koori grapevine

WH

AT

’S I

NS

IDE

:

Congratulations

to Fiona Black.

Kindergarten enrolments are now being taken

Community, Health, Education and Culture

NEWSLETTER

AUGUST - 2014

Community Feedback Thank you for reading our

newsletter. We want to hear your

feedback. Tell us what is

important to you and what we

can do to improve our

newsletter.

Jot down your suggestions and

either post back, email Desley

Slade or drop it into our Forest

Street office.

We will do our best to keep you

informed about current and

relevant community issues.

Contact BDAC

13-15 Forest Street,

Bendigo, 3550

P: 03 5442 4947

F: 03 5442 4941

BDAC Membership: Membership cost $2.00

Per annum. Contact

Libby, to become a

member today.

BDAC has had another busy month where it has welcomed a number of new staff

across the organisation. They each bring with them a wealth of knowledge and

experience that will add value to our community services. For more information

please refer to the staff profiles inside this newsletter.

The Board of Directors, I and the Executive group recently attended a two day

Governance training workshop . BDAC was able to open up a limited number of

spots for community members to attend the workshop to gain knowledge and

insight into governance procedures which broaden skills required to take on

leadership roles and it was pleasing to receive the positive feedback from those

community members who attended.

On 20 August I attended the visit by Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at La

Trobe University where he addressed various community concerns. I took the

opportunity to directly question Mr Shorten in relation to the Labour Party’s

commitment to Aboriginal Health needs to which he responded favourably.

A kind invitation was extended to me as CEO, our Chairperson Aunty Lyn Warren

and Uncle Ross Warren to attend the recent inaugural Bendigo Islamic Eid

Dinner. It was a very successful and interesting event. We are so lucky in

Bendigo to be able to mutually share our culturally rich and diverse communities

with one another .

BDAC MIXED

YOUTH

BASKETBALL

TEAMS BDAC are calling for Aboriginal

boys and girls to register their

interest in joining our basketball

teams.

Cost of playing is free. Parents

should contact Amanda Pavilach

directly for information, including

ages, season schedule, cost and

other requirements. 03 5442 4947 Koori Grapevine

Chief executive Officer: Raylene Harradine

Bendigo & District Aboriginal Cooperative

Newsletter

contact:

To contribute to The

KGV Newsletter or

to be added to the

mailing list , please

email Desley Slade

desley.slade@bdac.c

om.au

A message from the CEO

The Loddon Mallee Aboriginal Reference Group (LMARG) which is the peak body for Aboriginal organisations across the area providing advice to the Victorian and

Commonwealth Governments and other agency/community groups held its Early Years

Program Regional Conference at Latrobe Visual Arts Centre recently. As a member of

LMARG, a number of BDAC staff including myself attended together with Aunty Lyn

Warren to address and help lead about the needs in our Regional community in relation to

the Early Years. An invitation is extended to all community to support our youth and attend the free official

launch of the NBS Youth film ‘Glad Rap Daze’ that was written, produced, directed by and

stars local Aboriginal youth. Please refer to the details within the newsletter. This is an

important event for community and BDAC and we would love to see you all there.

Watch this space BDAC are going online. We are currently having our

Website redesigned and are excited about reaching our

community through social media. More information to come.

We invite any ideas and feed-back on how BDAC can do

this best, let us know your thoughts.

Podiatry clinic

Appointments available

for those with diabetes &

for those wishing to keep

their feet healthy &

prevent complications

Hearing test

Appointments available

for those who would like

to have their hearing

tested. Contact medical

reception on

(03) 5442 4947

Diabetes

educator

The diabetes nurse educator is available by appointment to yarn about staying well & preventing complications for those with diabetes. Contact medical reception on 03 5442 4947

“

Tried & Tested

5

1

2

3

4

5

Manage Microwave Mess:

Cut a lemon in half, put the pieces in a

microwave-safe bowl with water to cover, and

cook on High for two to three minutes. The

steam will soften hardened food inside, then

simply wipe out. Then grate the lemon in the

garbage bin to eliminate any musty odour and

greasy gunk.

Freshen a smelly fridge:

Halve a lemon and scoop out the flesh. Fill your

empty lemon shell with salt and pop it in a back

corner of the fridge for a cheap but effective

natural deodoriser.

Zap the sponge:

We all know that sponges can be a breeding

ground for bacteria. Disinfect yours every night

by squeezing it out and microwaving it on high

for a minute. When it’s shredded and smelly,

replace it.

.

Pantry method: To remove stubborn stains from most surfaces,

use a baking soda paste (3 parts baking soda,

one part water). Apply, let stand, then scrub or

wipe clean.

Streaky clean windows

Window cleaning with vinegar will make your

windows gleam and will not leave the usual film

or streaks on the glass. Mix equal parts of white

distilled vinegar and warm water. Wipe with

newspaper.

Fiona Black sold her painting titled "Helping Hand" to the Eaglehawk Community House. Fiona said the Community House staff were very impressed with the story that goes with the painting and put the painting on the wall immediately after purchase. Fiona's work is displayed in the Eaglehawk Community House. Well done and congratulations Fiona, we look forward to seeing you continue to achieve with your arts.

Spring Tips

2 8

CHAIRPERSON UPDATE

Chairperson Aunty Lyn Warren

Building strong governance skills and strengthening relationships

have been high on the agenda for the BDAC Board this month.

BDAC continues to develop and broaden our relationships with a

range of service providers on a, Local, Regional, Statewide and

Commonwealth level. Our current focus is working with the Dja Dja

Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation with the aim of

consolidating a working partnership of common areas of interest.

Also we’re keen to continue to widen our good working relationship

with the City of Greater Bendigo and support Council with

meaningful input into the development of their Reconciliation

Action Plan.

Artist: Fiona Black Artwork: Helping Hand

Photo: Andrew

Jackomos, Victoria's

Commissioner for

Aboriginal Children

and Young People

and Rudolph Kirby,

CEO Mallee District

Aboriginal Services

Understanding Autism

Thank-you to the support of the Family Support and Early Years team,

seven BDAC staff and a number of parents and carers we're treated to an

insightful presentation on Understanding Autism in Bendigo in August.

Dr Tony Attwood and Sue Larkey are experts and have developed a

range if resources and books to assist support our community member

diagnosed with Autism.

Highlighted by Raylene, I found the two day Governance training workshop organised by BDAC, to be of

great benefit. I have previously completed a lot of training and found this workshop to be well presented and

informative and confirmed to me BDAC’s governance procedures are on track.

Additionally, I spent two days this month at the ‘Building Better Boards’ conference held in South Australia.

The highlights for me were expanding on my knowledge and experience, building confidence and leadership

skills and confirming the importance of the Chairperson having a good strong relationship with the CEO

which ensures a thorough understanding and implementation of the organisation’s strategies and procedures.

Once again I am confident to state that BDAC is doing a great job with its governance procedures already in

place. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with an organisation, everything is changing all of the time

and we’ve got to keep up to date or we will be left behind. We need to be well prepared and ready for

changes to come so our community needs are being met.

Helping Hand artwork

KOORI EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT BOARD

Education SCHOOL BASED (INDIGENOUS) TRAINEESHIP

ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT

THE CAPITAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEESHIP

BUSINESS

AUSTRALIA POST

Information Day at the Koorie Unit

Dear, Koorie Community Members.

We are having an information day here at the Bendigo TAFE Restaurant on Wednesday, the 17th September 2014.

On the courses we will be offering in 2015. Start: 11am til 1pm. Lunch will be provided.

Guest speakers will include former students who have studied at the Koorie unit and gone onto meaningful and

rewarding jobs. Information will be provided from Centrelink’s Koorie staff member Sue Allengame, on Abstudy

and Centrelink payments.

Yours sincerely,

Barry Fary

Koorie Liaison officer

Bendigo TAFE

T. (03) 5434 1462

Staff Update Welcome to our new staff

3 7

KOORI PRESCHOOL

ASSISTANT

Veronica

Hi I'm Veronica,

The new Koori Pre-School

Assistant, I will be visiting pre-

schools in the DjaDja Wurrung

area to support Koori kids and

families attending preschools

and to promote inclusive

programs in the preschools.

I have previously taught

community services and

children's services at the Koori

unit at the Bendigo TAFE and

also worked at Batchelor

Institute of Indigenous Tertiary

Education in the NT as a teacher

and support for Aboriginal

Child care services and out of

school care in remote

communities.

I am looking forward to getting

out to the services to work with

the children.

You can enrol children into 3

year old preschool, 10 hours of

this is funded, for enrollment

forms go to: www.lmpa.org.au

See you round.

CLINICAL & PRIMARY

PRACTICE PROGRAM MANAGER

Amy Clark

Originally from Melbourne, I have lived in Bendigo for 2.5

years.

I am the new Clinical and Primary Practice Program

Manager at Forest Street. I am a registered nurse and have

worked at various public health services in general and

emergency nursing, community heath and chronic illness.

More recently I have worked in clinical research and project

management roles. I have had several years experience in

human research ethics and bioethics and have a passion for

this field also.

I love the staff here at BDAC and I am excited to work in a

service where we are able to deliver holistic healthcare. The

complementary services provided by BDAC are also a

fantastic resource for the community.

Senior Policy Officer x 2

Commission for Children and Young People – Melbourne

Closing date: 29 August 2014

For position details or to apply, please see the position description on seek.com.au

Koorie Prison Officers

As seen in the latest state wide TV campaign, Corrections Victoria is now seeking applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander peoples for current vacancies as Prison, Field and Community Corrections Officers in all regions across the state.

The Department of Justice Koori Employment Team “KET” are now promoting this exciting employment opportunity across all

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Organisations for Koories seeking a career in Justice.

ANZ – Expression of interest

ANZ is a national employer with reach into metropolitan, regional and remote communities across Australia, giving us an excellent

opportunity to help create more employment opportunities for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This Opportunities Bank has been set up to allow Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to express an interest in

current or future work opportunities at ANZ.

This Opportunities Bank is proactively managed and supported by the ANZ Indigenous Employment Team. We will contact you to

discuss your application for current positions or when suitable positions matching your profile become available.

You must identify as Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander to register a profile in this Opportunities Bank.

Please click "Apply Online" to register your profile.

If you do not identify as Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander you can register your profile on the ANZ Careers website,

which is supported by the ANZ recruitment team.

Employment

VULNERABLE CHILDREN PROJECT OFFICER

Kimmy Sexton Hello Koori Grapevine Readers.

Not only am I honoured to be writing about my new appointment

at BDAC, but I am also honoured about having the opportunity to

introduce myself to the Community. I am the new "Vulnerable

Children Project Officer." I bring to this position, over 30 years of

experience, which is predominantly Early Childhood based. I have

worked in Aboriginal Family Violence; teaching at the Bendigo

Koori Unit and other government agencies.

However my passion is all about children's rights, but more

specifically, Aboriginal children's rights. Too many times, we see

children in situations where their rights have been blatantly abused.

Eventually we become numb to the images we see on our TV

screens and complacent about their plights, only to continue on with our lives, without giving

them a second thought.

I plan on giving children a second thought. I want to help prevent and alleviate vulnerability

from becoming entrenched in families lives and just accepting that as the "norm." I am so

passionate about early intervention and providing supports for families to ensure our children

are "raised by our village" and not government departments. I will make it my goal, that during

our children's most crucial formative years, I will do what I can to support the families and

colleagues I am working with.

(I can say all of this with some personal experience too, as I have 3 children of my own, 25yo,

21yo and a 5yo. I was also blessed with a grandson in March, which makes me a "Maa.")

Please feel free to introduce yourself to me and I look forward to meeting you all soon.

RECEPTION &

ADMINISTRATION

Cassie Peace

I am from Rochester which is a

small country town near Echuca.

I have joined BDAC as the new

part time Receptionist

/Administration.

Previously I worked at the YMCA

in Echuca doing Reception and

Administration.

I have enjoyed coming on board

with BDAC, the workplace culture

and friendly staff make it a great

place to work.

General Reception

Nyleeta jeanes

I’m a local Bendigo woman and recently

joined the BDAC as the General

Receptionist.

Previously, I worked within the banking

sector and customer service.

I have enjoyed joining BDAC, the friendly

staff, meeting new clients and finding out

more about Aboriginal culture.

Farewell Kiralee Finning After 3 years of service,

Kiralee Finning has left

BDAC to pursue her passion

and a career pathway

working with animals as a

veterinarian nurse. In her

farewell speech to her

colleagues Kiralee eloquently

said "Sometimes you leave

something good to find

something better". BDAC

wish to thank Kiralee for her

contribution to BDAC and

our community.

BOWEL SCREENING KITS

BDAC now have bowel

screening kits available to be

picked up at Forest Street from

Lisa, or any of the Aboriginal

health workers.

If you have any questions or

concerns please speak with our

friendly staff, they are available

to support you with any

questions you may have.

.

Bendigo Aboriginal Dance Group Meets weekly

Wednesday – 5:30 – 6:30pm

Bendigo Senior Secondary College – Language centre

Contact: Bettina Bysouth 0439 696 773

4 6

Day Doctor Position Time

Monday Dr. Mike Pearson Dr. John Togno Diabetes Nurse Educator Podiatrist Lisa Pearson

GP GP Nurse

9:30am -12:30pm 1:30pm – 5:00pm 9:00am – 4:00pm 9:00am – 4:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm

Tuesday Dr. John Togno Dr. Sharon Hoch

GP GP

9:00am – 12:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm

Wednesday Dr.Gary Bourke Dr. Sharon Hoch Lisa Pearson

GP GP Nurse

9:30am – 3:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm

Thursday Dr. Puneet Grover GP 9:00am- 5:00pm

Friday Dr. Santha Trail GP 9:00am -5:00pm

UPCOMING MONTHLY EVENTS

Doctor’s roster

Se

pte

mb

er

VACSAL STATEWIDE JUNIOR

FOOTBALL NETBALL CARNIVAL 2014 24

th & 25

th September 2014

8:30am -5:00pm

NETBALL – 857 Plenty Rd, Reservoir

FOOTBALL – Plenty Rd, Reservoir

Contact: June Bamblett on 03 9416 4266

Or Linda Bamblett on 03 5831 7227

A DAY OF WEAVING

Karrang Kunga Centre

6th September 2014

10:00am – 3:00pm

Tickets $20 or $10 with concession

Contact: Steph Armstrong 0487 468 438

INDIGENOUS LITERACY DAY

Organisation: Indigenous Literacy Foundation

Indigenous Literacy Day aims to help raise funds to

raise literacy levels and improve the lives and

opportunities of Indigenous Australians living in

remote and isolated regions. We need your support to

help raise funds to buy books and literacy resources

for children in these communities.

Website:www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/

IBA HOME LOAN AND BUSINESS LOAN DAY

2nd September 2014

13-15 Forest Street

9:00am – 4:00pm

To arrange an appointment;

Contact: Terri Badke on 03 5442 4947

PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Organisation: Prostate Cancer Foundation of

Australia

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is held throughout

September.The national event is used to raise

awareness of the importance of mens health, and

regular prostate checks.

Email:enquiries@pcfa.org.au

www.prostate.org.au/articleLive/

FATHER'S DAY

7th September

The best day to celebrate all fathers across the world

and to show your appreciation for them.

WHITE BALLOON DAY Organisation: Bravehearts

White Balloon Day is a day to 'lift the cone of silence' that

surrounds child sexual assault, and is used to increase

understanding of the difficult issue.

Website:www.whiteballoonday.com.au

SOCIAL SEPTEMBER

Organisation: Reach

Social September encourages us all to press pause in

September - disconnect from our digital lives and

reconnect with each other, and ourselves. The aim is to

create spaces for face-to-face social connection,

promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

Phone: 0404 177 749

Email:biancavenuti@socialseptember.com

Website:socialseptember.com/

WATTLE DAY

1st Sepetember 2014

Organisation: Wattle Day Association

Wattle Day is oriented towards the future,

encompassing positive virtues in the celebration

of Australia and the Australian spirit.

Email:President@wattleday.asn.au

Website:www.wattleday.asn.au/

2014 SUPERHERO DAY

1st- 5th September

Organisation: Muscular Dystrophy Australia

Superhero Day aims to celebrate the special

powers of resilience, creativity, humour and

endurance that children with DMD develop in the

face of their condition.

Website:www.superherodaymd.com

VICTORIAN SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Start Friday 19th September

Finish Monday 6th October

KOORI FACES PARENTING PROGRAM

3rd September 2014

9:30am – 1:30pm

Contact: Sandy or Crystal on 03 5442 4947

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK

7th-13th September

Organisation: NAPCAN

The campaign aims to engage and educate all

Australians to understand they have a part to play in

keeping our children and young people safe from

violence, abuse and neglect.

Website:napcan.org.au

Bendigo Aboriginal Dance Group

Meets weekly

Wednesday – 5:30 – 6:30pm

Bendigo Senior Secondary College – Language centre

Contact: Bettina Bysouth 0439 696 773

Top Tips

Stale smoke

Baking soda sprinkled

over the carpet will

absorb tobacco

odours so you can

vacuum the smell

away. Replace stale

smoke with the

natural aroma of

potpourri, homemade

with rose petals,

lemon rind and

cinnamon sticks.

Smelly bins

Crumpled newspaper

sprinkled with baking

soda will absorb drips

and smells at the

bottom of bins.

IBA visits BDAC Stephen Duncan from IBA will

be at BDAC on September 2nd

to discuss Business and Home

Loan processes for Aboriginal

applicants. Anyone wishing to

arrange an appointment can

contact Terri on 03 5442 4947.

Kirralee Finning The Bendigo Dance Group

Optometry Clinic

To make an appointment to

have your vision checked & to

discuss your eye health needs

please contact Aboriginal

Health Worker AJ Edwards on

5442 4947.

2015

Kindergarten

Enrolments

Enrolments for 2015

Kindergarten are now

being taken and close on the 31st

of August. Forms are located at

Reception of BDAC or the

LMPA website,

www.lmpa.org.au

If you require assistance with

completing the forms, please

contact Simon Penrose or

Veronica on 03 5442 4947