Advocating for a sustainable future: Our submission on the Circular Economy

Community Industry Group is submitting a proposal to the government that identifies key opportunities to enhance employment for people with disabilities through recycling and repurposing programs. We emphasise the urgent need for strong government support via grants and incentives for startups and business partnerships.

Our submission highlights innovative practices adopted by leading social enterprises to achieve greater circularity. This inquiry presents a valuable opportunity for our members to explore alternative activities and forge new partnerships. By collaborating with businesses in the Illawarra, they can implement strategies that increase value, minimise reliance on virgin materials, reduce waste, and mitigate negative environmental impacts, all in alignment with their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments.

We are advocating for a robust circular economy framework to enhance sustainability and community well-being. This initiative aims to transition from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a sustainable circular approach, reducing waste while fostering local economic growth.

Key recommendations include increasing investment in community education programs to raise awareness about the benefits of a circular economy. Additionally, we propose forming partnerships among government, businesses, and community organisations to facilitate resource-sharing and waste-reduction initiatives.

We also stress the necessity for policies that incentivise businesses to adopt circular practices, such as using recycled materials. Financial support for sustainability investments will further accelerate this transition. Establishing clear metrics and reporting mechanisms will help measure progress and effectiveness, ensuring our advocacy leads to improved environmental quality and enhanced community life.

Happy Halloween! From Community Industry Group!

This Halloween, as we embrace the spirit of community, let's remember that just like the diverse costumes and traditions of the season, our community thrives on inclusivity and support. At Community Industry Group, we celebrate the power of connection and collaboration, encouraging everyone to lend a hand and uplift those in need. Just as Halloween brings us together for fun and festivity, let’s also unite to address local challenges and foster a sense of belonging. This October, let’s trick the stigma around support services and treat our community with kindness, understanding, and active engagement. Happy Halloween!

CI Group at ACCPA Conference: Addressing aged care challenges and innovative solutions

CI Group CEO Nicky Sloan attended the National ACCPA conference in Adelaide last week, Australia’s largest gathering of aged care providers, with 2,400 delegates discussing recent aged care reforms and future expectations for older Australians.

Tony Jones from ABC Q&A compered the event, engaging speakers including the Minister for Aged Care, the Opposition Ageing Spokesperson, and the Inspector General of Aged Care. Nicky presented on the Illawarra’s chronic bed block issues, inviting aged care experts Mark Sewell and Paul Sadler to join her in a panel session. This discussion highlighted the Illawarra's significant challenge with older patients remaining in hospitals post-treatment and outlined efforts from local health districts and aged care providers to address these issues.

The session sparked inquiries from across Australia, including from health networks facing similar challenges and specialists interested in CI Group’s innovative STARS volunteer program, already making a difference at Bulli Hospital.

While the crisis is severe, it has fostered collaborative partnerships and innovative solutions to ensure older residents enjoy safety and happiness in their later years, with CI Group playing a key role.

Upcoming changes include a rebranding of ACCPA to Ageing Australia and the appointment of Mr Mick Reid as Chair. His leadership bodes well for ACCPA and CI Group members, as they embrace new strategies. The next conference in 2025 will be held on the Gold Coast, where aged care providers are encouraged to book early for valuable insights and networking opportunities. CI Group aims to showcase the region's accomplishments.

Illawarra Flame Story! ‘The little Peak that Could’ The latest on Bed-Block

Originally Published: Illawarra Flame.
“… Once there was a woman, aged 94, whose husband had dementia and had gone into aged care. She still lived at home, with some help.

“She was a really proud gardener, loved her garden, and a real key part of her local community,” says Nicky Sloan, CEO of Community Industry Group.

“Then she fell and broke a hip.”

Hospital staff assessed her as unfit to return home. The woman waited, living in a hospital bed until a residential care place finally opened up.

“She couldn't even go into the facility where her husband was,” Ms Sloan says. “She died a few months later, separated from her husband and separated from her community.”

This story is one of several sad case studies that have come to light during Community Industry Group’s two-year investigation into the Illawarra Shoalhaven’s bed block crisis.

“We are the worst in the country,” Ms Sloan says.

Her group has found that each night hospitals are housing about 150 elderly and disabled people, who are living there because they have nowhere else to go – this is called 'bed block'.

Bed block begins with acute illness and a hospital admission, Ms Sloan says. “But then that illness is treated. They are eligible to be discharged, but they can't go back home. They need residential care, and there are no residential care spots available for them. So they are stuck living in a hospital until they can find a facility.” Click here to read the story.

Empowering youth through Love Bites Program.

Love Bites Respectful Relationships Education Programs cater to young people aged 11-17 years. The program includes two interactive workshops: one focused on Relationship Violence and the other on Sex and Relationships, followed by creative workshops and community campaigns.

The aim of Love Bites is to provide a safe environment for young people to examine, discuss, and explore respectful relationships. The program adopts a strength-based approach, viewing participants as active individuals who can make informed choices about their relationships when given the right information and skills.

Love Bites education focuses on three critical areas:

1. Knowledge: Youth-led collaborative learning.

2. Attitudes: Critical thinking and decision-making.

3. Behaviours: Problem-solving and communication skills.

The overall aim is to equip young people with the knowledge to foster respectful relationships, enhance their critical thinking skills, and improve their problem-solving and communication abilities. NAPCAN believes that when equipped with these skills, young people can make choices that promote healthy relationships free from violence and abuse.

For more information about Love Bites, visit NAPCAN. To discuss this training or the Love Bites program, please contact Emma at [email protected] or call 02 4422 9529, or reach out to Sam at [email protected]. There are 20 places available for this training in the Shoalhaven—please register to secure your spot!

TIME: 9.00 am till 4:30 pm
DATE: 3 and 4 February 2025
WHERE: The Country Club - 11 Paradise Road, Sanctuary Point
COST: FREE (The SDFV committee received a grant via ClubGrants to fund this training)

Meals provided.

Safe and Strong Families – Stage 1 has launched!

The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has launched Safe and Strong Families, an early intervention family support service, backed by $13 million in Commonwealth funding. This initiative will be implemented in 32 priority locations across New South Wales to assist victim-survivors of domestic and family violence and their children. Stage 1 involves 11 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in 10 key locations, including the Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service in Wollongong. The program operates under the Targeted Earlier Intervention (TEI) framework, offering dual support for both victim-survivors and their children at risk of family violence.

The participating ACCOs are listed below:

Wollongong Meals on Wheels Celebrates 60 Years of Service and NSW Volunteer of the Year Win!

Wollongong Meals on Wheels, a vital lifeline for hundreds of local residents, recently celebrated 60 years of dedicated service to the community. To mark this significant milestone, the organisation received the NSW Volunteer of the Year award for the Illawarra region, highlighting the commitment of its volunteers and staff who tirelessly provide meals, care, and connection to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Longtime volunteer Geoff Cross shared his personal connection to the service, recalling how his parents were among the original drivers in the 1960s. They would load their Ford Valiant with meals, filling the boot, backseat, and passenger side, while navigating the city with handwritten addresses. He fondly remembers the generosity of local clubs that provided meals, ensuring that everyone received not only a hot meal but also a warm smile.

However, the journey hasn’t always been smooth. Over the years, the service has faced challenges, including funding freezes and declines in volunteer numbers. Yet, despite these setbacks, they have doubled their client numbers in 2024, now delivering meals to over 600 people each week.

Congratulations to Wollongong Meals on Wheels!

Caption: Wollongong Hawks Zac Triplett and Mason Peatling celebrated alongside Assistant Federal Treasurer Stephen Jones, Deputy Mayor Linda Campbell, committee member Jeannie Lyall, Wollongong MOW manager Nataly Quinn, Annabel Guevera, and Jeff Mervyn.

Mental Health First Aid Australia - Professional development opportunity

Discover the power to make a difference with Mental Health First Aid Australia. Our comprehensive course equips you with the knowledge and skills to recognize and respond effectively to mental health challenges in your community. With mental health concerns on the rise, being prepared is more important than ever.

In these engaging and interactive training sessions, you'll learn from experienced instructors who are passionate about mental health advocacy. From understanding the signs and symptoms of various mental health conditions to practicing strategies for offering support and assistance, our course covers it all. Gain confidence in your ability to provide crucial aid to those in need.

Whether you're a teacher, healthcare professional, community leader, or concerned citizen, Mental Health First Aid Australia offers valuable insights applicable to any context. Empower yourself to create a more compassionate and supportive environment for individuals facing mental health struggles.

Upon completion of the course, you'll receive a certification recognized nationwide, showcasing your commitment to mental health awareness and advocacy. Stand out in your field and contribute positively to the well-being of your community.

Join the thousands of individuals who have already made a difference through Mental Health First Aid Australia. Together, we can break down stigma, promote understanding, and foster a culture of empathy and support for mental health. Enrol now and take the first step towards being a mental health champion in your community. 

To put in an EOI follow this link   

TIME: 9.00 am till 4:30 pm
DATE: 13 and 14 November 2024
WHERE: MIND the Gap University of Wollongong SHOALHAVEN Campus 

Invox CHSP National Conference mini-training event - Scholarship application form 

CI Group is offering six (6) members the chance to attend our CI Group office in Port Kembla for the terrific 2-day, online CHSP National Conference presented by Invox on December 4 and 5 (Earlybird tickets valued at $740 each!) 

We will bring the six lucky members together at CI Group for the online conference event, with free lunch and snacks provided for both days. 

Simply fill out the short application form to be considered for your FREE spot. Attendance in person for the two days is compulsory to make the most of the networking and collective learning opportunities! For further information, contact Katelin McInerney at [email protected]

We are seeking input from you, our members/community to contribute to our submission in relation to the the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia.

To ensure that the perspectives of our regions are represented and that your insights and case studies enhance our submission, we kindly ask you to complete the questionnaires below. All responses will be de-identified.

Survey Links:

Inquiry into the Impacts of harmful pornography on mental, emotional, and physical health https://forms.office.com/r/MSYAZjs73D

New Program Logic E-Module and Individual Program Logic Templates

TEI has released a new program logic e-module designed to assist the sector in understanding the use of evidence and program logics within the TEI program. This e-module is in place to support providers in developing their individual program logic for the activities they are funded to deliver.

Access the program logic e-module: TEI Program: Developing a Program Logic (ngolearning.com.au)

The new program logic templates can be downloaded from the e-module and are also available on the TEI website: Key TEI program resources | Communities and Justice (nsw.gov.au)

Further updates to the e-module will follow once the TEI Program Specifications are finalised after the consultation period. For any questions or feedback, please contact [email protected].

Small Grant funding opportunity available now! applications close 5 Nov 2024

The Shoalhaven Anti-Poverty Committee (SAPC) are excited to announce the launch of round 2 of the Connecting Communities Fund which has been established to provide up to 2 small financial subsidies of up to $1,000.00 (GST exclusive) each to eligible organisations and groups such as incorporated associations, community groups who are auspiced by a not-for-profit organisation, Local Aboriginal Land Councils or School P & C Associations. 

The fund is for new initiatives being offered in the Shoalhaven LGA which will provide opportunities for individuals, families, and communities to participate in community projects to support them to be connected and to belong. 

Applications will be open from 24 September 2024 to 5 November 2024, and successful applicants will receive their funding in January 2025. 

For more information: Refer to the attached guidelines or go to Shoalhaven Neighbourhood Services website sns.org.au and visit the Publications page for a copy of the funding guidelines.

Members News

What’s on for our Members This Week?

Guidelines: If you are a member and want to add something to our Newsletter email your flyer to [email protected].

Member Jobs / Positions Vacant

Grant Opportunities