Under the banner of ‘Regenerate Regional Leadership’ the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation is bringing a regional leadership development program to people in the Nambucca Valley.
Across 8 days between May and August 2022, 24 people get the chance to think and act differently when it comes to practicing leadership and generating solutions to complex situations in their community.
The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s Chief Executive Matt Linnegar said the program was an experience that offered networking, leadership skills and personal growth.
‘Our regional leadership development programs bring a diverse group of people from within one region together, immersing them in challenges facing their region and helping them to discover their own strategies to find solutions,’ he said.
The program is free of charge for participants thanks to joint funding from the Australian and NSW Governments under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund. It is also supported by GlobalGiving and Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience Initiative.
‘The Bushfire Economic Recovery Fund invests in projects that will support job retention and creation in bushfire impacted regions, strengthen community resilience and reduce the impact of future natural disasters,’ Mr Linnegar said.
‘This program is essentially an investment in people who are interested in creating opportunities for others and want to bring people together to create a better future for their community.’
When it comes to participants, Mr Linnegar said there was no ideal candidate.
‘Anyone can participate in this program – it’s not just for people in positional leadership roles,’ he said.
‘If you are curious about experiencing challenges, you are a mover and shaker or a quiet community champion who takes the reins when things get tough, or someone who wants to make progress on challenges in your community – this program is for you.
‘It’s about widening and strengthening your local network and creating connections outside of the region that enable you to grow your impact and find solutions to issues in your community.’
Mr Linnegar said the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation brought experience and connections like few organisations in the country.
‘The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation has been developing leadership programs for almost 30 years and we have come a long way from catering for people in traditional and established leadership roles to harness the potential of all people in rural, regional and remote Australia,’ he said.
‘The core of what we do is exposing people to situations and ideas that will enable them to see a bigger picture, a different perspective and ultimately have the courage and approaches to put their ideas into action and take others with them.’
