LGSC Congratulates our new Alumni

Alison Kennedy, Behavioural Scientist and Research Fellow at Deakin University and National Centre for Farmer Health Sponsored by South West Community Foundation

Shane Stenhouse, Team Leader Parks Gardens and Environment Warrnambool City Council

Juanita Dickinson, Social Worker, Portland District Health

Amanda Wearne, Inclusive, Diversity & Wellbeing Officer, Wannon Water

Vicki Askew-Thornton, Major Project Liaison and Economic Development Officer, Moyne Shire Council

Brendan Hawkins, Apprenticeship Employment Assistant Manager, Westvic Staffing Solutions

Leon Senchenko, Student Management Officer, South West TAFE

Garry Peterson, Program Manager Biodiversity, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Jacinta Lenehan, Health Promotion Officer, South West Healthcare

Jordan Smith, Organisation, Health and Wellbeing Leader, The School of Student Leadership

Delna Plathottam, Associate Nurse Unit Manager, Lyndoch Living

Rhonda Henry, Head of Dairy South West Victoria, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Sponsored by The Gardiner Foundation

Leon Carey, Hands on Learning Artisan Teacher Leader, Warrnambool College Sponsored by The Koroit Lions Club

Teremayi Manozho, Director/Coordinator, African Experience
Sponsored by Wannon Water

2017 Closing Retreat

By no means was the Closing Retreat the end for our fabulous participants who extended their Leadership journey this year……

It is with very mixed feelings that journey has finished. I will try and keep living my own values and those extra ones acquired on this journey. It can be difficult to achieve this when under pressure. Now it’s time to spread our wings and go out into the community. We have been set free to fly and choose our next path in the journey of life. Rhonda Henry

LGSC challenged me to recognise my strengths and identify the areas I need to build on so I can become a more effective leader. During the past 10 months I have revised my definition of leadership and reconnected with the values and issues that matter the most to me. My knowledge of and passion for the Great South Coast region has been enhanced through the excellent presenters and field trips I was privileged to experience in this program. The community project component of the program was a valuable opportunity to practice the skills I had learned and work with a team of diverse and skilled people. I have been inspired by each of the program participants and created links with new networks that will benefit my future volunteering roles. From the confidence and skills that LGSC has given me, I plan to seek community networks and new volunteering opportunities that will enable me to make a real difference in my community.
Vicki Askew-Thornton

Do you have two left feet and can’t dance?

Great South Coast Leadership participants attended their final program day having their eyes opened to the value of volunteering—for both themselves as developing leaders and for their communities. On a day where particpants were exposed to volunteering experiences of the State Emergency Service (SES), Warrnambool Food Share and the personal stories of Vickie Jellie (Peter’s Project) and Matty Stewart (Standing Tall), there was much to be learned.

Dr Bernadette Northeast opened the day at Warrnambool SES, encouraging particpants to view volunteering as more than a positive and personally fulfilling way of giving back to the community. She spoke of volunteering as an opportunity to hone your skills as a leader in order to keep fellow volunteers engaged and active. As Dr Northeast explained, “volunteer leadership roles require strong skills. People are under no obligation to stay as a volunteer, so to lead in this capacity you need skills to make people stay because they want to”. While she painted a realistic picture of volunteering—encouraging participants to do their due diligence before taking on a volunteer role—Dr Northeast motivated LGSC participants to experience “volamnesia—the moment you forget you are volunteering to help change lives because it is changing yours”.

An informal roundtable discussion provided LGSC with insight into the personal stories of Vickie Jellie—Australia’s Local Hero Award winner for 2017—and local radio personality Matty Stewart—nominee for Australia’s Local Hero Award 2018. Vickie’s story of turning the loss of her husband to cancer into a passion for developing local cancer services was told humbly, yet reiterated a selfless demonstration of why volunteers are the core of our nation’s community and that with persistence, nothing is impossible. Matty’s larrakin personality shone throughout his story and was a core driver of his ability to engage people and generate enthusiastic support for life-changing programs such as Standing Tall and Look Out.

Next stop was Warrnambool Food Share where the group got into the spirit of volunteering by organising food donations for the following week’s delivery to hungry families. In the previous week 119 hampers—feeding 165 adults and 136 kids—were distributed in the Warrnambool area, demonstrating the ongoing (and growing) demand for this service to the region.

The afternoon saw a return to the SES for an impressive demonstration of volunteer skills in a mock road rescue exercise. An impeccably trained and impressively organised crew exhibited what volunteer time and effort can achieve—life saving rescue in the toughest conditions.

The day confirmed that there is a volunteer opportunity to fit every individual. It just takes a bit of time and effort to find what fits you best. So, back to the question ‘Do you have two left feet and can’t dance?’ Then volunteering is definitely for you. Despite your two left feet, we all have two hands—one for helping ourselves and one for helping others! And would you believe it, second only to dancing, volunteering is Australian people’s greatest source of joy in life.

Indigenous leaders new and old inspire 2017 LGSC participants

On the day Victorian Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaala Pulford visited Lake Condah with Gunditjmara elder Denis Rose, the Great South Coast’s future leaders spent the day ‘on country’ with inspiring future Gunditjmara leader Tyson Lovett-Murray. Tyson, who’s knowledge and wisdom is way beyond his tender years, and his mother Denise Lovett, were the hosts of the Great South Coast Leadership 2017 participants visit to Gunditjmara country.

The visit took in Budj Bim National Park, Lake Condah and the associated weir, Lake Condah Mission, and for some, a visit to Tyrendarra Indigenous Protected Area. Throughout the day the participants were continually amazed by Tyson’s encyclopedia-like knowledge of his people’s history – their stories, experiences, achievements, losses and suffering. His knowledge of their built history was meticulous, including the operational understanding of the ancient eel traps and location of stone houses.

Similarly, Denise was a wealth of knowledge. Her knowledge however came largely from firsthand experience – experience of prejudice, racism, ignorance and social divide. Of watching her people battle poverty, unemployment, crime and alcoholism. Denise spoke from the heart throughout the day and one of her key messages was that for our nation to move forward and “close the gap” we must first fully and truthfully acknowledge our past.

One of the key messages from Denise and Tyson that shone through on the day was the strong and proud military history of the “fighting Gunditjmara”. Despite the atrocities and persecution suffered by the Gunditjmara people since European settlement, they have served Australia in all major military campaigns from the Boer War to Afghanistan. As the nation prepares to remember the 100th anniversary of the Australian Light Horse charge on Beersheba on October 31, Denise, Tyson and their family will have their own ceremony to remember the event and the role their descendent, Private Frederick Amos Lovett, played in it.

The day closed with an emotional thank you to Denise and Tyson delivered by program participant Leon Carey. “I saw the emotion in your eyes Denise when telling your journey. I saw frustration, pain, trauma in the sharing of your stories. But I also saw passion, joy, drive and compassion” Leon said. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Leon finished and this was a fitting close to a day that inspired, enlightened, challenged, surprised, upset, frustrated, and forever changed all LGSC participants.