How did Gladstone Region engaging in action Together get started?
Gladstone Region engaging in action Together (GRT) is a Stronger Places, Stronger People (SPSP) initiative.
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Stronger Places, Stronger People is an initiative of the Australian Government in partnership with state and territory governments and communities to disrupt disadvantage and create better futures for children and families, through community-led change, using a Collective Impact Model.
Despite the hard work of our social sector, demand on the sector is increasing and statistics indicate worsening disadvantage. There is a growing recognition that we, as a community, need to do things differently if we want change.
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Gladstone Region has developed a community vision with goals for the future in past years, but momentum has fallen away without a team solely responsible for keeping a dedicated focus on progress. The SPSP opportunity gives our community a chance to demonstrate what we can achieve using a Collective Impact Model, including a dedicated ‘Backbone Team'.
In June 2021, GRT presented a proposal to the Australian and Queensland Government on behalf of the Gladstone Community to partner under the SPSP initiative over a 3-year period.
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The proposal included two documents as evidence of Gladstone’s eligibility under the SPSP criteria of identified disadvantage and community readiness:
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Acknowledgment of Artist
The Gladstone Region engaging in action Together (GRT) logo features a design by local Traditional Owner graphic designer, Iona Nahow, from Mantis Gladstone. The First Nations artwork includes a yarning circle. A yarning circle is an important process within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture to learn from a collective group, build respectful relationships, and to preserve and pass on cultural knowledge. The inclusion of this design overlay on the GRT logo represents the whole of the Gladstone Region coming together to collectively improve community wellbeing.