Two of our staff members – Elly and Frances – attended Anglicare Victoria’s free community event to celebrate NAIDOC Week at Princes Park in Maryborough last week.

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. It is not only celebrated by Aboriginal communities, but by all Australians from different walks of life. This year’s NAIDOC theme is ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together for a shared future.’

The Maryborough event kicked off at 10am with an Acknowledgement of Country by Raylene Harradine, the CEO of Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative, and an introduction to the day. NAIDOC themed stalls were set up in the function room displaying Indigenous Australian artwork, crafts, native animals, merchandise and tourist information. Children’s activities were available such as face painting, a jumping castle and outside games. There were also junior and senior football and netball games played outside throughout the day.

Intereach hosted a stall with information about our programs and services and ran a hand painting activity to create an Aboriginal flag.

Lunch was provided with a Kup-Murri (Torres Strait Islander Food and Feasting Ceremony/Lunch) along with a free community BBQ, as well as tea and coffee available throughout the day.

Once again our staff members are attending a number of NAIDOC Week events across the Intereach footprint. NAIDOC Week is recognised nationally from July 7 to 14 and this year’s theme is ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together for a shared future’.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

For more information on NAIDOC Week and a list of events being held across the country, visit https://www.naidoc.org.au/get-involved/naidoc-week-events

Below are some events we’re either hosting or attending:

Albury July 6 | Intereach Information Table

11am – 3pm QEII Square, Dean St, Albury
Intereach information stall.

Maryborough July 9 | NAIDOC Week event

10am – 3.30pm Princes Park, Maryborough
Led by Anglicare, the community of Maryborough will be holding another NAIDOC Week event this year. There will be football and netball matches to watch and heaps of activities including face-painting, Indigenous art and crafts, story-telling, a Kup Murrie (traditional feast) and more.

Deniliquin July 10 | NAIDOC Week Koori Market

10.30am Deniliquin Sports Stadium, Cemetery Rd, Deniliquin
Tea, coffee and morning tea will be available, and a sausage sizzle and light lunch will be provided.
Come along and have a yarn with the many different service providers.
Koori arts/crafts stalls will also be selling their products, so don’t miss out.

Bendigo July 10 | NAIDOC Children’s Day

10am – 3pm Crusoe Secondary College, 57-75 Olympic Pde, Kangaroo Flat
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culturally inspired activities for the whole family. Come and join a full day of fun. Traditional food tastings and BBQ provided, cultural performances and smoking ceremony.
Giveaways for children, interactive displays, story time and lots more.
Contact: Becky Lesser 5442 4947 or Becky.Lesser@bdac.com.au

Dareton July 10 | NAIDOC Week Celebrations

10am – 3pm Dareton Public School, Matong St, Dareton
Come along and participate in the NAIDOC Week celebrations in Dareton. Intereach team members from ROAR, Ability Links and NDIS will be there making ‘calming bottles’ with the children.

Leeton July 11 | Leeton and District LALC Fun Day

11am – 2pm Gossamer Park, Gossamer St, Leeton
Come along for a day of family activities, free BBQ lunch, services expo, Parkview School performance and the Old Kentucky animal petting zoo.
In the case of inclement weather the event will move to Parkview Public School.

We want to know more about people in Balranald and the surrounding communities and how we can support you to get the help you need,when you need it.
Please take the time to answer this series of questions to help identify what’s needed in the Balranald area.

Thank you to everyone who attended our official Shepparton office opening on Tuesday afternoon last week. It was a special occasion for our dedicated staff as well as the wider community.

Some highlights of the afternoon included the ‘cutting of the cake’ by National Disability Insurance Scheme participant Nadia and Intereach chair Pat Fogarty and a traditional smoking ceremony performed by Yorta Yorta man Corey Walker at the office entrance outside.

About 60 people attended the event, including Federal Member for Murray Damian Drum and Greater Shepparton City Council representatives. All guests were treated to a delicious afternoon tea.

Intereach partners with the National Disability Insurance Agency to deliver National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Local Area Coordination and Early Childhood Early Intervention services in the NDIS Goulburn area.

Our Shepparton office is located at 1 Sobraon St and is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm (excluding public holidays).

For more information or to arrange an appointment contact the office on 1300 488 226.

Two of our ‘Linkers’ – Ben and Suzanne – partnered with Lockhart Council to host an inclusive sports day, which was attended by more than 100 students and their teachers.

Our Ability Links program put forward the funding to make the Sports-Ability Fun Day possible, while the day was facilitated by development coaches from Cricket NSW, Wheelchair Sports NSW, Riverina AFL, NRL and Hockey NSW.

The students ranged in age from 11 to 18 and enjoyed playing each discipline at the Lockhart Recreation Ground. They also enjoyed a sausage sizzle and fresh fruit for lunch and received a free water bottle donated by Riverina Water.

A survey conducted at the conclusion showed 86% of students had an ‘awesome’ day. The success was also confirmed with several schools saying they would like this to be an annual event.

Intereach is inviting community members to join with staff in launching the organisation’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2018 to 2020, as part of National Reconciliation Week.

The launch of the plan is the culmination of 12 months’ work from our Executive and Community Engagement and Capacity Development teams, working in partnership with Reconciliation Australia. Reconciliation Australia was established in 2001 and is the lead body for reconciliation in the nation.

“We share Reconciliation Australia’s vision of national reconciliation, which is based on five critical dimensions: race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, unity and historical acceptance,”  Intereach CEO Keryn Fox.

The launch is being held in the Intereach Neighbourhood Centre, on the corner of Napier and Trickett Sts, Deniliquin on Friday, May 31 from 11am-1pm and will include a Welcome to Country and a free barbecue ‘bush tucker’ lunch and refreshments. For more information or to RSVP, please contact our Community Engagement and Capacity Development Project Officer Guy Hussey on 1300 488 226, 0418 649 190 or guyh@intereach.com.au. RSVP closing date is May 28.

This is our second Reconciliation Action Plan, following on from the 2015 to 2017 plan which aimed to develop staff capacity in working with Aboriginal communities throughout the local area. The 2018 to 2020 plan continues with strengthening staff development but also focuses on developing existing community strengths about reconciliation in partnership with Aboriginal communities.

Caption: Intereach staff members Keryn Fox (left) and Mikayla Williams with a copy of the Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2018 to 2020.

Last week children, educators and families from the Deniliquin area celebrated National Family Day Care Week with a nature play session at Deniliquin’s Island Sanctuary.

The children enjoyed connecting with nature – climbing trees, balancing on logs, finding sticks, examining bugs and exploring their natural surroundings.

Those who attended also enjoyed a delicious morning tea.

Our new Swan Hill office is open to the public from 9am today (Monday, May 13).

We are located at 215 Campbell St, Swan Hill. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can make an appointment to see a staff member by calling our toll free number, 1300 488 266.

Intereach is a not-for-profit community-based provider of services to regional, rural and remote communities throughout the Riverina Murray region of NSW and northern and central Victoria. Our staff work alongside children, families, older people, carers and people with a disability by providing information and support, delivering a range of services or linking people with another service that can better meet their needs.

Intereach partners with the National Disability Insurance Agency to deliver National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Local Area Coordination (LAC) and Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) services in the NDIS Mallee service area of Victoria.

For more information on our services, call 1300 488 266 or visit www.intereach.com.au

This week children, educators and families from the Echuca area celebrated National Family Day Care Week with a natural play session at Banyule Forest.

The children enjoyed connecting with nature – climbing trees, balancing on logs, finding sticks, examining bugs and exploring their natural surroundings.

Those who attended also enjoyed a delicious morning tea.