Centacare FNQ is delighted to have been shortlisted as finalists in two out of three categories for a prestigious Australian Migration & Settlement Award.
The Australian Migration & Settlement Awards, an initiative of the Migration Council of Australia, are a unique opportunity to recognise some of the excellent work that Australians in the settlement space have undertaken in the previous year. There are three Award categories this year, and Centacare FNQ has been shortlisted as a national finalist in two of the three categories:
1. Award for Settlement Innovation – Awarded to a Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) provider or initiative that has demonstrated the most innovative methods to support new refugees and migrants, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Centacare FNQ’s ‘COVID Savvy, Keeping Communities Safe and Connected’, is a finalist in this section which was our tele-support wellbeing check ins, tele-support Covid updates in language together with regional COVID-19 language videos.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, COVID Savvy, Keeping Communities Safe and Connected became a vital tool supporting community safety and wellbeing. The projects key community partners, collaborated immediately to ensure that everyone in community was receiving crucial health and education messages and could access and identify community supports when needed. A range of stakeholders delivered wellbeing checks on high risk community members ensuring information was easy to access and in over seven languages including AUSLAN. This has played a pivotal role in ensuring zero covid-19 cases across our humanitarian entrant communities locally.
Centacare FNQ Executive Director Anita Veivers said, “We were able to respond very quickly, at a local level with an individualised focus to ensure the safety and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.” “The team did an outstanding job in really difficult and rapidly changing circumstances”.
2. Award for Empowering Women in SETS – Awarded to a SETS provider (organisation), SETS initiative or person that has empowered migrant and refugee women in the SETS program, with a focus on safety, participation or leadership particularly during COVID-19 pandemic. Centacare FNQ Multicultural Women’s Empowerment Initiative is a finalist in this section which is an integrated women’s program comprising Multicultural Women’s Wellbeing Group, Multicultural Girls Wellbeing Group, Women’s Information Sessions Series on Preventative Health, Healthy Relationships, Conversational English and Caseworker support in a range of areas for all migrant women.
Watch our video for more information about how Centacare is empowering women in our community.
The Women’s Empowerment Initiative, was started as a holistic approach by Centacare FNQ to deliver a number of different outreaches and opportunities to women, teenage young women and primary school girls that allowed them to showcase their strength and resilience to the broader communities that they are now living in. Over the past year, this approach included delivering programs that are co-designed and co-facilitated by the communities that we work with. The Women’s Empowerment Initiative, set a strong foundation for how Centacare FNQ is going to deliver services across Centacare Multicultural Services. Empowering women to co-design and co-develop the programs they are going to be a part of was such a success this approach has been embedded across the entire service.
Ms Veivers said, “It is so fabulous to play a part in supporting women of all ages to be empowered to participate and share their skills and knowledge across all sorts of areas including; sports, arts, culture and employment and great recognition for the team and our community to be finalists in this category.”
The Awards Australia submissions closed in August and awards are expected to be presented in February.
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For more information, please contact:
Astrid Murray
Communications Officer
Centacare FNQ
M: 0424 580967 | E: [email protected]
