Stepping Up

Many People Many Hands

Listen Later

In this episode we focus less on what not-for-profits and community organisations are doing in the Bega Valley, and more on how they’re doing it.

“It was very powerful and I think for myself, I can only speak for myself on this one, it helped my recovery because I was able to help others... As a community member I was seriously impacted as was everybody else, but I think because I was in the position of being able to help people, that really helped me.” — Chris Walters.

You’ll hear from three community leaders: Chris Walters from Cobargo Community Access Centre; Carina Severs from Eden Community Access Centre; and Kate Liston-Mills, author and local advocate.

Each of these women brings an approach to their work which is community led, pragmatic, and at heart driven by seeing a need and just getting stuck in and doing what’s necessary.

What’s also striking is the deeply holistic nature of their approaches. You’ll hear how they’re motivated by a sense of both mission and purpose, and why they maintain a focus on how to get things done, rather than on who gets the credit.

We explore how the day-to-day of community work is informed by deeper questions of “how”:

  • How do we think about community?
  • How do we consider who we are serving and in which ways?
  • How do we approach the future?
    (the one we are currently heading towards and the one we would ideally like to build).
  • And how do we support community leaders and not-for-profits to be more sustainable and resilient — especially for those most active in driving change?

    • As the impacts of the Black Summer bushfires and COVID crises dissipate locally, Chris, Carina and Kate locate strategies to face and confront long-term challenges (such as intergenerational change, aging populations, or disenfranchised individuals), by building on a vision of an active and engaged community — where many people (and many hands) step up, collaborate, support, lead and work together.

    Series links:

    • Bega Valley Shire Council

    • Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal

    • Investing in Rural Community Futures Program

    • Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

       Interviewees:

      • Ep 1:

        • Eden Visitor Centre

        • Palliative Care Australia

        • Bega Valley Business Forum

        • Ep 2:

          • Eden Killer Whale Museum

          • Potoroo Palace

          • Police Citizens and Youth Club (Far South Coast)

          • Ep 3:

            • Eden Community Access Centre

            • Kate Liston-Mills (author and community advocate)

            • Cobargo Community Access Centre (closed), redirect to Cobargo Community Development Corporation Limited

            • Ep 4:

              • Cobargo & District Energy Transition (Renewable Cobargo)

              • Grow the Future (Bega)

              • IRCF Program South Coast (FRRR)

              • Quality Matters Consulting

                Episode Image by Felice Wölke on Unsplash

                ...more
                View all episodesView all episodes
                Download on the App Store
                Stepping UpBy Bega Valley Shire Library