Community Development Officer's
Current Projects

Aboriginal Early Childhood Projects

Koori Culture for Kids is a structured cultural program for Aboriginal children under 5 years living in the Bankstown area. This program includes workshops of traditional Aboriginal culture, music and dance, contemporary mediums such as DVD, a visit from the Zoomobile and a performance from the famous Yarramundi Puppets.

This program has been supported by Bankstown CDSE Committee via Revesby Workers Club.

Click here to view the program flyer.

Bankstown Community Resource Group (BCRG) continues to work with the local Aboriginal community through the Guring Gang playgroup.

  The Guring Gang playgroup works with Aborignal families with

  children aged 0-5. The project aims to resource parents with

  the skills to encourage them to effectively engage in their 

  children's early learning experiences. Program activities focus

  on developing children's social skills, providing a preschool like

  experience for the children and their families and giving

  families the opportunity to meet other Aboriginal families with

  young children in their local area.

  The Guring Gang playgroup has been running since 2006.

  Since its establishment, children and their families have

enjoyed a number of activities including story telling by Local Elders, Aboriginal dancing sessions, personal book making, traditional weaving, puppet making and excursions to museums, farms and libraries. Some of the guest speakers have included health workers, the fire brigade and Aboriginal sporting figures.

Currenly the playgroup runs every Thursday during school term from 10:00am to 12:00pm at BCRG.

If you would like to find out more or would like to participate in the program, please call the Community Development Officer on 9796 2931.

The Guring Gang Playgroup is funded by the Aboriginal Child Youth and Family Strategy. To find out more about the strategy you can visit their website: www.familiesfirst.nsw.gov.au and go to the Aboriginal Programs Section.

Aboriginal Women's Get Together

This program is an opportunity for Aboriginal women from the Bankstown area to come together and form social and cultural links with one and other. There will be a retreat across the weekend of the 14th and 15th May to the Hawkesbury Valley area.

Across the weekend will be art workshops, massage, a yarning circle and general respite. Food will be provided over the weekend.

This project is funded by Bankstown City Council.

For more information contact the Community Development Officer on 9796 2931

or cdo@bcrg.org.au.

Professional Support Forum

The forum is funded by the Aboriginal Child, Youth and Family Strategy, of Community Services. The aim of the forum is to bring together professionals working with Aboriginal children under 5 years, and for those workers to make links and share information with one and other. The forum aims to develop partnerships, identify exsiting gaps, and generally improve service delivery to the Aboriginal community in South West Sydney.

The Professional Support Forum takes place every second month in Campbelltown.

The forum has also provided Early Words Training to forum members, an early literacy resource specifically adapted for Aboriginal families. There will be more Early Words training taking place in 2011.

For more information contact the Community Development Officer on 9796 2931

or cdo@bcrg.org.au.

Aboriginal Playgroup Network

The Community Development Officer facilitates a network specifically for facilitators of Aboriginal playgroups in South West Sydney. The network meets once a school term to discuss their own playgroups, share resources, program formats, information and new ideas!

For more information contact the Community Development Officer on 9796 2931

or cdo@bcrg.org.au.

'The Bongo Roadshow'

As a follow on from the success of the 'Baby Steps to Literacy' project, this project allowed the character of 'Bongo' and the literacy resource, 'Bongo's Big Day Out' to go out to the wider community of Bankstown.

An early literacy program was developed around the 'Bongo's Big Day Out' book and a facilitator delivered the program to various early childhood settings, including child care centres, playgroups, and local libraries.

In 2011 Playgroups and child care centres have an opportunity for Bongo to come to them and the early literacy program to be delivered on a cost recovery basis.

For more information contact the Community Development Officer on 9796 2931

or cdo@bcrg.org.au.

This project was funded by Bankstown City Council.

A PDF version of "Bongo's Big Day Out' can be downloaded by clicking  on the picture below

Maltese Of Bankstown

The CDO project resources and supports a social group of Maltese residents from the Bankstown Local Government area. The group has been meeting at BCRG once a month over the last 8 years. This is a social group where participants enjoy a variety of activities including guest speakers, workshops, picnics and day trips.

The group is open to anyone interested in attending from a Maltese background. They meet once a month on Wednesday or Thursdays. If you are interested in attending or finding out more about this group, please contact Sam on 9534 2357 or Mary 9649 1817.

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