Exciting first face-face gathering after two virtual women’s events

HARKING BACK… A Women In Grazing event before the COVID-19 restrictions. Members of the LDC women’s Network will be part of a face-to-face meeting for the first time at the Burdekin function.

Members of the Landholders Driving Change (LDC) Womens Network will be part of a Rural and Regional Women’s event at the Burdekin Theatre foyer on 15 October from 930am to midday.

For the first time, the LDC group will be meeting at a face to face function. The first two LDC Women’s Networking events were conducted at Zoom meetings because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

At the event, LDC is collaborating with:

  • Burdekin Shire Council; 
  • Queensland Rural Regional and the Remote Women’s Network (QRRRWN);
  • Women in Sugar – Burdekin; and 
  • Zonta Club, Burdekin.

It is an event for all rural, regional and remote women where they will have an opportunity to network.

The theme of the morning, compered by the ABC’s Paula Tapiolas,  is “Taking Time to Connect”.

Ross Romeo from the Community Response to Eliminating Suicide organisation is the keynote speaker. A leading psychologist in mental health, he will be encouraging women to understand, and take time to support their mental health and to become aware of potential barriers in order to overcome them.

He will be supported by three Burdekin women who will speak about their journey overcoming the difficulties of isolation.

They are:

  • Dr Amanda Marano – Psychiatrist, Townsville Hospital & Health Services;
  • Amy Smail – Member, Women in Sugar, Burdekin; and
  • Mary Pearson – Specialised Domestic and Family Violence Social Worker.

There are only 76 places available, so register as soon as possible.

Contact Adrienne Hall (ph: 0428 158 859), Cherry Emerick (0456 015 772), or Sheridan Callcott (0439 421 994) to register your interest and for more information.

Peer groups built on trust

Graziers pay attention when another grazier is sharing his or her real-world experience.

An important component of LDC is to foster peer groups in the BBB catchment that are self-directed, and are supported by LDC extension staff to help deliver skills and knowledge. 

LDC has supported 10 cluster groups, one of which is Ladies of the Land, with the aim of encouraging participating landholders to lead one another, and the broader BBB catchment community, by example.

To be successful, peer groups require openness, mutual respect for one another’s ideas, opinions and suggestions, and confidentiality, even if members don’t always agree.

In a peer group everything gets shared — what works, what doesn’t and why.

Trust is key. If you’re going to get the secret sauce from other landholders, you have to be able to give voice to just about anything in the group.

This is supported by graziers who voluntarily completed surveys earlier this year indicating they rated peer-to-peer learning ‘highly’ as a trusted source of information, advice and support. 

When cluster groups were asked to reflect on the value of working together, a popular response was the increased ability to see what was being done elsewhere, as a result of being involved in the cluster group.

The LDC project has tailored activities to include peer-to-peer learning opportunities, cluster groups and catchment catch-ups to foster these relationships and to encourage the community to lead by example and share experiences.