In 2023 we will be running a series of free 30 minute online workshops where our highly skilled trainer, Alison Krusec, will share a range of tips and tricks for using our most popular card sets, starting with Strengths Cards® Unlimited. Strengths Cards® Unlimited—the …Read more
When people are accessing services, they are often disempowered in at least one area of their life. They may be experiencing poverty, exclusion as a result of mental health issues, addiction or family violence. Or they may be experiencing oppression or exclusion as a …Read more
Why are LGBTQI+ resources are needed? Because everyone deserves respect. We share spaces with people whose ideas, beliefs and stories differ from our own. Our interests, languages, bodies and styles are many and varied, and this rich diversity is reflected in our experiences of …Read more
A few years ago I was involved in a project that asked people from various non-Aboriginal organisations (including my own) to self-rate how safe they believed Aboriginal people felt either working in or accessing their service. We then asked Aboriginal colleagues and staff from …Read more
When you are already managing a mental health issue, the additional stress of social isolation can be particularly tricky to navigate. As we launch the new digital version of the Eating Disorders & Other Shadowy Companions, we thought it was worth spending some time …Read more
When a crisis hits, many people who have never accessed services before suddenly need support, placing additional strains on already stretched services. Organisations offering support around mental health, family violence, housing, food, financial counselling, AOD, amongst other things, are all under pressure at the …Read more
Digital communication tools are not new. For many years, people working in human services and education have been using digital tools to facilitate conversations. Given that lots of clients and students are ‘digital natives’, and they often feel more comfortable using tech-based tools and …Read more
If someone were to ask each of us what Christmas meant to us, we would probably all have a different answer. We might talk about Christmas trees covered in wonky decorations made by our children, the ‘shushed’ wrapping of presents late at night or …Read more
Rainbow Talk: 40 cards for LGBTIQ-Inclusive Conversations Excitement levels are high this week at Innovative Resources—the Rainbow Talk cards and booklet are off the press and in the house. Right now as this newsletter is finding its way to you, the cards are all …Read more
Diversity enriches our community by … Everyone’s body is different, therefore … A gender stereotype I have experienced is … These are just three of the forty cards from Rainbow Talk, a resource for opening up respectful conversations and storytelling about diversity—particularly in …Read more
On Wednesday 29 May 2019, St Luke’s Innovative Resources and the Bendigo Reconciliation Committee hosted a forum on organisational white privilege. The forum was facilitated by Andrew Shirres (Practice Development Coach, St Luke’s Innovative Resources) and John Bonnice (Co-Chair, Bendigo Reconciliation Committee). The forum was …Read more
‘Many of us are not practised at talking about how social constructs of gender have influenced our own identity, our relationships at home and work, and our expectations of each other,’ writes Linda Beilharz (former executive officer at Women’s Health Loddon Mallee) in the …Read more
Sometimes little fish need to speak up about treating people respectfully, especially in sporting and after work environments. Here is an example of a recent experience shared with me—similar to the ‘drinks after work scenario’ we have seen on television, where a man’s colleagues …Read more
The original purpose of developing POSTCARDS From Me to You was to provide residential care workers, carers, youth workers and young people with a simple, fun and meaningful way of communicating with each other. With a postcard they can send a message that can …Read more
Family violence is a serious yet often hidden crime. It is a fundamental violation of human rights and is unacceptable in any form, any community, or any culture. Led by the efforts of specialist services and people, primarily women, speaking out courageously about their …Read more
Creating gender equity plays a significant role in preventing violence against women and children. Early childhood educators have an important part to play in modelling equal and respectful relationships; through curriculum, learning environments and interactions with children. The early years are a critical time …Read more
The Bendigo Reconciliation Committee has developed a FREE resource for mainstream community organisations to explore the issue of ‘organisational white privilege’. The development of this resource grew out of a Conversation Circle arranged by the Bendigo Reconciliation Committee (BRC) and member agencies during the …Read more
SOON Article from the archives (April 2015, issue 76) Nicole Rotarua got in touch during a short break in Nairobi, Kenya. Here’s her moving account of a team building session in Sudan. Since 2013 I have been working in the Nuba Mountains, a site of war and …Read more
In Play Together Learn Together, an ebook launched at Broadmeadows Women’s Community House late last month, author Genine Clements writes passionately about the primary importance of play. ‘It is widely understood from decades of research and academia that a child learns through play,’ …Read more
Think back to when you were a young child. Can you remember playing with your parents, perhaps particularly with your mother? Or if you are a parent or grandparent now, do you play with a baby or pre-schooler in your family? Perhaps peekaboo behind …Read more
