Delivering Remote Employment Opportunities in Australia
Community & Projects
Building healthy thriving communities
RESQ+ works with community groups, government and health and Indigenous organisations to engage people across rural Queensland. Our goal is to help people build employable skills, resilience and wellbeing while making a positive contribution to their community.
Over the years, RESQ+ has delivered a range of culturally safe programs, award-winning wellbeing events and services tailored to each community. Our inclusive programs continue to provide a strong sense of social connection and support people to realise their full potential.
Community engagement
Charleville
Self Care We Care MultiCultural Festival
A free-entry festival to celebrate QLD Mental Health Week in October. The festival includes self-care information sessions, activities involving arts and crafts, market stalls, games and raffles.
Local musicians provide entertainment, performing throughout the event, which helped create a calming, relaxing atmosphere. The most popular service of the day was the neck and shoulder massages, provided by local Bidjara man Ron Murphy.
Over 300 people enjoyed a free hangi meal, cooked to perfection by Tui Leleisiauo from the Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation of Health (CACH). RESQ+ Regional Community Development Manager Sue Bylett said it was amazing how many people came. “Given it was the first time holding such an event, we were very pleased to see the community come out and enjoy themselves, engaging with others and learning what help is out there,” said Sue. Jennifer Peacock, the Community Program Officer from the HOPE Program, hosted a health promotion stall with a chill-out zone and health information.
“Access to in-person and online mental health services is limited, so it’s important to let people know what support is available,” said Jennifer. The event was a collaboration between multiple organisations, including RESQ+, CACH, Lifeline, Charleville Neighbourhood Centre and Murweh Shire Council. “If we don’t have collaboration, we’re not solving the issues,” said Donna Enders from the Far West Indigenous Family Violence Service, part of CACH. The Self Care, We Care Festival was a huge hit among locals and tourists. “By the end of the night, people were already asking if we’d be doing it again next year!” said Sue. “Plans are already in the works to make the event bigger and better for 2022, adding another flavour of multiple cultures.”
Festival
Charleville
Award-winning festival celebrates multicultural community
After winning the 2022 Community Event of the Year, the Self Care We Care Multicultural Festival returned to Charleville this year with more healthy activities and cultural entertainment.
In its second year, the festival attracted more than 500 locals to Graham Andrews Parkland with various fun, family-friendly activities.
Regional Community Development Manager Sue Bylett said the event brought people together from all walks of life.
“After COVID, we wanted to create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone could come out and socialise again. And everyone loved it,” said Sue.
HOPE Program’s Jennifer Peacock said the festival is welcome to everyone in the community, with free activities to remove barriers to attendance.
“Mental health and social connection are important parts of our community’s health. We wanted to make sure everyone could participate,” said Jennifer.
The event coincided with Mental Health Week and created opportunities for people to participate in group exercise, indulge in self-care and connect with mental health supports.
The festival also invited locals to celebrate Charleville’s diverse cultures.
“It’s a way for people to learn about and engage with the different cultures in our community,” explained Jennifer.
Local Bidjara Elders opened the festivities with a Welcome to Country and traditional smoking ceremony, followed by a mural reveal by Bidjara artist Alara Geebung.
The community loved the lamp-making activities, Indigenous crafts and Indian henna art.
There was a dazzling array of vibrant cultural music and performers, including Pacific Islander and Bollywood dancers. One of the festival highlights was the mouthwatering multicultural foods available to taste.
Sue Bylett said it was wonderful to see the community unite to create such a vibrant, inclusive event.
The festival was a collaboration between RESQ+, Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation of Health (CACH), Lifeline, Charleville Neighbourhood Centre and Murweh Shire Council, and funded by Tackling Regional Adversity Through Connected Community (TRACC).
“It was a time of unity and celebration, where everyone came together to enjoy the festivities,” said Sue.
Partnerships
Community
Speaking and sharing language
This dictionary was an initiative of the Mobile Language Team and Two Sisters Talking (Joyce and Jean), supported by Red Ridge Interior Queensland Ltd, RESQ+ and the Queensland Government (Indigenous Language Grants).
Linguist Eleanor McCall, who is part of the Mobile Language Team based at the University of Adelaide, compiled the dictionary, working closely with the Elders. The dictionary captures more than 1500 Wangkangurru words, grouped by places and people.
Many definitions show how people and places are connected. During the project, an extensive library of historical resources was digitised. Oral recordings were also made to preserve language and its use, showing cultural context. The launch was held on Wangkangurru/ Yarluyandi Country at the Wirrarri Information Centre in Birdsville. Red Ridge Interior Queensland Manager Louise Campbell said it was a significant event. “Many family members returned home for a cultural celebration, honouring the efforts made by Elders to preserve culture through the dictionary,” she said. “The launch was an opportunity to continue this documentation. A videographer attended to capture footage of the family coming together.”
RESQ+ Chief Executive Officer Chris Hamilton attended the event, reflecting the organisation’s ongoing commitment to connecting with the local community. “This project shows what’s possible when we all work together. And this is just the beginning. There are already plans underway for a second volume, recording more of this rich language.” The dictionary was made available to families and participants to continue learning and understanding to preserve the Wangkangurru language. The dictionary is available online at www.mobilelanguageteam.com.au
Community engagement
Charleville
Bidjara language workshop
Bidjara language workshops marked the beginning of plans to revitalise local Indigenous culture.
The language workshops took place at the 4RR Radio community hall in Charleville and culminated in a community celebration on the banks of the Warrego River last November. Elders and community members of all ages were invited to record and document language, create storybooks, share experiences and dance.
Uncle Trevor Robinson performed the Welcome to Country in Bidjara language for the first time with pride.
Senior Research Officer in Heritage Collections at the State Library of Queensland Olivia Robinson said she wanted her two boys to grow up and know their Bidjara culture and language.
“It was amazing to see them out there dancing,” she explained.
RESQ+ funded Olivia Robinson and Des Crump, a Gamilaraay linguist, to facilitate the workshops.
“It’s been a privilege to be part of the Bidjara language revitalisation,” explained Des.
“There’s a sense of pride and real connection with their identity—about who they are and where they’re from.”
Regional Community Development Manager Sue Bylett said that sharing these experiences with the community was a rewarding part of her work. Bidjara Elder Aunty Dawn Willett said the workshops brought memories of certain words to the surface again.
“We need to keep the momentum. The community needs to keep this going,” explained Dawn.
Festival
Hope
Working together…
RESQ+ delivers meaningful events, programs and support across regional Queensland by working closely with participants and community partners.
Regional Community Development Manager Sue Bylett said every collaboration begins with understanding the needs of each community on the ground.
“Our job is to listen so we can design ways of working that provide real benefits. It’s about working with people, not for them,” she said.
To deliver these projects, RESQ+ works closely with local governments and health services, not-for-profit organisations, Indigenous associations, businesses and communities.
“It’s all about fostering culturally safe connections that support social and emotional wellbeing and allow people to realise and live up to their full potential,” said RESQ+ Chief Executive Officer Chris Hamilton.
These partnerships also allow RESQ+ staff to connect participants with external services and community support they need, such as the South West Hospital and Health Service’s HOPE Program. Community Program Officer Jennifer Peacock said the HOPE Program takes a broad approach to fostering healthy communities by looking at different ways to improve health.
“Our goals include increasing education, training and employment outcomes, improving physical, social, emotional and wellness of young people and supporting families and safe communities.
“These objectives clearly align with the outcomes RESQ+ are working to achieve,” said Jennifer.
RESQ+ and the HOPE Program have collaborated on several projects, including the Self Care We Care Multicultural Festival, the South West Career Expo, various hub activities and NAIDOC events. Successfully engaging and supporting these diverse participants across a vast rural area can be challenging but rewarding.
“I love doing what I do—coming up with ideas that help solve problems and build a better society,” explained Sue.
Deadly recruits show strength through song The week-long Deadly Recruits camp aims to help high school students develop resilience, confidence and courage. The camp is held at a Tinnenburra sheep station 120 km south of Cunnamulla. Over the past nine years, camp facilitator Uncle Col Watego has challenged students’ physical and mental endurance as they learn military manoeuvres and bush survival skills. But this year’s students were given an additional challenge— to write an original song. Indigenous singer-songwriter Sue Ray, winner of multiple Queensland Music Awards, guided the students through the collaborative songwriting process.
Rhan Hooper, a former Brisbane Lions player, accompanied on didgeridoo. Deadly Recruits was founded by two locals from Cunnamulla— Amanda and Julie Fox. The camp is supported by several key partners, including HOPE, the Australian Defense Force, the University of Southern Queensland, Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation of Health (CACH) and RESQ+.
HOPE Program Manager Miriam Airey said that RESQ+ is one of their most supportive project partners. RESQ+ Community Development Manager Sue Bylett attended the camp to help in any way she could, from preparing food and participating in activities to braving the cold to doing night patrol. “The musicians did an amazing job with the students. The kids really came together to write the song,” said Sue.
Expo
HOPE Project
South West & Central West Jobs, Career & Skills Expo
Employers large and small came together to talk to high school students, RESQ+ job seekers and the wider community about job opportunities in SWQ.
RESQ+ Community Development Manager Sue Bylett explained that young people in small towns often aren’t aware of the career choices available. “Expos like this allow them to see what careers are available. It also allows local businesses to promote themselves as an employer of choice,” she said. The request for a career expo came from local schools and Jennifer Peacock from the HOPE Project.
“The HOPE Project focuses on improving outcomes for youth, so a career expo is a real boon for us,” said Jennifer. Career Expo 2022 snapshot 250 students 10 The success of the initial Charleville expo in August 2021 paved the way for a much larger event in March 2022, with many more exhibitors and guest speakers. Three of the four schools in attendance travelled 200 km to be there. At the March expo, students completed a worksheet, encouraging them to ask the exhibitors questions. The worksheet also provided RESQ+ with valuable feedback about which employers to engage for the next event. Jess King, Cunnamulla Team Leader for RESQ+, shared that her daughter came home from the expo with greater focus and vision. “She said ‘Mum, I know what I want to do now and what I need to do to get to my career path.” Plans are already underway for the next South West Career Expo and expanding the event for the Central West.
Career expos connect young people with opportunities
The career expos in Charleville and Longreach provided attendees with real-world insights into different industries and jobs. The Expos allowed RESQ+ to demonstrate the broad opportunities and career pathways that may not be obvious in rural areas.
Students loved the interactive exhibits, which encouraged them to gain first-hand experience of day-to-day tasks and skills needed for different roles.
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