Media
The Valley Hub 14/02/2022
BISEP are pleased to provide an update on ‘The Valley Hub’ project, a collaborative project funded by NSW Government`s Bushfire Local Economic Relief Fund, in conjunction with The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal`s Investing in Rural Community Futures Fund.
The website is currently in development with Hand in Hand Project Manager, Alison Buckley, and BISEP Project Manager, Penny Coulter working with consultants to create a fit-for-purpose digital hub informed by community consultation and collaborative community partnerships. While funding and pandemic-related delays have impacted the launch date of the The Valley Hub, this has served as a time to revisit the overarching intent of the platform and build on the framework of the website to create a bigger and better hub, set for launch mid-year.
We are excited to welcome an Identified Project Officer to our team in April and look forward to hearing from the community regarding this opportunity. Additionally, we are commencing conversations in the education and not-for-profit sector around youth mentorship, with several positions available to meet community-need.
We are delighted to see what the coming months will bring and will continue to provide updates as the project proceeds.
The Valley Hub 18/08/2021
It is with great pleasure BISEP – Bowraville Innovative Social Enterprise Precinct announce that our organisation has been successful in obtaining a portion of the NSW Government`s ‘Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Package’ (BLER) funding. This grant of $352,440.00 has been sought for the continuation of the “Virtual Hub” (Waluurr Ngambagagundi – Nambucca Valley Hand in Hand) project, now entitled ‘The Valley Hub’.
For further information, please read below:
A brief history of the project:
The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal – Investing in Rural Community Futures rollout process, which has taken place in the Nambucca Valley since 2019, has highlighted the ongoing need and desire from local Not for Profit community groups for a virtual communication platform. Having recently been affected by Bushfire, Flood, and the Covid 19 Pandemic, this concept has been further identified and supported by our local Council.
With the project conceived during the midst of the 2020 Covid 19 Pandemic, Individuals across a broad range of business and Not for Profit sectors formed to consider how IRCF funding may best benefit the community as a whole. In consultation with local community groups, not for profit organisations, and other key stakeholders in the community, the Hand in Hand committee chose to pursue the vision of an online meeting place, with the overarching aim to provide a platform which would facilitate interagency cooperation, the sharing of resources, and improve community relations. In addition, the virtual hub would enable the community to access integral service information, authentic and efficient information in the event of future natural disasters and amplify opportunities for community connection through the telling of stories, upholding of culture, and the sense of a safe place to ‘belong’.
With the vision of ‘The Valley Hub’ realised, the current project officer is tasked with a brief set to create a space that is accessible, durable, and capable of evolving to meet the needs of the Nambucca Valley Community.
Understanding historical patterns of ‘in and out’ projects in the Valley and the distrust this can create, BISEP moved to ensure a sustainable future for the hub, beyond the limits of IRCF funding. With the success of our grant application, BISEP will continue to drive this project forward with support from two additional project officers, in conjunction with cultural consultancy from local Aboriginal organisations.
It is expected that once the Valley Hub is launched in December, project officers will see the project move into its own self-sustaining social enterprise, with the website becoming its own not for profit company limited by guarantee as the sustainable financing program is implemented.
This will provide pathways for mentorship, traineeships, and offshoot enterprise opportunities that benefit the community.
BISEP will provide quarterly updates through our website and social media channels as the project progresses through to June 2023. Designated project meetings will also be accessible to the community at request.
If you require further information, or would like to be involved, please contact us through our website or social media channels.