LIFTING UP MY COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY ROLES

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

Community service is part of my DNA. I grew up helping my parents activate their community, volunteering my time and helping raise money to fund community services like the Blue Nurses (now Blue Care) and QATB, the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade (now Queensland Ambulance Services QAS). Fast forward, I am still contributing to the community. While growing Spare Harvest, I spent a lot of time in various communities uncovering spare kitchen and garden resources that could be shared. I am a social entrepreneur at heart, and social entrepreneurs put the community (and environment) first.

With a purpose to lift people up, I spend my time with my community activating change that lifts people up so that they might be able to experience a better life and participate more fully in creating a regenerative future for all.

As a community leader, I contribute in several ways to build a regenerative community and fulfil my purpose to lift people up.

Sunshine Coast Council

As a member of the Sunshine Coast Community Strategy Leadership Group (CSLG) Helen worked with other community leaders to develop the action plan for the Sunshine Coast Community Strategy 2019-2041. In a volunteer role from 2022-2024, Helen worked with other local leaders to host a community forum and prepare the next five-year community action plan.

In late 2024, Sunshine Coast Libraries contacted Helen and invited her to create a presentation in response to the community’s interest in Living Small. Building on Helen’s advocacy work in the housing space, Helen will present an overview of tiny house living and share the challenges and benefits of living big in a small space.

Human Permaculture

Permaculture is the art of designing beneficial relationships. Originating in the 70’s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren permaculture is typically applied to gardens and land management. The relationships between plants, insects, soil, water and the climate is complex and permaculture is a guidance system for managing the complexity.

Human relationships are just as, some would say, even more complex, but permaculture as a system can help guide us through the complexity. Using the 12 principles of permaculture, we explore how we can apply them to social situations and the human experience. Helen delivers an interactive human permaculture workshop as part of Permaculture Design Courses and for interest community groups.

ABC Sunshine Coast

For the past three years Helen has been a regular contributor on various radio shows on ABC Sunshine Coast. Joining Sheridan Stewart for conversation that promote sustainability, social connection, regeneration and local action.

Topics vary depending on what is happening locally, encouraging locals to participate in their community and contribute to a more connect and resilient Sunshine Coast.

We promote opportunities for community action such as having their say on the new proposed town plan. We promote local events that encourage living sustainably and the community together.

Supportive Aged Care

I fell into providing personalised aged care. My parents needed me to step up and assist them with their home care packages. Mum is a retired nurse, and Dad is a retired ambulance officer. They want to personalise their care in their homes. I started helping them manage their Home Care Packages by liaising with their Care Providers and support workers.

Sharing my experience, I then started helping other members of my community who wanted more autonomy in managing their Home Care Package. It has been a privilege to help my parents and my community to help them live more independent lives.

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

Housing Affordability and Security

The Tiny Community Living Campaign is advocating for changes to change local laws and town plans to enable people to live in homes on wheels in a community. How people want to live and housing types have changed, and our local council needs to catch up.

The growth in caravan, bus and tiny home living has exploded as more people want permanent housing that is affordable and flexible.

Our local laws currently recognise these types of housing as temporary solutions, and our town plan does not recognise the increased interest in community living. As a community leader I am advocating for change to give tiny living some certainty and security.

Regen Sunshine Coast

Regen Sunshine Coast was born from several conversations during our Transition Towns gatherings. We noticed how there were many people doing great work in the community, but they were doing it in isolation from each other. In order to move our community towards a regenerative future, we need to work together.

Regen Sunshine Coast brings the community together so we can collectively contribute to the pressing social and environmental issues that are faced by residents. A social network for local regenerative champions, we bring together the wider community to network, share information, and create collective solutions across a variety of interest areas.

It is free to join.