Community Gro Annual Report 2022-2023

ANNUAL REPORT 2022–2023

Empowering Change in Lives and Communities

Community Gro acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of this country throughout Australia and their connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to them, their culture and to the Elders past, present and emerging.

We particularly acknowledge the Wulgurukaba and Bindal people on whose land Community Gro Inc. is located.

Empowering Change in Lives and Communities

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Board President Report Mark Tyrell Acknowledgement of Country I would like to start by acknowledging the Wulgurukaba people who are the traditional owners of this land that we meet upon today. I also acknowledge the Bindal people whom we share this great nation with and pay my respect to them, their culture and to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Further Acknowledgment I am pleased to present the President’s Report for Community Gro for the Financial Year 2022–2023.

First and foremost, I wish to extend our gratitude to all those who have supported us throughout this year: Federal Support: We would like to recognise the unwavering support of the Federal member, Phillip Thompson OAM MP. State Support: Our gratitude also goes out to State members, Minister Scott Stewart MP, Aaron Harper MP, and Les Walker MP, for their invaluable assistance.

Civic Leaders: We are grateful for the collaboration and guidance of our civic leaders, Mayor Jenny Hill and Deputy Mayor Mark Molachino.

2022–2023 Year in Reflection The Board of Community Gro has successfully overseen another year of operation, marked by growth and development. I would like to personally acknowledge the dedication and contributions of the members of our Board: • Aman Bargri • Zammi Rohan • Stephanie Gillman • Marnie Bricknell • Karl McKenzie • Sandra Crosato-Matters • Jennifer Faithful

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to Community Gro and your significant contributions towards advancing our mission.

Recognition of Funding The programs that we deliver would not be possible without the support of government funding. Thank you to: • Australian Government, Department of Social Services • Australian Government, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources • Brotherhood of St Laurence • Queensland Government, Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy • Queensland Government, Department of Education • Queensland Government, Department of Employment, Small Business and Training • Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment • Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care • Townsville City Council • Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Services • The Smith Family • Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand Community Gro’s Commitment Community Gro continues to excel in delivering high-quality, place-based services in the Upper Ross and Garbutt communities. Throughout this year, we have strived to enhance our services and expand our outreach to better meet the evolving needs of our community. Our commitment to growth and service improvement remains unwavering.

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Financial Excellence Our financial team has diligently explored avenues to ensure financial efficiency and competence, resulting in yet another year of successful financial audits. This achievement reinforces our commitment to responsible financial management.

Strategic Plan In response to changing industry and community dynamics, our Strategic Plan underwent a thorough review. The Board has outlined a clear vision for Community Gro over the next three years, encapsulated in four key pillars: eople and Culture P To foster an inclusive and diverse community culture that nurtures positive relationships, respect and collaboration among people of all backgrounds, and empowers them to thrive rand Awareness B To ‘Gro’ the community awareness of our brand and to establish our organisation as a trusted and recognisable brand in the community rograms and Services P To develop and implement innovative programs and services that address the needs of the community, align with our mission and goals, and create a positive impact, while ensuring sustainability and scalability for long-term success inancial Growth F To achieve and maintain financial growth by implementing effective financial management practices, diversifying revenue streams and building strong partnerships with donors, sponsors and funders, to ensure sustainability of our programs and services 4

These pillars will guide us in achieving continued success and delivering first-rate services to our community.

Recognition of Staff Our dedicated and passionate staff, who work tirelessly to support our community and ensure their safety, deserve special recognition. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to them for bringing our vision to life every day.

Recognition of Volunteers Our invaluable volunteers play a pivotal role in helping us fulfill our mission. Their contributions are immeasurable, and we formally acknowledge and thank them for their unwavering dedication.

In conclusion I want to assure our members that our commitment to excellence in all facets of our work remains steadfast. We eagerly anticipate the continuation of our vital work, striving to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we support. Thank you for your continued support of Community Gro. Mark Tyrell Board President

CEO Report Kathrin Meehan I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we work, live, and walk, the Wulgurukaba people and Bindal people. I pay my respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.

Community Gro has continued another 12 months of successful and dedicated service to the community, making significant strides in our programs and community engagement.

I extend my gratitude to the board for their unwavering support over the last 12 months. The board members generously contribute their time to offer guidance, direction, and support. We deeply appreciate the commitment of Mark, Aman, Zammi, Marnie, Stephanie, Karl, Sandra, and Jennifer, who have played a pivotal role in driving the growth and development of our organisation.

I would like to take a moment to recognise the exceptional dedication, compassion, hard work, and empathy of our staff and volunteers at Community Gro. Their daily efforts in displaying compassion and implementing best practice principles have been instrumental in our achievements.

I also want to express our thanks to our funding bodies, partner organisations, and sponsors who have been instrumental in enabling us to deliver outstanding services. I would like to thank efex, Domino’s Kelso, Big W, and Galactic Donuts for their significant donations throughout the year to support the community. We collaborate with organisations that share our values, ensuring our continued ability to provide essential services to the community.

Throughout the year, our focus has been on refining our practices, streamlining our operations, and exploring ways to better support our community.

• The auspice of NAIDOC Townsville events for the second year.

• A comprehensive review of Human Resource systems and the adoption of an online system to enhance efficiency.

Furthermore, Community Gro has undertaken a thorough review and redesign of our strategic plan for the next three years. With the invaluable support of Michael from CPR Group, our strategic plan for 2023-2026 has been developed. During this process, our staff collectively established four core values that underpin our organisation’s ethos: Integrity – We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, consistently demonstrating transparency and accountability in all our actions.

Empowerment – We are committed to include, empower, inspire and encourage others.

This Annual Report highlights our accomplishments across various programs, some of which include:

Respect – We are committed to respecting the diversity and voices of all people in our community and team.

• Approval of the Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan and successful progress by the RAP committee.

Connection – We recognise the meaningful relationships and genuine human connections are at the heart of our success.

• The acquisition of additional office space in Upper Ross for our staff.

• A successful Financial Audit.

• The establishment of a Garbutt Youth Hub. • Increased brand awareness throughout community.

• Expansion of our corporate services structure, including the hiring of a Human Resource contract and an additional Finance Officer.

• Implementation of enhanced security measures to protect confidential data across our technology infrastructure.

• The transition of our banking services from Westpac to Queensland Country Bank to better align with our requirements.

Looking ahead, Community Gro is committed to a continued focus on improving our practices.

Over the next 12 months, we will prioritise training, development, and thorough reviews. In addition, we are actively working towards relocating the Garbutt Community Centre to a larger space to accommodate growth and better serve the community’s needs.

I am excited to be continuing our collaboration with the Board, staff, volunteers, and the community to provide a safe and welcoming environment while addressing the needs of our community.

Kathrin Meehan CEO 5

Upper Ross Community Centre Belinda Jensen Upper Ross Community Centre has had a very busy 12 months. The Upper Ross Community Centre continues to be a local source of activities, information, and support for our community with over 21,000 community members who accessed a service from our centre in 2022/2023.

Our regular centre users included Queensland Health Midwifery practice which has expanded services from two days per week to four days per week.

Donations from community including clothing, household goods and food supplies continue to increase and assist our community. In these difficult cost of living times these donations are a valuable resource for community members doing it tough and unable to afford basic living supplies.

FEEDBACK “What would I do without the support provided

by Community Gro Upper Ross?

My kids would be hungry. I would not be able to access SecondBite and OzHarvest to supplement our food. Centrelink would still be progressing my claim for payment for a new baby. I would not be able to access the free Health Nurse every Thursday for check-ups.

With programs like Playgroup, Family Support, free community events and the Upper Ross Community Centre in general I have made lifelong friends and know that when I need support nothing is too much for Community Gro Upper Ross. Keep doing the amazing work you are providing for the Community.”

Our fantastic volunteers continue to keep our centre well-presented and welcoming to the community. We also supported JCU Social Work students who attended our centre to learn how to support the community.

Regular Programs • Kids Afternoon Tea Program • OzHarvest – free food hampers for community • Upper Ross ERF (Emergency Relief Funds) • Community Pantry (funded by donations) to provide emergency food for families and school lunch supplies • Basketball Hoop • School Holiday Program • Shield of H.E.R.S • Free JP service • Tax Help 2022–2023 • SecondBite, FareShare meals – frozen meals supplied by Red Cross (free to giveaway) • Financial Resilience Program • Drop In Support for individuals and families • Free Computer Lessons • Playgroup • Legal Clinic External Programs Using Facility • RSPCA – Pet Hub Days and Vaccination Program • Centrelink – Drop In with Community Engagement • DSDSATSIP Employment Hub Day • Just Move it Yin Yoga • Queensland Health clinics including Child Health, Midwifery and Chronic Disease clinics • Seventh Day Adventist Church Over the next 12 months we will continue to seek out and build relationships with community services to co-locate at our centre making it easier for Community to access these in need programs.

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21,197

COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACCESSED A SERVICE

% 28 48% 24% Enquiries, Information and Advice Tea, Coffee, Social, Programs and Centre Use ERF/Food Assistance

Garbutt Community Centre Courtney Hart Garbutt Community Centre has seen significant growth in the previous 12 months. We have once again seen positive growth in our Garbutt Centre and are looking forward to seeing it grow further over the next adventurous 12 months.

Our centre has continued to provide information, advice and referrals to people and has provided programs to support the local Garbutt community. We were fortunate to connect with Birth, Deaths, and Marriages who set up in our centre to provide a free birth certificate. We are looking forward to continuing this collaboration twice a year for our Garbutt community as we know how important it is to have our young children’s births registered.

Regular Programs • Connect & Create (Arts & Crafts Group) • Kids Afternoon Tea Program • OzHarvest – free food hampers for community • Basketball Hoop • School Holiday Program • Tiddas Yarning Circle • Free JP Service • Orange Sky – free laundry service • Tax Help 2022–2023 • ADRA, Community Pantry – free bread every week • Financial Resilience Drop In Program • FareShare Meals – frozen meals supplied by Red Cross (free to giveaway) Garbutt Community Centre was funded by The Smith Family during the year to provide Parent Child Mother Goose program, which supports attachment and bonding between parents and their children. This program was provided at several schools and in the Garbutt Community Centre. This program provided families with the opportunity to bond with their children and learn about activities they could use to have fun with their young babies.

External Programs Using Facility • Thriving Kinnections – Family and Domestic Violence Resource Group • RSPCA – Pet Hub Day and Vaccination Program • Centrelink – Drop In with Community Engagement • DSDSATSIP Employment Hub Day • Births Deaths and Marriages – free birth certificates One of our proud successes was linking in with the local RSPCA Community Outreach Team, who were focusing on building their outreach programs across Townsville and identified that Garbutt would be a great location to offer a helping hand to people in need of assisting with their pets. As we all know, people are experiencing hard times, and with the cost of living, it is difficult enough to get through the week for themselves and then to add on having pets can be quite challenging. We have seen a great positive impact on the local Garbutt Community with having the RSPCA Community Outreach team in our centre. We would like to say a huge Thank You to RSPCA for linking in with the Garbutt Community Centre and are look forward to continuing working with them to support our Community needs. “ RSPCA Community Outreach only started in Townsville in April this year. We have seen over 237 animals at our community days and assisted over 340 animals locally with pet food. The Garbutt Community Gro Team have been so supportive of both myself and the RSPCA Outreach journey in Townsville. Thank you for your patience whilst I juggle logistical challenges and try to build this program across the district.”

Garbutt Community Centre – Centre Resources & Activities July 2022–June 2023 10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0

Computer Use

Enquiries

ERF & Food

Information & Advice

Office Services

Phone Use

Tea, Coffee & Social

Other

2,194

10,641

2,562

303

707

730

491

2,061

Family Support Hub Claire Meikle The Family Support Hub has seen a significant increase in the number of families who have received a service. Family Support Hub has delivered a range of services to support parent/ carer and child(ren) wellbeing with a focus on increasing parenting efficacy, supporting parents/ carer awareness and engagement with their child’s learning and development, increasing the number of children developmentally on track, and improving rates of kindy enrolments. Services provided to families and children include Intensive Family Support and Playgroup as well as access to Child Health services.

The increased demand for Intensive Family Support is reflective of the needs in our local community with many families presenting with multiple and complex issues impacting negatively on child and family wellbeing.

Some of the key issues impacting families in the Upper Ross community include: • Domestic and Family Violence; • Housing instability and homelessness; • Financial instability due to increased cost of living; • Parent and child mental health issues; • Transport – families unable to access specialist services and children not attending school regularly due to lack of transport; • Parenting support; and • Children presenting with possible developmental delays not accessing assessment and intervention from Early Intervention services.

The Family Support Hub is pleased to be able to meet this demand and respond to families in a timely manner. The ability to respond to the increased demand has largely been due to funds which supported the implementation of a temporary Intake and Assessment Practitioner at Community Gro. This position has been key in assisting the service to manage incoming workflow by completing intakes and triaging families requiring Intensive Support. The Family Support Hub also facilitated a 4th Year Social Work Student and a Master of Social Work Student complete their placements within the service which further increased the service’s ability to meet the continued increased workflow.

Family Support Workers continue to facilitate a weekly Playgroup with a focus on early childhood development and parent/child engagement.

We utilise Term Plans reflecting activities and expected outcomes. We have observed positive outcomes for children and their families as a result of attending playgroup, including increased parent/child engagement and increased parent knowledge around their child’s development.

Playgroup families and children continue to have access to a Child Health Nurse onsite during Playgroup sessions, as well as a Services Australia representative each fortnight, and other periodic guests such as a librarian from First 5 Forever.

Family Support Hub staff continue to maintain positive partnerships with a wide range of community-based organisations, government departments, early childhood and family support networks and specialist services to meet the needs of families and children. These productive working relationships ensure families receive the right service at the right time. Through integrated service delivery the service has seen many positive outcomes for families receiving intensive support.

The implementation of a Client Management Database has been key in enhancing our data collection and reporting as well as ensuring all case notes are recorded accurately and easily accessible. The database has also supported the service to deliver quality practice to families and children with all case notes being recorded in families case management files. Further refinements have been made to our database to capture all required data and outcomes for reporting purposes. This has been a positive achievement with all quantitative and qualitative data able to be extracted easily in a report.

A broad range of professional developmental activities were undertaken by staff to support service delivery, including: • Tuning into Kids – evidenced based parenting program • Crossroads – parenting program for parents whose children have been impacted by DFV • Cultural Awareness Training • Group supervision and Cultural mentoring • Escaping Violence Payment webinar • Indigenous Women’s Financial Wellness webinar/Money and your Mental Health • First Aid and CPR training • Feros Care NDIS Information session • Insights into Foetal Alcohol Spectrum webinar • Overcoming Indigenous Family Violence Forum • Online and digital approaches to support wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families webinar • Creating communities of practice – Thriving children thriving communities webinar • Careful Compassion: How to work with trauma without being traumatised webinar • Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse children and families who experience racism webinar.

A total of 384 children and 272 parents/carers have accessed a service between July 2022 and June 2023

FEEDBACK “ I was struggling and didn’t know where to turn to get help for my child. I received the support I needed. I am so grateful for the support I received for my family. We are in a much better place now.”

Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) Shimika Crisp This year was HIPPY’s first year transitioning to their new Age 3 Curriculum and is also the last year we will be delivering the Age 5 curriculum; with next year seeing the new Age 3 and Age 4 curriculum delivered side by side. Our new Age 3 families have been very engaged in their HIPPY packs and due to the play-based nature of the activities, the child feedback about each activity has been overwhelmingly positive.

The HIPPY team worked hard to recruit new families at the beginning of the year, and we are now building up our expression of interest list for next year. We achieved this by attending playgroups in the Upper Ross and hosting a Mega Come and Try HIPPY day. We had a petting zoo, face painter, balloon animals and HIPPY showbags.

It was a great morning. We followed our Mega Come and Try HIPPY day with a series of smaller Come and Try HIPPY sensory play sessions. As well as hosting a series of messy play Come and Try HIPPY sessions at the centre, we have visited daycare centres and playgroups in the Upper Ross hosting messy play sessions and handing out flyers to help promote the HIPPY brand. This has been a great success and we have received very positive feedback as well as promotion through the daycare centre’s Facebook pages. We have continued our messy plays at the centre with our Monthly Messy Mondays to help recruit new families throughout the year and build awareness of HIPPY. Age 3 enrolments started low this year with just nine families enrolled at the beginning of April, but the HIPPY team managed to reach 22 families enrolled by the time enrolments for 2023 closed.

This was achieved by not only our HIPPY staff, but the support of all staff at the centre recommending HIPPY to their eligible clients and community

54%

Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

members. Of the 22 Age 3 families enrolled, 81% met the priority of access guidelines as follows: 54% identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, 27% of the enrolled children have a disability, 18% of parents/carers have a disability, 27% live in single parent families, 81% hold a health care card, and 50% have no income or government payments as their main income. We have retained 19 of those 22 families, with three families exiting the program due to personal circumstance like time constraints and work commitments.

When HIPPY delivery resumed in March 2023, nine Age 5 families continued into their second year of HIPPY; one of which had transferred to our site from Darwin to continue their HIPPY journey after moving states. Three Age 5 families exited in March due to the challenge of trying to juggle work and their HIPPY children adjusting to being in prep. We then also had our new family from Darwin exit due to living outside of the Upper Ross. Therefore, we currently have five Age 5 families still in HIPPY. With our current families all very engaged in their HIPPY pack deliveries we are focussing our attention on getting more families engaged in our HIPPY Gatherings. We have had two of our families express that they would love to meet more of the HIPPY families, so the HIPPY team is organising a trip to the museum next term. We are hoping this will be an exciting event that will encourage more families to meet each other, as well as provide an opportunity for parents to engage with the museum’s learning program for 3–5 year olds.

HIPPY continues to provide families with support to be their child’s first teachers while fostering a love of learning in their children.

AGE 3 FAMILIES

27%

Of enrolled children have a disability

18%

Of parents/carers have a disability

27%

Live in single parent families

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Community Visitors Scheme Colleen Doyle It has been a very busy and productive year for the Community Visitors Scheme (now known as Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme). This year has been about consolidation, and growth for the program. We have had a significant increase in the number of residents we have been able to support with our numbers continuing to grow.

Active Visits

112 Active Visits

427

2021–2022 Active Visitors

11

2022–2023 Active Visitors

16

Residents Visited

60

Residents Visited

82

Visits are achieved via: • Face to face • Email, phone or letter • Group Community Gro CVS Volunteers support residents through all above-mentioned mediums.

With Covid still present and restrictions in place, such as the wearing of masks and RAT, certain areas within facilities are occasionally isolated due to an outbreak, the CVS team of volunteers have continued to support residents. We have continued to provide several group based activities such as Share My Table, Secret Men’s Business, Townsville Classic films screenings and Women’s Gatherings.

The Postcard Project has grown in popularity with residents with approximately 486 postcards being delivered to 82 residents over the reporting period. The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) students continue to be actively engaged with residents of Bolton and Clarke Rowes Bay.

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Share My Table has also remained a favourite with residents with nine of these events taking place.

This activity is entirely funded by the Hoi Polloi Café as part of their community support.

New group activities introduced in this reporting period have included Women’s Gatherings and Secret Men’s Business. These are smaller more focused groups which offer residents more opportunities for one-on-one conversations within a small group setting.

Planning is well underway for the Inaugural Grey Matters! Olympics, this new initiative will bring together six Residential Aged Care Facilities to compete for a Perpetual Trophy. This event will be delivered through a collaboration between Community Gro, Townsville City Council, Oasis, and the Aged Care Facilities.

Funding has been secured for a further three years with Community Gro successfully reapplying to continue as an auspice organisation for the program. Funding has increased which enables the program to be fully funded. Community Gro has also committed to increasing service delivery from 30 Active Visits to 50 Active Visits, this is along with a commitment to focus 100 percent of resources on residents who are identified as being within the Department defined, diverse complex vulnerabilities and cultural group.

Community Connect Program Topsy Mola Wow! What a year! Again, another amazing year for the Community Connect Program. The program continues to play an integral part in meeting the priority needs of our families in the Upper Ross.

Providing a culturally safe and confidential space for all. This year we commenced a drop in support space, where families could just pop in to seek support and not have to make an appointment. This collaboration was done with the Family Support Hub. A significant part of this program is to work in collaboration with other service providers to provide appropriate support to our families. We continue to maintain this working relationship and have addressed the needs of families with limited referrals to other service providers.

The community connect program has witnessed incredible changes in the lives of families and individuals who received more than just information, advice, and referrals to services. The testimonials below capture the true essence of the work that we are doing to support and empower our community.

Testimonials “ I had no where to go, coming to the community centre and speaking to Topsy gave me hope. I was heard and I truly mean, heard. I was listened to and my priority needs were met. I am so glad I came to the community centre. I was given all the things that I needed. I was so depressed and felt like I couldn’t breathe. My worries were overflowing and I couldn’t see any light. I was given the right help at the right time and I have not been happier. I know that if I need help, I can go to Topsy and the community centre”. “ I am a single dad with 5 children, I have never had this much support ever. I am so surprised of the support I had received as I only get the bare minimum from services and/or family. I was overwhelmed with the support from Topsy. I don’t know what I would have done if I did not walk into the community centre and put my pride aside. The support provided by Topsy was unbelievable. I am so grateful. My children still have their dad”.

Top 3 Presenting Worries 1. Food/Emergency Relief 2. Housing/Homelessness 3. Domestic and Family Violence

125 men and 212 women accessed the Community Connect Program

Community Connect Program supported 147 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Community Connect Coordinator has provided cultural mentoring and cultural advice to family support staff.

Shield of H.E.R.S First Nations Women’s Group coordinated the 2023 International Women’s Day Event Community Connect Coordinator strengthened community connection by being an active member of the following community networks: • DV Action Group – NQDVRS • Attended Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Prevention Conference in Cairns – facilitated a roundtable discussion with participants • Attended Community Consultation – Treaty • Member of Community Gro RAP Team • Townsville NAIDOC Committee Facilitator – Shield of H.E.R.S. First Nations Women’s Group How has the women’s group helped you?

Good morning Aunt, I would say that it has helped me connect with other women in my community, it has helped me realise that self care/reflection allows me to be a better parent and that I have learned to value the relationships I have and that I am valued.

The women’s group has shown me that it’s okay to struggle, that everyone needs a little help sometimes and that it’s okay to ask for help because there are other women going through the same situations and sharing my worries makes life easier.

I think you as the facilitator make it very easy for us all to share our concerns because you don’t judge, you allow everyone to have a voice and your life experience, and the experiences of the other women, give us different perspectives and ways to look at the problems we face.

Thank you for all that you do, I hope this feedback is helpful.

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Upper Ross Youth Hub Kasey Cassady The Upper Ross Youth Hub, has continued to service the Upper Ross with a safe place for young people ages from 10–17 years to hang out together and have fun. We also provide a space that gives our young people a sense of belonging and connect to the support they need.

The types of programs and fun activities that have been offered this year gave young people the opportunity to develop life skills and be mentored and supported by trusted adults.

Highlights This year Youth Hub participants were involved in Youth Week activities, and the feedback from young people was very positive.

Some young people also joined in activities at the North Australian Festival of Arts, which was held over three days and included FREE arts and entertainment for the youth and also featured performances, creative workshops and more.

Activities have included • Fishing • Movie Night • Girls Night • Boys Night • Collaboration with Garbutt Youth Hub • Cooking • Healthy Choices • Arts and Crafts • Get Active • Games Night Throughout 2023 a range of agencies provided services to the Youth Hub for example Health and Wellbeing providers engaged with young people to make sure their health needs were met.

Distinct Contacts

Distinct Individuals

55

41

4,346

9–11 years

26

Aboriginal

96

12–15 years

63

Torres Strait Islander

Both

16–17 years

7

Neither

62 16 16 2 12

Feedback

All young people at Upper Ross Youth Hub reported feeling safe and supported by youth workers. “ My vision for the Upper Ross Youth-Drop in service is to operate seven days a week, with a yearly camp for all young people to attend, as well as having a team of youth mentors and case workers so that all our young people in the Upper Ross are safe and supported.”

Connected Beginnings Tracy Bright Over the past twelve months the Connected Beginnings Team have continued to align our purpose with the narrative “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” expressed from a community member in the Working group, this group continues to be a strong presence alongside the Connected Beginnings team. We continue to build and maintain strong relationships in our community.

We continue to increase our presence in the local community by attending events, celebrations, in the schools and pop-ups in local shopping centres.

The team provide information packs along with the CB Newsletters to First Nations families and community to promote maternal and child health, early education and other services in the area including our backbone organisation Community Gro. Our Community Engagement Officers have been out door-knocking in the Upper Ross to talk to community around the 1000 Voices Project and hear what services are utilised and what can be improved. This project also allows community to know about the early education and health services that are available in the Upper Ross and if any improvements in service delivery may be needed. Our Project Officer continues to link in with Services and Stakeholders promoting them to also complete the 1000 Voices Project.

We communicate clearly with community and stakeholders the feedback we are hearing from these responses.

The team attended ChangeFest23 in Tasmania and made a lot of connections, heard stories from across Australia and learnt a lot about community led change.

The team have been supporting the working group to attend the Salvation Army Café and as a result of the 1000 Voices Project, the community have expressed the need for a playgroup at the other end of the Upper Ross in the Condon area.

This will assist families to access a playgroup that

is free and close by without the need for costly transport costs. This playgroup will be supported

by Community Gro, HIPPY Program, Connected Beginnings Program and Salvation Army and commenced in August and as a result the program has grown each week with new families attending the community café and playgroup. The elders at the café have also started engaging with the playgroup singing songs with the children.

The Connected Beginnings Rasmussen Mid Term Review was held in March and we had a lot of support from our community and stakeholders to provide Inside Policy their understanding of the Connected Beginnings Program and what has happened in the community since the team started in 2021. Feedback from the review has been positive with community and stakeholders feeling that their feedback was validated.

The newsletter has moved from a triple doublesided flyer to a booklet. This has been well accepted by community and stakeholders and the team have included the Connected Beginnings Design and this has attracted attention. Positive feedback has been received by all who access the booklet and comments include the background, the information included playgroups, milestones, 1000 Voices and local events and programs and services.

Being transparent by providing information to stakeholders and community about the information we have gathered through stories shared at working group meetings, 1000 Voices Project, meetings held with stakeholders and individual community members. We provided this in an easy to read document which also was presented by PowerPoint slides and snapshot information on flyers to ensure that the information provided was easy to understand and easy to read. This sharing was well received by all community and stakeholders and same services have amended some of their programs and services to meet the needs of the community.

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Garbutt Youth Hub Diane Jarden Connecting, Engaging and Building Resilience for Townsville Youth – funded by Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.

Community Gro is at the forefront of supporting children and young people in Townsville from engaging in criminal, antisocial, self-harm, risky and other unsafe behaviours. We recognise the need for intervention, support and mentoring to create a safe, vibrant, and healthy community for all.

THE 5 R’s 1. Respect yourself 2. Respect for others 3. Respect for staff, officers and teachers 4. Respect for community, Elders and family 5. Respect for property and equipment

We have established an After-Hours Diversionary Service in Garbutt, aimed at 10–18 year olds, who predominantly identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and are at risk of antisocial behaviours and entering the youth justice system.

Building positive relationships with young people and their families has been the succeeding factor in keeping young people engaged in pro-social activities and beneficial learning and development opportunities.

Garbutt Youth Hub operates five nights a week (Thursday to Monday), from 3pm-10pm, and provides transport for young people and case work supports.

Young people have the opportunity to do tenpin bowling, mini golf, basketball, outdoors health and fitness activities, fishing, NAIDOC Day, Community Gro Family Fun Day, and movie nights. Youth Hub encourages health and fitness activities as well as healthy living and nutritional eating education.

The service is operated each night by Youth Services Manager supported by qualified and experienced, Senior Youth Worker, Youth Workers, and a Case Worker. All staff undergo a police/ criminal record check and working with children and vulnerable adults’ checks.

The project includes the engagement of a researcher, who will evaluate the project and provide data to enable continuous improvement and service redesign as required. At the completion of the project a final research paper will be written and delivered.

The core value of Community Gro being implemented through this program is RESPECT. Through Respect Community Gro creates a safe place for young people’s access and experience in pro-social activities that support ongoing learning and development.

Yarning circles encourage the understanding and working of the respects.

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Key Project Activities

Number of Activity offered to clients

Number of clients accessing provision of Activity

Number of feedback received in relation to Activity

Facilitation of computer and internet services access to support research and engagement in education;

115

60

15

Education programs to support youth with schoolwork and encourage educational attainment and employment, including resume writing classes and information services;

103

60

11

A community-based ‘yarning circle’ for discussions including about worries, connection to culture, rights and responsibilities;

147

60

18

A social-based ‘Love Bites’ program for the development of healthy and positive relationships;

4

60

6

Culture-based programs to develop youths’ pride, respect and understanding of heritage, with the guidance of community elders and youth workers;

36

60

15

Individualised case management services for participants including engagement with youth and case workers; and

30

60

8

The provision of a safe space for youth with support services including free meals and access to facilities.

147

60

17

TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL ATTENDANCES

“It’s the best Garbutt Youth Hub drop in.”

1,269 “Staff are interested in my life.”

“They are very nice, friendly.”

15

Linking School to Community

“After interacting with the program’s Family Support Worker (FSW) for some weeks, Family A showed a discernible increase in their attendance at school. Family A was initially adamantly opposed to participating in the program and working with the FSW, but over time, the FSW was able to establish a genuine and therapeutic connection with the primary caregiver and two young children. Family A succeeded in increasing school attendance by going from three days a week, frequently extremely late, to five days a week, always on time. The revision of the program’s policies, procedures, and processes in October 2022 also had a favourable influence.

Courtney Hart Community Gro, Linking to School’s program and community project focuses on improving the engagement and attendance of children aged 5–12 years in the Townsville West area (Garbutt, Aitkenvale, Heatley, West End, Currajong, Gulliver, and Vincent). This project has supported families to work on the issues resulting in a lack of engagement and attendance and school, with the result to re-enter school and engage consistently in the school community.

As a result, the FSW could spend more time at the school and support the kids while they were there. Once more, this made it possible for the FSW to develop a genuine and therapeutic relationship with the kids over time. This is shown by the children hugging the FSW and conversing with them for longer periods of time while performing games and activities to establish a safe environment, as opposed to the children initially acting shy and having limited communication with the FSW during home and school visits. Family A now calls the FSW on their own and asks for help when they are stuck, which may be a sign that they feel empowered and that they have developed a positive rapport with the FSW.

Our Linking to Schools Program had seen 42 families referred, and 30 have engaged with the program. This Pilot-Program had seen such great accomplishments that it has been extended for a further 12 months. We are excited to see what the next months has in store for this amazing program. Thanks to our wonderful Family Support Workers that did a great job getting the program off the ground and running.

LINKING TO SCHOOLS DATA

Also indicative of empowerment, Family A contacted FSW independently, help-seeking about buying back-to-school supplies might serve as an example of this. By referring the family to an external organisation for supplies that were invoiced to Community Gro Garbutt and paid through the program’s brokerage. The highlights of this family are covered in the summary notes above, but it was a process that took time, which is crucial and often pervaded in reporting platforms, when working with people and considering the diversity of people’s experiences and circumstances. “

42 families referred 30 have engaged with the program 7 active families

71.4

%

Total families supported 30/42

Aitkenvale Garbutt Townsville West Vincent Currajong Heatley 0 Families Referred

16

5

10

Families Engaged

15

20

25

Active Families

Financial Resilience Program Tracey Peace The Financial Resilience Worker commenced at Community Gro in August 2022. After a slow start allowing the worker to familiarise with the local communities and Townsville, getting to know systems and processes, the Financial Resilience Program (FRP) was up and running.

The program is on its way to delivering Financial Wellbeing Information to our community members by way of Community Centre drop ins and referrals, face to face appointments, over the phone delivery of information, and outreach to other organisations in the Townsville community.

Throughout the programs presence at Community Gro and in the community, positive partnerships with the following organisations have been established: • Good Shepherd • The Women’s Centre • Sharehouse • Kirwan Health Campus – Townsville Community Care Unit • State Penalties Enforcement Registry • Money Minded and Money Business • Ergon • St Vincent De Paul Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facility Kelso • NQ Domestic Violence Resource Centre • Townsville Community Law • headspace • First Nations Foundation • Tenancy Skills Institute A weekly money workshop has been received well in the community. A personal, informal approach is taken to build confidence with participants.

Since the commencement of the Financial Resilience Program’s beginning, we have addressed many and varying financial issues alongside our Community Members.

We have seen a Community Member come to our centre with anxiety, depression and trauma. Our client (with English as a second language) had been dealing with Intimate Partner Violence, an assault and inability to work due to PTSD. This client had initially lodged an application for the Disability pension with Centrelink in 2017 and still had not been accepted.

We worked with the client, and she was eligible to receive Victim Assist compensation which assisted with her outstanding lawyers bill and ongoing sessions with a DV specialist, the Centrelink application was escalated and her disability pension was approved with back payment.

STATS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR Normal client contact with consent

107

Casual client contact

98

Aboriginal

24

Torres Strait Islander

4

Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

8

Neither Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

71

Single (person living alone)

22

Sole parent with dependant(s)

30

Family violence

24

Referral source from other community organisations

43

17

Financial Report STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

2023

2022

Grants income

$3,174,215

$2,479, 077

Other income

$177,753

$84,553

TOTAL REVENUE

$3,351,967

$2,563,630

Advertising and promotion

$25,038

$19,718

Client course, support and consumables

$223,485

$119,310

Consultancy

$38,504

$46,313

Events and entertainment

$157,113

$54,472

Furniture and equipment

$17,570

$1,610

Insurance

$20,344

$13,843

IT support

$96,050

$52,982

Motor vehicle expenses

$35,041

$26,358

Other expenses

$32,732

$22,443

Printing

$31,296

$21,859

Repairs and maintenance

$27,684

$27,432

Staff amenities

$9,615

$5,355

Telephone and fax charges

$27,910

$23,652

Training and development

$31,388

$49,385

Travel and accommodation

$31,346

$10,159

Utilities, electricity and rates

$17,737

$13,880

Depreciation

$91,517

$65,356

Employee costs

$2,463,680

$1,707,329

TOTAL EXPENSES

$3,378,050

$2,281,456

TOTAL INCOME FOR THE YEAR

-$26,086

$282,174

OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES

OTHER

18

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

2023

2022

Cash and cash equivalents

$3,443,795

$3,061,651

Trade and other receivables

$72,892

$12,220

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

$3,516,687

$3,073,871

Trade and other receivables

$17,103

–

Property, plant and equipment

$371,236

$359,317

Right-of-use assets

$36,994

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

$425,333

$359,317

TOTAL ASSETS

$3,942,020

$3,433,188

Trade and other payables

$977,578

$516,338

Lease liabilities

$15,968

–

Employee benefits

$88,899

$63,676

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

$1,082,445

$580,014

CURRENT ASSETS

NON-CURRENT ASSETS

CURRENT LIABILITIES

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Lease liabilities

$22,060

Employee benefits

$32,184

$21,757

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

$54,244

$21,757

TOTAL LIABILITIES

$1,136,689

$601,771

NET ASSETS

$2,805,331

$2,831,417

Retained earnings

$2,805,331

$2,831,417

TOTAL EQUITY

$2,805,331

$2,831,417

EQUITY

These are the summarised financial statements for the year 2022–2023. Copies of the complete financial audited statements are available.

UPPER ROSS COMMUNITY CENTRE 1/43 Allambie Lane, Rasmussen QLD 4815 07 4774 0144 enquiries@communitygro.org.au GARBUTT COMMUNITY CENTRE 15 Lonerganne Street, Garbutt QLD 4814 07 4779 7268 garbutt.reception@communitygro.org.au communitygro.org.au

/communitygro

Empowering Change in Lives and Communities