Connections Program
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
The BWNG Giving Tree is an opportunity for everyone to help make the holiday season a little brighter for local families and community members doing it tough this Christmas.
About the Connections Program
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
Our Connection Program is designed to work with the Aboriginal community of Gloucester, Stroud, Barrington and surrounding areas to link people with services, provide support and facilitate referrals.
Gathang Revitalisation Project
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
Gathang Revitalisation Project
Gathang workshops have had a positive impact in making Gathang culture and language accessible to members of Gloucester's Indigenous community
NAIDOC Week 2024
Indigenous Weaving Workshops
Gathang Revitalisation Project
This Year's NAIDOC Week was held 7 - 14 July 2024. We celebrated with a deadly schedule of activities and events.
Indigenous Weaving Workshops
Indigenous Weaving Workshops
Indigenous Weaving Workshops
Traditional weaving workshops teach an age-old skill to both indigenous and non-indigenous members of the Gloucester community.
The BWNG Christmas Giving Tree
First launched in 2017, the campaign has collected over 1,000 gifts from community members, organisations and businesses including Gloucester Men’s Shed who have donated over $400 of toys this year alone.
Additionally, we are grateful to Gloucester’s Regional Australia Bank, which has acted as a main street drop-off point for donated gifts to BWNG’s Giving Tree since 2022, and MidCoast Council who will again be collecting gifts and food items.
This year we’re pleased to also be joining forces with Ray White Gloucester and their seasonal charity initiative, A Little Ray of Giving.
Through this initiative Ray White offices across Australia and New Zealand partner with philanthropic organisations like BWNG to collect donations of food, clothes, Christmas gifts and new toys. For the past decade, this initiative has provided some much-needed support and care to families that struggle over the demanding holiday period, while allowing Ray White members to give back to their local communities.
Community members can get involved with the BWNG Giving Tree by donating a new, unwrapped gift to the following locations:
- Ray White Gloucester - 100 Church Street, Gloucester
- Gloucester Regional Australia Bank - 36 Church Street, Gloucester
- BWNG – 88 King Street, Gloucester
- MidCoast Council’s Gloucester Office – 89 King Street, Gloucester
Donations must be received by Friday 6 December 2024.
Gifts for all ages are welcome, but we have a special focus on school-aged children.
Gifts will be available for collection on Monday 9 & Tuesday 10 December 2024 from 10am at BWNG’s office 88 King Street Gloucester.
Follow our Facebook or Instagram page to stay in the loop with the campaign.
The Connections Program - Who are we, and what do we do?
BWNG's Connection Program is designed to work with the community to link people with services, provide support and facilitate referrals.
Our funding body, the NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), has changed funding focus under the Targeted Early Intervention (TEI) reform to emphasise groups including Aboriginal children, families and communities, 0-5 year olds, children and young people at risk of disengaging and young parents experiencing hardships.
We are focused on Community Strengthening – activities that build cohesion, inclusion and wellbeing across all communities, and empower the Aboriginal community.
To that end, we have worked to establish a network of partnerships throughout the local community, including with local pre-schools and playgroups.
Through the Connections Program BWNG partners with numerous community organisations such as Gloucester Worimi First Peoples Aboriginal Corporation (GWFPAC) to deliver diverse and interactive projects within the community.
Gathang Revitalisation Project
Working with Gathang knowledge holders and funded through the Federal Indigenous Languages and Arts Program (ILA), the Gathang Revitalisation project has allowed members of our local Aboriginal community to learn Gathang, the Aboriginal language of the Worimi, Biripi and Gringai people.
Additionally, the workshops have strengthened interconnection within the local Aboriginal community, enhanced collaboration with other Indigenous communities, opened pathways for sharing knowledge, and built the capacity to search family tree information.
Around 30 participants have been involved in the workshops, including youth workshops for the emerging generations.
Due to the rarity of Gathang speakers, the language workshops are currently open to the Aboriginal community only, but the project is on track for several participants to take the next step in their language journey. Having local Gathang speakers share their knowledge will hopefully allow us to open the incredibly popular workshops to the wider community.
Indigenous Weaving Workshops
Inspired by NAIDOC Week 2020 BWNG's Connections Program Officer, Amber Galvin enlisted the help of Biripi women Aunty Pam Saunders and Joedie Lawler, to facilitate Indigenous weaving workshops.
The first workshops to commence were Women's Weaving Workshops, which brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous women to weave items such as dilly bags and baskets before undertaking one large wall hanging together.
The wall hanging - a collaborative piece representing our region through blue netting for the sky, multicoloured woven circles for the families in the community and a long piece of wood representing the mountains - was displayed at Gloucester Art Gallery as part of a cultural exhibition for NAIDOC week 2022.
The project became especially poignant with the passing of Aunty Pam and her son Jay, in August of 2021.
A photograph of the wall hanging taken by Amber Galvin was recognised with the following awards:
2nd Place - 2022 Friends of the Rural Health Alliance Photography Competition
1st Place - 2022 Pix from the Stix - Culture
As the revitalisation of Gathang culture filters through the community, weaving workshops are now imparting the ancient skill to the younger generation at Gloucester High School. The weekly workshops are run by Amber for Indigenous students and their friends to learn to weave, and hopefully light a spark that will inspire them to continue their cultural education.
NAIDOC Week 2024
This Year's NAIDOC theme 'Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud' - honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture.
We have a raft of activities planned for the whole community to get involved in, including:
- 'Loud & Proud' door and shopfront competition for Gloucester NSW businesses
- NAIDOC week colouring competition
- NAIDOC Family Fun Day - Saturday 13 July 2024
Follow GWFPAC on social media to stay up to date with this year's local NAIDOC schedule.
Other Connections Program Projects
2023 NAIDOC T-Shirt Design Competition
In the lead-up to NAIDOC Week 2023, we asked budding local Indigenous artists aged between 13 and 20 years-of-age to design an Indigenous-themed shirt for the chance to win a cash prize.
The winning design by Charlie Clarke represents ‘our landscape, wildlife, family and community coming together.’ Charlie's design will be featured on a polo shirt that will form part of BWNG's staff uniform.
Runners-up Indiana Dodds, Hailee Labry and Sarah Galvin also submitted outstanding designs and were awarded a gift card each.
We thank all the young people who participated in this competition and commend them on their artistic vision.
Language Resource Mural
Members of the Aboriginal community Gathang Language Group collaborated on a vibrant outdoor mural aptly named 'Gathang Ngarraliyn' (which translates to 'Learning Gathang' in English) to use as a visual aid in teaching Gathang to others.
Measuring 1.8 x 4.8 metres, the striking mural has been installed on a wall close to BWNG's memorial garden.
Artists and contributors: Jarrad, Amber, Jaxson and Xander Galvin, Kayla Jory, Emily and Nullah Clarke, Corey and Jade Everett, Donna Kemp, Paula Standen, Tyler Standen and Jackie Buddle.
Minimbah Gardens Holiday Fun Day
The sun was shining, Gloucester District Park was looking amazing and the event was a huge success according to feedback from both children and parents. The event saw at least 200 people attending the gardens!
The kids had a fun-filled day with face painting, hair weaves, clay modelling, arts and crafts, sports activities, boomerang throwing and a treasure hunt. With fantastic involvement from the kids, we planted over 30 new natives and bush tucker plants around the gardens. The kids loved learning about what the plants are and their uses.
We were also lucky to have a demonstration by local paramedic Jodie House on how to use a snake bite kit, plus free snake bite kits were available for attendees.
The day was topped off with a free sausage sizzle, fruit, lemon myrtle and strawberry gum tea, drinks and cake.
We would also like to thank all the volunteers and providers and members of the Aboriginal community for their assistance on the day.
The day was made possible via funding through the NSW Government’s Regional Youth Spring Holiday Break Program
Language group learn about cooking fish in a traditional way
The Gathang Language Group and members of the Aboriginal community gathered at Minimbah Gardens Gloucester to learn a traditional method of preparing and cooking fish. The fish was wrapped in parcels of paper bark, with lemon myrtle for flavour before being cooked in the coals of an open fire.
A fantastic time was had by all while learning about Worimi and Biripi culture and Gathang language.
Not to mention the fish was delicious!
Acknowledgement of Country
We would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land from the Worimi and Biripi Country
and pay our respects to Elders past, present & future.
(Artwork: 'Home' by a team of local Indigenous Artists)