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NAIDOC Week Grants 2023 - A celebration.
Posted July 21, 2023
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The PHN was pleased to offer the NAIDOC Week grant round designed to support the primary care sector to celebrate NAIDOC week by undertaking cultural safety and awareness capacity building activities and/or NAIDOC week celebration activities.
This year NAIDOC week was celebrated between 3-10 July with a theme of For Our Elders https://www.naidoc.org.au/
The grants were targeted to all primary care providers including General Practice, Allied Health, Commissioned Service providers as well as Aboriginal Medical Services. The grants were used for activities that promote and celebrate First Nations culture or increase cultural safety within non-First Nations primary care providers.
Below are some of the community events funded through the grant round.
Gloucester Worimi First Peoples Aboriginal Corporation
Gloucester Worimi First Peoples Aboriginal Corporation organised an Elders lunch, to bring local Elders together who were not previously connected. During the day the Elders spoke about local sites that are relatively unknown, and their plans to protect them.
From this gathering, they determined that Elders gatherings need to be held more often. The lunch was very much appreciated by all and something that will continue into the future.
Peel High School NAIDOC Week Elders and Youth Lunch - Tamworth
Colleen Tighe-Johnson held a NAIDOC Week Elders and Youth lunch at Peel High School Tamworth. Due to Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions, the community had felt that there had been less opportunities for knowledge exchange between the Elders and Youth of the community. In addition to celebrating the important part that Elders play within their communities and culture, the event created opportunity for connection between the Youth of the community with their Elders. All Staff, Students, Elders, and community members who attended the event had an enjoyable day!
Oceanside Private Practice – The Entrance
Oceanside Private Practice held a NAIDOC Week Lunch Event for the First Nations patients and families of the practice. 70 attendees attended the event. The practice was decorated with celebrative NAIDOC decorations and provided all attending adults with a fruit box and children a goody bag. Along with the celebrations of the NAIDOC lunch, the practice also included and provided health promotional resources to the attendees, that promoted 715 health and wellness checks and information on other services available to patients for better health outcomes.
The Glen - NAIDOC Touch Football Event KIKUPA 2023
The Glen held their annual KIKUPA Touch Football NAIDOC Event at Woongarrah Oval on the 13th July 2023. 20 teams competed on the day, with one of the Bungree Aboriginal Organisation’s teams taking out the title. Coupled with a day full of touch footy fun, the fun corner with jumping castles and activities kept all the Jarjums (kids) entertained. A number of other local community organisations and businesses attended the event to provide community support. Over 500 community members attend the event with several teams committing to attend again in 2024.
Pius X Aboriginal Corporation - Elders Night under the stars
Pius X had organised their NAIDOC celebrations to occur on Wednesday 5 July in the school holidays so that the celebrations could be family friendly. Unfortunately it rained and the Elders Games part of the celebrations could not go ahead, however they were still able to host a dinner for the Elders and a barbeque for the families that attended. The highlight of the NAIDOC Week celebrations turned out to the Yarning Circle where elders were able to share their experiences with their families. It was a great night for coming together and reconnecting with families and the sharing for stories of the elders’ younger days.
Singleton Doctors
Singleton Doctors celebrated NAIDOC Week with a colouring in competition, Facebook posts and engagements, children and adult gift packs for first nations people, engagement with the AIATSIS map, decorations, posters and artwork.
The doctors and staff wore their colourful NAIDOC shirts and focused on completing 715 Health Assessments with regular patients.
The week was very successful and led to an increase in 715s completed.
Practice Manager Emma-Louise Bussey said, "I think we made a difference, particularly to the younger generations and the non-first nations people. The events we carried out had good engagement points for further discussion on first nations people. We were surprised by the engagement we got from simply displaying a AIATSIS map on the wall, which is why we have chose to frame and keep it in the practice so it can be a ongoing engagement point throughout the year rather then just NAIDOC week.
"We will continue to create a inclusive and culturally appropriate environment for our first nations patients. We are also going to continue promotion of our 715 Health Assessments. We have used the report we received from Newcastle University to assist us in creating PDSA’s around increasing 715 Health Assessments in the practice. In turn the increase of 715 will create better health outcomes for our first nations people in the future."
