Compassionate Communities: COMMUNITY CONNECTOR initiative: Central QLD, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast

The Compassionate Communities: Community Connectors initiative aims to empower members of the community to play a stronger, more confident role, in the care and support of people at the end of life. Often, we don’t have the right information at hand, which is why the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network and The Groundswell Project have partnered to develop a Community Connector train the trainer program that activates everyday citizens to draw upon their knowledge of local services and groups and offer that information to people that they come across who might benefit from being more connected.

Community Connectors are hairdressers, taxi drivers, café staff, aged care workers, teenagers, choir group members, community workers, business owners, librarians, social workers, neighbours, commuters…anyone really!

Community Connectors are trained and supported by a volunteer Lead Connector. Lead Connector training will enable individuals to run Community Connector sessions in their locality.

These train the trainer workshops will be delivered within Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Central Queensland in April and May 2021.

The PHN are seeking expressions of interest from people to become Lead Connectors. They are community minded individuals, passionate about engaging with community members on identifying and signposting others to groups, services and other supports that either formally or informally address end of life care, grief and bereavement. Some examples of these services and supports may include palliative care, hospice care, support groups, social clubs, community services, and any other type of helpful support. Lead Connectors may be retired professionals, health or community service professionals, caregivers. If contributing to the community and planning well in the face of ageing, declining health and end of life is important to you, then we want to hear from you!

Here are the dates and locations of the workshops:

Sunshine Coast (Gympie)

Gympie Health Hub; 4/4 Horseshoe Bend, Gympie

Date: 20th April Time: 9:00 - 12:30

Sunshine Coast (Tewantin)

Sunshine Butterflies Training Room 468 McKinnon Drive Cooroibah

Date: 21 April Time 9:00 - 12:30

Sunshine Coast (Birtinya)

Sunshine Coast Health Institute, 6 Doherty Street, Birtinya

Date: 22 April Time: 12:30 - 4pm

Wide Bay (Bundaberg)

Impact Make Your Mark (106-108 Bargara Road, Bundaberg

Date: 26 May Time: 9:00 - 12:30

Wide Bay (Hervey Bay)

Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre 22 Charles Street, Hervey Bay

Date: 27 May Time 9:00 - 12:30

Wide Bay (Mundubbera)

69 Stuart Russell St, Mundubbera

Date: 28 May Time 9:00 - 12:30

Central (Emerald) QLD

Emerald Star Hotel Railway Room, 47-51 Clermont St Emerald

Date: 31 May Time 9:00 - 12:30

Central (Calliope) QLD

Calliope Central Bowls Club, Calliope

Date: 1 June Time 9:00 - 12:30

Central (Yappoon) QLD

Keppel Bay Sailing Club Training Room Anzac Parade, Yeppoon
Date: 1 June Time 9:00 - 12:30

Maria Callaghan, the project lead at the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, SunshineCoast PHN is happy to speak to interested stakeholders or individuals keen to participate and support this initiative. 

For more information contact Maria Callaghan on 0741969800 MCallaghan@ourphn.org.au

This program is supported by funding from the Australian Government through the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network