-led decision making, as well as enhancing grant applications.

To mark the official launch of the Living Well in the Bega Valley campaign, BVDC hosted a film screening on November 18^th in Merimbula. Titled Purpose, the documentary follows the journey of political economists Katherine Trebeck and Lorenzo Fioramonti as they seek to change the way progress is measured to change what governments do. Envisioning a world in which the economy serves the people, rather than the people serving it, the pair initiate political projects in the hope of shifting economic systems away from endless GDP growth, towards what really matters for people and planet.

The screening was followed by an enthusiastic Q&A session. April Merrick, FRRR’s NSW Programs Manager and committee member of BVDC, said the event provided a thought-provoking exploration of the wellbeing economy. “It was great to see so many engaged people turn out. It reinforced what we heard in our recent survey where over 90 percent of respondents rated community-led decision making as an important factor for community wellbeing.

BVDC has been developing partnership agreements with the University of Canberra and the Australian Bureau of Statistics and will be announcing two projects to come from these collaborations in early 2025.

With NSW Forestry Corporation’s approval, Cycle Tumbarumba created a mountain bike trail network on Mason’s Hill, approximately 3km west of Tumbarumba, NSW. However, while separate bike paths got cyclists to within 500m of the entrance to Mason’s Hill, the last stretch forced riders, including children, onto the busy Wagga Road, presenting a safety issue.

After the Black Summer Bushfires impacted the local area, the group knew that by creating a separate off-road path on the final 500 metres, they could make it safer for everyone and encourage people to get back out riding and connecting. They also saw an opportunity to construct a short children’s mountain bike trail, which would help attract local families and visitors alike.

Thanks to the support of a $10,000 grant from FRRR, via the Visy Tumut Region Recovery Fund, the group was able to not only build the short loop for children but also add in a table, shelter, bike stand, workstand, tools and a pump. This has made it a great location for children’s birthday parties, club social events and club social races. The funding also allowed for the purchase of some additional maintenance and safety equipment, which means that volunteers maintaining the trails no longer need to bring their own equipment. They even stretched the funding to include some additional planning and concept work that will hopefully be implemented in future.

This is a great example of a relatively small amount of funding having a big impact – bringing a community together, increasing recreation and strengthening the social fabric, while also having economic benefits.