Community resilience efforts continue
Published on 08 December 2020
Gannawarra Shire Council continues to work in partnership with community health and wellbeing agencies to support social connections and mental health and wellbeing of local residents.
Council’s Community Resilience Committee, consisting of 28 agencies, spent 2020 initially supporting the community through the effects of drought, before broadening its scope to guide the Gannawarra’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Formed in 2018, the agencies that are represented on the Gannawarra Community Resilience Committee each play a key role in supporting the community at this time,” Mayor Charlie Gillingham said.
“As a combined group, the resilience committee covers every area of the Gannawarra and is ensuring the health and wellbeing of residents and businesses are supported.”
Some of the key achievements of the Gannawarra Community Resilience Committee during 2020 are:
- Providing financial support for community-led projects through the Gannawarra Community Resilience Grants program;
- Conducting a COVID-19 Community Health, Wellbeing and Recovery Survey, with feedback provided to assist with future recovery efforts;
- Supporting COVID-19 Screening and Assessment Clinics throughout the municipality;
- Supporting local neighbourhood houses to implement community level projects, programs and activities;
- Continuation of the Tactics for Tough Times program;
- Increased promotion of the Five Ways to Wellbeing – Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give;
- Publication and promotion of the new Gannawarra – Your Wellbeing Matters to Us flyer;
- Supporting the Women in the Warra health promotion campaign, which included the Gannawarra Show Baking Essentials virtual show, online Take a Wellbeing Vacation workshop, physical activity sessions across the Gannawarra, and last weekend’s Christmas Wreath Making workshop at Cohuna;
- Distributing funds raised through the Gannawarra Giving Account to local primary schools to assist in supporting children and their families;
- Funding two leadership programs for Gannawarra residents: The Gannawarra Conversation and Let’s Pivot leadership program;
- The creation of a Creative Recovery partnership sub-group to oversee social interactivity opportunities, highlighted by the recently held Kerang’s Living World light projection workshop; and
- Supporting the Gannawarra Goes Orange family violence prevention campaign as part of the statewide 16 Days of Activism against Family Violence.
“The Gannawarra Community Resilience Committee looks forward to building on the work achieved during this year and expanding its support throughout 2021,” Mayor Gillingham said.