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GAPDL Community Development Initiatives

Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited (GAPDL) Community Services Unit  was established to work in collaboration with the community, key stakeholders to develop initiatives and projects aimed at providing a better community for our growing population and guide their implementation.
 
The GAPDL Community Service Unit facilitates the following programmes and initiatives:
  • Gladstone Communties for Children 
  • Central Queensland Volunteering
  • Welcoming Gladstone and Banana Shire
  • Lead On
 
 
Gladstone is a child-friendly community, being one of 44 Communities for Children (C4C) sites around Australia begun under the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy in March 2005. Under the Family Support Program, C4C aims to build platforms and provide opportunities for Government and the community sector to change the way they work together. The goal is to deliver high quality, coordinated services that better meet the needs of children and their families through building effective working partnerships.  
 
Currently, a Community Strategic Plan is being developed following extensive community consultation. It supports the alignment of all community, government, non-government and business partners to the vision of C4C - "Living, learning, growing together for stronger families and stronger futures". It is managed by GAPDL as the Facilitating Partner with the C4C Advisory Committee providing strategic direction and professional expertise.
 
As a peak representative body for children and families in the region, Committee members come from across the three sectors to focus on the provision of intensive and coordinated support for parents and children, especially those vulnerable or at-risk in our community, aiming to improve outcomes around child development, child safety and family functioning.
 
The key strategies of Communities for Children (C4C) are:
 
  1. Community consultation and engagement processes facilitated by C4C particularly with parents of children pre birth - 12 years acknowledging the special needs of vulnerable families;
  2. Partnership and planning with government, community agencies, corporate stakeholders and other local community partners to build the capacity of communities to help themselves; and
  3. Advancing collaborative practice to develop an integrated framework for all agencies providing family and children’s services so as to build the capacity of the service sector to create stronger futures for children.
 
Our primary concern and challenge as the Facilitating Partner of this initiative is to sustain the benefits of C4C for the community. To do this GAPDL is focused on developing community-business partnerships to make the Gladstone Region even more child-friendly. Dialogue with both State and Federal Governments is ongoing. GAPDL's partnership agreement with Gladstone Regional Council is a vital strategic link for C4C in our community and with industry, especially in working to improve community retention and to attract new residents to the Gladstone Region. The development of these partnerships is critical to securing longer term funding in order to ensure the delivery of high quality, coordinated services for local children and their families. 
 
We appreciate you can understand how important strong families are to the community and how they can build connections in communities. As we know, families are key indicators of social capital. As our region continues to grow, we invite you to consider collaborating with us in sharing a common strategic focus: to support and strengthen families and their connection with the community through promoting their young children’s overall well-being and development. Partnering the community for the sake of our children will bring its own rewards. 
Josh Ariens C4C Program Manager 0437 341 530 

 

 CENTRAL QUEENSLAND VOLUNTEERING 

 
In January 2006, Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited became the auspicing body for Central Queensland Volunteering. Central Queensland Volunteering had previously been a project of the Boyne Tannum Community Advancement Association Inc.
 
Central Queensland Volunteering is Central Queensland’s peak body for volunteering located at the Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited’s office, Gladstone. It represents the interests of volunteers and community organisations who utilise the services of volunteers.
 
Central Queensland Volunteering is auspiced by Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited and funded by Rio Tinto Community Fund and the Queensland Government Department of Communities.
 
Central Queensland Volunteering is a community based non-profit organisation, administered by one part-time paid coordinator.
 
As the peak body for volunteering in Central Queensland, CQV exists to:
  • Encourage people to participate in community activities through volunteering.
  • Enable volunteers and community organisations to develop the structure, skills and capacity to better the quality of volunteering for the community.
  • Engage in advocacy and partnership with government, corporate and other institutions and organisations, on issues relevant to volunteering.