And just like that – here comes 2023!
Happy new year to you all and I hope you’ve had some space to step out of the day-to-day grind for a little bit of downtime.
Regional Alumni Gatherings
ARLF staff member Catherine McGufficke, Project Lead for our Drought Initiative, was in Inverell early this month and organised an alumni get together on January 12th. She was joined by four ARLF alumni from the region, who by all accounts chatted eagerly about our programs, personal development post program as well the joys of shearing and working dogs!
Thanks to Catherine for making the most of her time in Inverell and arranging this gathering. And also to those alumni who attended, thanks for choosing to stay connected with us. We love re-connecting with you and are very grateful for the general feedback these gatherings invariably provide us – about what you want and what you’re interested in. It’s incredibly valuable and we are listening!
I guess the Inverell catch up is setting a bit of a vibe for how we are planning to connect with you this year.
We are looking at lots of smaller, regional events, rather than larger, state based or national events. Our next regional event is set for the Wheatbelt Region of WA. Locally based staff member Laura Cala is hosting a get together on February 24th in Merredin. Invites will go out to those in the local region. If you’re not local but keen to attend, please reach out and we can let you know the details.
We are also about to lock in dates for alumni gatherings in the following regions:
- March – Central West NSW
- April – Perth
- May – Tassie
Plus, there’ll be more as the year rolls on! Once dates are locked away, we will let you know as soon as possible. We are also working to release an alumni events calendar very soon so you’ll have a clear picture of what’s happening across the first half of the year.
ARLF Fellow Cathy McGowan appointed as new AgriFutures Chair
We were excited to hear that ARLF Fellow Cathy McGowan AO was recently announced as the new Chair of AgriFutures. Bringing such a dynamic organisation together with Cathy’s extensive skills, experience and passion, bodes well for exciting times ahead. Congratulations Cathy!
Cathy is stepping into big shoes, replacing previous Chair Kay Hull AO. I heard Kay speak at the Rural Women’s Awards last year and was so inspired by her achievements, her commitment to regional and rural communities, her down to earth approach, and her passion for people.
Thriving Women’s Conference – brains trust required!
Speaking of AgriFutures, ARLF Fellow Lisa Anderson is not only the Chair of the AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Advisory Panel, but she’s also Co-Convenor of the 2023 Thriving Women’s Conference, set to be held in Wagga Wagga on 13-15th August.
This conference is dedicated to growing and inspiring women connected through agriculture. Check out www.thrivingwomen.com.au for more detail.
Lisa is also on the lookout for any ARLF alumni who may like to support the conference as part of a brains trust. She’d love a few people to reach out to discuss ideas to help bring greater diversity of thought to the conference. If that’s something you’d like to help with, Lisa would love to chat to you. Please reach out to Lisa Anderson via the Thriving Women’s website. See link above.
The Winston Churchill Trust – Learn Globally, Inspire Locally
Each year, the Winston Churchill Trust offers Australians from all walks of life the opportunity to travel overseas, fully funded, to investigate a topic or issue of their choice.
If you’re interested, a series of online information sessions will be held in February 2023 to assist and inspire applicants. Plus, you’ll hear more about the Churchill Fellowship journey, gain helpful advice on how to apply and have the opportunity to engage in a live Q&A. You do need to register for these sessions. See link above.
Applications for the 2023 Churchill Fellowship open 1 March 2023 and close 1 May 2023. For more information visit Become a Fellow – Churchill Trust.
It’s been a pleasure working closely with Angela Driver and her team at Tassie Leaders to deliver our Drought and LARC (Leading Australian Resilient Communities) Programs.
As part of the LARC program, Tassie ARLF alumni have been invited to attend a Trauma Informed Leadership workshop. The workshop will be delivered by Dr Polly McGee exclusively for LARC participants, members of the Tasmanian Leaders Network and Tassie based ARLF alumni. It’s not only a great opportunity to learn, but also a fabulous chance to network with others from Tassie invested in leadership.
Save the Date: Tuesday 21 February
Location: Devonport, Paranaple Centre
Details on how to register will be emailed to you…so stay tuned.
Tassie Leaders are also offering a high-impact I-LEAD Not-for-profit program, designed for people working or volunteering within the community sector to help them address their most adaptive challenges. This 2023 I-LEAD is only for charities and for purpose organisations delivering services within Tasmania. Applications are now open and the program will be delivered from March to May 2023.
Visit www.tasmanianleaders.org.au/i-lead for costs and more detail.
Government Grants to improve ag sector’s sustainability credentials.
Just thought it was worthwhile highlighting that applications are now open for the new $4 million grant round of the National Agriculture Traceability Sustainability Reporting Uplift program.
Successful projects will support the agricultural sector through consistent collection, measurement and reporting of data to make it easier to demonstrate sustainable practices.
This grant round forms part of the Australian Government’s $68.4 million investment in agricultural traceability.
Further information and application details for the grant round are available at GrantConnect and on the department’s website. Applications close 23 February 2023. For any questions, please email Community Grants Hub at support@communitygrants.gov.au no later than 5pm AEDT 16 February 2023.
