Annual Report 2021-22 Continuity and innovation in times of uncertainty
Community First Development’s annual report for 2021-22 provides a good snapshot of community development and research activities and impact across the organisation, working alongside First Nations’ community partners.
“This year I’ve enjoyed talking to people new to our space and seeing their light bulb moments when I explain why we exist and why our informal tagline is ‘thriving beyond the gap’. I know that the disadvantage gap exists on many levels. I’m not prepared as an Aboriginal woman, mother and grandmother to aspire to the lowest common denominator of anything, let alone the lowest common denominator on health. Closing the gap is critical. It’s absolutely the baseline, but I think that’s deficit language. We need to be looking beyond that to thriving people, thriving communities, thriving families. This is our organisation’s higher purpose and is why we position ourselves as we do.”
—Stephanie Harvey, CEO
Continuity and innovation in times of uncertainty
The challenging operating environment of COVID-19 continued in 2021-22. Our team and communities continued to embrace creative and innovative ways to keep projects moving.
Read stories on how strong First Nations’ communities responded to the catastrophic flood event in NSW; are providing culturally responsive aged care and disability support services to First Nations’ communities; and developing pathways for young people to develop leadership and life skills and pathways to grow in sport, education and employment.
Learn more about how we measure our impact with communities and our commitment to reflexive learning and continuous improvement.
Join us in celebrating the achievements of Bidjara man and Systems and Information Manager, Wayne Harvey, who received an award for Best Technology Achievement by a First Nations’ Person.
Discover more about our participatory action research and how people and organisations are engaging with it and the Inaugural First Nations’ Research and Evaluation Fellowship findings.
“Thanks for inviting me to join the webinar this morning. In my 40s I worked with a community on the APY Lands. There was nothing written by Indigenous communities themselves about [Community Development] CD practice so I sat and listened for close on 12 months before I was of much use to the community. I wish I could have had access to Good Governance practice to help me know where to start.”
—Community First Development Volunteer