Welcome to our new Queensland Manager
We are honoured to work with Mr Richard Muller. Since joining us from the government sector, Richard has done magnificent work bringing together our network of projects and partnerships in Queensland. He is quickly becoming a significant force for positive change in the Queensland context.
Queensland Literacy Support Program
The second half of the year has seen the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation increase its presence in Queensland. With over a quarter of all Indigenous Australians residing in the state, and with literacy and numeracy levels below the national average, we saw it necessary to direct increased resources and funding towards furthering our Queensland Literacy Support Program.
We are fortunate to already work with a number of excellent partners in the state, including Cathy Freeman Foundation, Indigenous Community Volunteers, Red Dust, Rotary, and a range of local schools. These partners have assisted us in delivering books and literacy backpacks to a number of child care centres across Queensland over the last 3 years.
More recently, we have also assisted in the development of a new literacy tutorial club at the Kulila Indigenous Kindergarten in Toowoomba. This club will see another 44 Indigenous boys and girls receive excellent literacy assistance from experienced tutors and mentors.
Already our work in Queensland has been recognised by two larger supporters. In September, we were thrilled to receive a $2000 community grant from Brisbane Airport Community Giving Fund. In October we received a $7711 cheque from the accommodation village workers in South West Queensland at QGC/Spotless Resources.
We have directed these grants to our Queensland Literacy Support Program, which will directly address the need to improve literacy and numeracy skills of Indigenous youth and promote key wellbeing messages within a Queensland context. The funding will allow us to better invest in resources, staffing, equipment, backpacks and books for the children in our literacy support groups such as the one in Kulila.
Richard at the Brisbane Airport cheque presentation
Richard Muller attended both presentation ceremonies and gave a speech of thanks to both organisations, their leaders and their staff who were responsible for the gifts. We are very excited by their feedback which suggests both groups will continue their support. Such commitment, along with our private individual Queensland supporters (which are growing in number year by year) will allow our Queensland projects to continue to expand and succeed.
New Partnerships
Over the last six months we have welcomed John Pearson Consulting – Indigenous Workstars, Queensland University of Technology – Oodgeroo Unit, The Benevolent Society, Read Australia, and Volunteering Queensland. Each of these new partnerships will assist in the development of a suite of new programs which aim to enhance lifelong learning within the Indigenous community.
We are hugely excited by our work and growing presence in Queensland!