Latest News

Our two community skills workshops have proved to be very popular and successful. Misha Prusa was an inspiring leader at our event management workshops, one of which was held in the evening and one during the day.

Twenty five people enrolled – the day group being the larger one. Our decision to give people the option of afternoon or evening certainly paid off, as most people who enrolled could only come to one or other time.

This workshop added many new faces to our network, and extended the networks of those attending. The two day photography workshop, run with great style by Daniel Jenkins, attracted a full house of 12, and also brought new faces to the network.

This focus on bringing people together for a variety of valuable and immediately useful skills sessions has been very effective, with more than 30 individuals from across South Gippsland and, with an age range of 18 to something (dare we say?) approaching 70, taking the opportunity to work together.

Our participants represent many community groups. Now our challenge is to focus on the nominated project of developing resident information kits, so let us know if you are ready to start!

Contact Ned Dennis at South Gippsland Shire Council on nedd@southgippsland.vic.gov.au

About the Project

The South Gippsland project, based at Leongatha, aims to develop a set of town and district specific resident information brochures and kits. Still in the consultation phase, this project co-ordination has been taken on by South Gippsland Shire Councils Community Strengthening staff.

Participants have been encouraged to consider what information should be included, and on locating groups that can contribute to the project. Two key networks that have been consulted are the Councils Community Development Advisory Committee and the South Gippsland Town and Districts Associations network.

This discussion phase has been essential to establish what information publications already exist, or have existed in recent times. It is clear that a range of products will be important, and at this stage the preference is for publications that assist residents, both new and long term, rather than concentrate on visitors.

Already some valuable unexpected outcomes have occurred through this low key consultation approach, with some informal but long standing community support networks contributing ideas.

These groups have heard about the WwMB project either via the other more formal district associations or via the stories that have appeared in the local press about the project.

One such group is a social support network that developed from a rural primary school parents club when the school closed due to lack of students some 20 years ago.

The project now moves into a more formal stage, with a series of skills workshops being presented over the next five weeks that are co-sponsored by South Gippsland Shire Council and WwMB.

These workshops include sessions on using your local media, practical digital photography and sessions on community event management.

Media Workshop with Deb Bye

A small group gathered in Leongatha in June to participate in a media workshop run by station manager of Life FM Gippsland, Debbie Bye.

The workshop, “Becoming Media Savvy”, aims at assisting groups to write effective media releases and to develop confidence in knowing what to expect if being interviewed by the media about their event.

Participants became actively involved in the practical aspects of the workshop and hidden talents were discovered!

From left to right: Kerena McLaren, Pat McGill, Syd Whyte
Diana Zlatic, Birgit Pawlaczyk and presenter, Deb Bye.

2 Day Skills Development Workshop with Jill Gael

The Meeniyan 2 Day Skills Development Workshop with Jill Gael was held at the Scout Hall, Recreation Reserve, Meeniyan from 9:00am till 4:00pm on the 16th and 17th July 2004.

Key information gained from the 2 day workshop:

• “Opening the mind to better connections with others”
• “I received so much for my own self but also watching others see things for themselves”
• “A chance to share whatever you have to offer with other interested people”
• “Meeting all these wonderful women was so inspiring!”
• “Fantastic to days”

What people said about the facilitator:

• “Interesting, enjoyable, non threatening style”
• “Really, really approachable”
• “An honest and living example of practicing what you preach and forgiving yourself for being human”
• “..wealth of stories”
• “Very effective facilitator”