The Community Governance Project funded by City of Ballarat is working to provide support to community groups in the City of Ballarat, delivered by the four Neighbourhood Houses in Ballarat through a Strategic Partnership.
Community Group Governance Project - Past Workshops
2024
Workshop #1 - Running a Successful Community Group
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 12.00 noon, Wednesday 21 February, 2024: Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council (BRMC) Building Meeting Room, Barkly Square
- Session 2: 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Wednesday 28 February, 2024: Online via Zoom
Join us for this FREE Workshop to learn how to run a successful community group.
This Workshop will cover three main topics:
- Meetings: Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House
- Budgets: Greg Jakob, Ballarat Tool Library
- Applying for Charity Registration: Adrian Tinetti, Ballarat and Grampians Community Legal Service
A workshop to help your community group be as successful as it can be.
Does worrying about meetings and budgets get in the way of your group doing what it was set up for? Are you concerned about how you do things rather than what you do? Are you wondering whether your group would benefit from becoming a charity?
Our first free workshop for community groups for 2024 will look at these questions and give you an opportunity to ask more.
Come along to this interactive workshop and hear from three people experienced in running community groups as volunteers. They will talk about these issues and answer questions from participants.
Please note that Session 2 is a repeat of Session 1 so there is no need to register for both sessions.
Image from Pexels by Ingo Joseph
Workshop #2 - Delivering Your Successful Grant:
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Tuesday 27 February, 2024: Barkly Square, Ballarat East.
- Session 2: 6.30 pm - 7.30 pm, Tuesday 12 March: Online via Zoom.
Join us for this FREE Workshop to learn how to deliver your successful community group grant.
Have you been awarded a grant for your community group?
Make sure you maximise the value of your grant and know how to:
- Record the baseline data before the project starts
- Collect data from participants throughout the project to demonstrate the impact of the project (including feedback, stories and photographs)
- Gather the required financial records and receipts - and stick to your budget
- Acknowledge the organisation which awarded the grant in promotional material and media reports
- Navigate any challenges or changes to the project through a variation
- Stick to your timelines
- Report back to the the organisation which awarded the grant - and completing the final acquittal
- Consider options to keep your project going after the grant has been expended.
This Workshop will be presented by Kay Miller (Community Group Governance Officer, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House) and Sophie Atkinson Community Grants and Engagement Officer, City of Ballarat).
Please note that Session 2 is a repeat of Session 1 so there is no need to register for both sessions.
Image from Pexels by RDNE Stock Project
Workshop #3 - Grant Writing for Community Groups
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Tuesday 5 March, 2024: Buninyong Community House.
- Session 2: 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Tuesday 19 March, 2024: Online via Zoom.
Learn to write great grant applications with the team from the Ballarat East and Ballarat Neighbourhood Houses, with special guest speakers from the Community Bank Buninyong & District.
Learn about:
- Finding and developing a great idea for your community group's next project
- Determining the need for the project
- Documenting the proposed community benefit of the project
- Creating a budget and gathering quotes
- Preparing for evaluation of the project and setting up a baseline of data
Please note that Session 2 is a repeat of Session 1 so there is no need to register for both sessions.
Image from the City of Ballarat.
Workshop #4 - Child Safe Community Groups
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Thursday 9 May 2024 - Wendouree Neighbourhood Centre, 12 Holly Grove, Wendouree.
- Session 2: 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Wednesday 15 May 2024 - Online via Zoom.
We all want to protect children when they engage with our community organisation or group.
Children have the right to feel safe and to be safe all the time but this requires commitment from everyone in the community.
The updated Child Safe Standards introduced into Victoria have been applicable from 1 July 2022. The standards support community organisations and groups to become child safe organisations.
The Neighbourhood Houses in Ballarat have been working through the standards, making some improvements to the way we operate to ensure children are, and feel, safe at all times when interacting with us. There are many of different ways in which community organisations already have a child safe culture – but there is always room for improvement. We are happy to talk through the steps we have taken and share ideas and resources to help your community organisation become even safer for children.
For those organisations which are required to comply, the standards are mandatory. Even if your organisation is not required to comply, we strongly suggest that you consider reviewing your policies and procedures to ensure that they put child safety and well-being first and that child safety is in every part of your operations.
To assist community groups and organisations, as part of the Community Governance Project, we are offering a Workshop introducing the Child Safe Standards. The Workshop will include a review of each standard and some practical steps that can be taken by community groups to implement them.
Please note that Session 2 is a repeat of Session 1 so there is no need to register for both sessions.
Image by Artem Podrez from Pexels.
Workshop #5 - Marketing and Promotion for Community Groups
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Thursday 23 May 2024: Training Room 1, Barkly Square, 25-39 Barkly Street, Ballarat East.
- Session 2: 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Tuesday 28 May 2024: Online via Zoom.
Lou Ridsdale will be presenting on efficient ways to market and promote your community group. The presentation will include how to attract volunteers to your group. Come and learn the tips and tricks from Lou, a marketing and publicity professional who has worked in many industries for over 30 years. Lou is based in Ballarat and is founder and director of Food is Free Inc.
Feedback from Lou's 2023 Workshops:
- "Very informative and helpful, thank you."
- "Great information and strategies."
Workshop #6 - Volunteers: Inducting, Managing and Retaining
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Tuesday 4 June 2024: Training Room 1, Barkly Square, 25-39 Barkly Street, Ballarat East.
- Session 2: 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Wednesday 12 June 2024: Online via Zoom.
This workshop will explore the challenges of inducting, managing and retaining volunteers for your community group. Sue Jakob has worked in many roles managing volunteers for over 15 years, at the same time she has been a volunteer and been part of committees running volunteer community groups across Ballarat. Come along and hear some practical ways to engage and energise your volunteers so that they remain active within your group.
Feedback from Sue's 2023 Workshops:
- "Shared insights were beneficial."
- "Excellent group discussion – very insightful."
- "Very enjoyable and informative."
- "All ideas and resources will be of enormous assistance."
Workshop #7 - Managing Difficult Conversations
- 9.30 am - 12.30 pm, Tuesday 18 June 2024: Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility, 900 Pleasant Street, Redan.
This interactive workshop with Pirooz Jafari will take participants through the following:
- An overview of personality types and how they play out in our everyday interactions.
- Tricky situations and how to deal with them.
- Having that difficult conversation with a member of the organisation or an external stakeholder.
- How to deal with emotions during complex situations.
- How to remain impartial and not take sides.
- How to manage expectations and minimise headaches for everyone.
Pirooz has over 20 years’ experience working with community groups and the difficult situations that arise. Last year he presented a very interactive workshop to an appreciative group of participants in Ballarat. Feedback included:
- "I really enjoyed today’s session, the discussion was helpful in gaining perspective on the different ways people react to and participate in conflict."
- "Extremely helpful. A good resource for any group- much food for thought."
- "It was fantastic. Very engaging and insightful."
Please note that there will not be an online repeat of this Workshop.
Workshop #8 - Collaborating with others - How community groups can work together
- REGISTER NOW, 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Tuesday 6 August 2024: Training Room 1, Barkly Square, Ballarat East.
This workshop will focus on the benefits of working with other organisations to deliver events and services. Issues with partnerships and other forms of collaboration will also be explored. We will look at the many ways groups can work together and explore what networking for community groups really means.
Presented by Vicki Coltman, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, and Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House.
Please note that there will not be an online repeat of this Workshop.
Workshop #9 - The joys and challenges of being on a board or committee
- Session 1: 10.00 am - 11.30 am, Wednesday 14 August 2024: Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, 11 Tuppen Drive, Sebastopol.
- Session 2: CANCELLED due to low numbers, 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Tuesday 27 August 2024: Online via Zoom.
Thinking of joining a committee or board, or already on one? Not sure what skills are needed and what opportunities are offered? Come along and find out what you need to know.
Presented by Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House and Annie De Jong, CEO - Ballarat Cemeteries.
Workshop #10 - Not-for-Profits: How to PR like a boss
- Session 1: REGISTER NOW, 10.00 am - 12.00 noon, Thursday 5 September 2024: Training Room 1, Barkly Square, 25-39 Barkly Street, Ballarat East.
- Session 2: REGISTER NOW, 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm, Thursday 12 September 2024: Online via Zoom.
Are you part of a not-for-profit group and unsure how to get the right media attention? Lou will teach you the tips and tricks of public relations - PR 101.
Learn how to:
- Write an engaging press release.
- Pitch a story to the media.
- Understand how radio, TV, print and other traditional media outlets work.
- Prepare for, deliver and be confident with media interviews.
Presented by Lou Ridsdale, from various national and local not-for-profits including Food is Free Inc. and 15 Trees, with guest, Tim Bottams from the Ballarat Times Newspaper.
2023
Workshop 1: Grant Writing Workshop
Wednesday 8 February 2023
Presented by Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House, Sandi Darrington, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and the City of Ballarat.
Write winning grant applications!
Does your group or club have a great idea? Wanting to boost participation? Deliver great things for the community?
Let us help you.
Find out about the City of Ballarat’s Community Impact Grant program.
The City of Ballarat and Ballarat’s Neighbourhood Houses are partnering to run grant writing workshops to help your club or group write quality grant applications.
Workshop 2: Here’s the Pitch – PR for Community Groups
Tuesday 28 February 2023
Session 1: 10.00 am – 11.30 am: Theatre at Barkly Square.
Session 2: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm: Online via Zoom.
Presented by Lou Ridsdale – Food is Free Inc.
Do you struggle with getting your story out as a not-for-profit or community group? Find it hard to pitch to your target audience for donations, volunteer recruitment, stakeholder engagement, and general PR (public relations)?
As a publicist with over 30 years’ experience, Lou has also been running a successful local not-for-profit for 8 years, Food Is Free Inc. and is an expert in multiple forms of promotion from traditional PR, to online & digital comms plus, strategy.
In this ‘Here’s The Pitch’ session Lou will simplify how to get your good news stories out, how to attract the differing sectors of your audience to hear your successes and impact, and how to make your organisation stand out from the crowd.
Workshop 3: Volunteers – How to get them and keep them
Tuesday 21 March 2023
Session 1: 9.30 am – 12.30 pm: Training Room 1, Barkly Square, Ballarat East.
Session 2: 6.00 pm – 8.30 pm: Onlie via Zoom.
Presented by Sue Jakob
This interactive workshop will look at effective, low/no cost ways of recruiting people into your volunteer team.
The basis of this session is best practice volunteer management which references the National Standards on Volunteering. We will discuss simple marketing techniques, good communication strategies and how to ensure your people feel effective, valuable and part of the team.
Sue is a passionate volunteer management specialist, with around 20 years’ experience in a range of public and community sector organisations. She has extensive experience in volunteer training, and more recently, volunteer manager training.
Workshop 4: Running a successful community group: Learning the Law
Monday 15 May 2023 - Victorian Law Week
Session 1: 10.00 am – 12.00 noon: Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, 11 Tuppen Drive, Sebastopol
Session 2: 6.00 pm – 8.00 pm: Online via Zoom
If you are having trouble accessing the online session, please contact Kay Miller, Community Governance Officer on 0460 699 669.
Presented by Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service and Consumer Affairs
Targeted for Community Groups across Ballarat this 2-hour session will cover the basics of understanding the law for community groups and where and how to access resources online. From setting up your community group correctly, how and why (or why not) to become incorporated, options for and limitations of auspicing, how to document meeting and AGM minutes, how to report to CAV, what is and how to hold an SGM? These are all questions community groups have and often, they just want to get on and focus on the operational aspect of their group.
The Ballarat and Grampians Community Legal Service and Consumer Affairs Victoria will be joining us to deliver this engaging presentation.
Workshop 5: Managing difficult conversations and situations
Tuesday 6 June 2023
Session 1: 10.00 am – 12.30 pm: Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility (900 Pleasant Street, Redan)
Tuesday 20 June 2023
Session 2: 6.00 pm – 8.30 pm: Online via Zoom
Cost: FREE
Presented by Pirooz Jafari – Track C Consulting
Everyone in the community, whether they hold a position in a committee or a general member of an organisation or group, find themselves faced with sensitive and difficult situations. This could be for a whole range of reasons including but not limited to personality types, certain behaviours, past dealings that have remained unresolved or simply misunderstandings. Leaving issues unresolved, is not healthy for anyone and it is best if it is managed and resolved sooner rather than later.
This interactive workshop will take the participants through a step by step processes to identify:
- An overview of personality types and how they play out in our everyday interactions
- Tricky situations and how to deal with them
- Having that difficult conversation with a member of the organisation or an external stakeholder
- How to deal with emotions during complex situations
- How to remain impartial and not take sides
- Manage expectations and minimise headache for everyone
Pirooz migrated to Australia in the late 1990’s. Upon successful completion of his law degree at University of Wollongong, he pursued a career in law and worked in various community-based organisations in New South Wales before moving to Victoria where he worked at statutory bodies including various local governments and Victoria Legal Aid Commission.
Meanwhile, Pirooz undertook pro bono legal work at a number of community legal centres including Refugee Legal (formerly known as Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre) assisting with asylum seeker file preparation and client management. He then ran his own migration law practice for over 5 years specialising in asylum seeker and humanitarian cases. This experience enriched his understanding of people’s diverse voices and their experience of gross violation of human rights.
With over 20 years’ experience in the legal arena, community development, community engagement, project management, and policy development within the human rights framework, Pirooz is versatile and capable of taking on challenging projects. He is also a photographer, a writer and a story-teller, as such, has a unique set of skills and sensitivity to capture people’s stories and voices.
Workshop 6: An introduction to the Child Safe Standards for Community Groups
Presented by the Ballarat East Neighbourhood House
Session 1: 10.00 am - 12.00 noon, Wednesday 19 July
Session 2: 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm, Wednesday 26 July
Cost: FREE
We all want to protect children when they engage with our community organisation or group.
Children have the right to feel safe and to be safe all the time but this requires commitment from everyone in the community.
The updated Child Safe Standards introduced into Victoria have been applicable from 1 July 2022. The standards support community organisations and groups to become child safe organisations.
The Neighbourhood Houses in Ballarat have been working through the standards, making some improvements to the way we operate to ensure children are, and feel, safe at all times when interacting with us. There are many of different ways in which community organisations already have a child safe culture – but there is always room for improvement. We are happy to talk through the steps we have taken and share ideas and resources to help your community organisation become even safer for children.
For those organisations which are required to comply, the standards are mandatory. Even if your organisation is not required to comply, we strongly suggest that you consider reviewing your policies and procedures to ensure that they put child safety and well-being first and that child safety is in every part of your operations.
To assist community groups and organisations, as part of the Community Governance Project, we are offering a Workshop introducing the Child Safe Standards. The Workshop will include a review of each standard and some practical steps that can be taken by community groups to implement them.
Image by Artem Podrez from Pexels.
Workshop 7.1: Grant Writing
Saturday 5 August: 10.30 am - 12.00 noon
Theatrette at Barkly Square
Join us for a $15 networking lunch? 12.00 noon-1.00 pm
(Scroll down for two additional options for this Workshop, including online)
Presented by Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House, Sandi Darrington, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and the City of Ballarat.
Write winning grant applications!
Does your group or club have a great idea? Wanting to boost participation? Deliver great things for the community?
Let us help you.
Find out about the City of Ballarat’s Community Impact Grant program.
The City of Ballarat and Ballarat’s Neighbourhood Houses are partnering to run grant writing workshops to help your club or group write quality grant applications.
Networking Lunch
Saturday 5 August: 12.00 noon - 1.00 pm
Barkly Square
$15 per person. The cost is subsidised by the Community Group Governance project, with thanks to the City of Ballarat.
Take the opportunity to connect with and chat with others who are attending one or both of the Community Group Workshops.
Share ideas from the Workshops.
Ask questions and get more information from the Workshop presenters.
Those who register and pay online will be contacted a week before the event to confirm any special dietary requirements.
Please note that the cafe at Barkly Square is not open on Saturdays.
Workshop 7.2 & 7.3: Grant Writing
Tuesday 15 August: 6.00 pm - 8.30 pm
Online via Zoom
Thursday 17 August: 10.30 am - 12.00 noon
Wendouree Neighbourhood Centre
(Scroll up for another face-to-face option for this Workshop).
Presented by Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House, Sandi Darrington, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and the City of Ballarat.
Write winning grant applications!
Does your group or club have a great idea? Wanting to boost participation? Deliver great things for the community?
Let us help you.
Find out about the City of Ballarat’s Community Impact Grant program.
The City of Ballarat and Ballarat’s Neighbourhood Houses are partnering to run grant writing workshops to help your club or group write quality grant applications.
Workshop 8: Meaningful Evaluation Processes
Wednesday 23 August: 6.30 - 8.00 pm - Postponed until Term 4 - please contact us to register your interest
ONLINE via Zoom
(Scroll up for the face-to-face option for this Workshop)
Presented by Kristen Sheridan, Manager, Ballarat North Neighbourhood House
Why is it important to evaluate our projects? Why is it key to plan for the evaluation at the start of the project - as part of the grant application process?
There are several reasons to set up a robust evaluation plan for your project.
- An evaluation brings together data about the outputs and outcomes of the project. It will help to show if we have met the goals we were anticipating for the project. You may even capture some unintended consequences of your project - positive and negative - which may be relevant to reporting and the next steps.
- What went well and what can be improved for next time are also valuable parts of an evaluation.
A free online resource is available to download from Our Community: Measuring What Matters - An introduction to project evaluation for not-for-profits
Workshop 9: Committees and Boards
Wednesday 6 September, 10.00 am - 11.30 am - Theatre, Barkly Square, Ballarat East
Wednesday 13 September, 6.30 pm - 8.00 pm - Online via Zoom
Presented by Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House and Annie De Jong, CEO - Ballarat Cemeteries.
Thinking of joining a committee or board? Not sure what skills are needed and what opportunities are offered? Come along and find out what you need to know, before putting your hand up.
This Workshop is also valuable if you are currently part of a Committee or Board.
Workshop 10: Let's Get Social - Online promotion for Community Groups
Wednesday 4 October, 10.00 am – 11.30 am – Theatre, Barkly Square, Ballarat East
Wednesday 11 October 6.30 pm – 8.00 pm – Online via Zoom
Presented by Lou Ridsdale, Food is Free Inc.
Come along to this workshop to learn what tools are available to assist your group to promote itself online. Lou has extensive experience in marketing and publicity for community groups and utilises many online tools in her work.
Do you struggle with getting your story out, as a not-for-profit or community group?
Find it hard to pitch to your target audience for donations, volunteer recruitment, stakeholder engagement, via social media?
As a Public Relations (PR)/Communications specialist with over 30 years’ experience, Lou has also been running a successful local not-for-profit for 9 years, Food Is Free Inc., and is an expert in multiple forms of promotion from traditional PR, to online and digital communications, plus strategy.
In this ‘Let’s Get Social’ session, Lou will simplify:
- How to get your good news stories out
- How to attract the differing sectors of your audience to hear your successes and your impact
- How to make your organisation stand out from the crowd in a noisy social media market
- What online tools will get the job done
Workshop 11: Managing Privacy Online for Community Groups
Wednesday 1 November 10.00 am – 11.30 am – Training Room 1, Barkly Square, Ballarat East
Wednesday 15 November 6.30pm – 8.00pm – Online via Zoom
Presented by Greg Horgan, Lead Digital Mentor, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House
In this engaging and informative 1.5-hour workshop, you will learn essential strategies for dealing with and safeguarding data and privacy. We will also explore strategies for dealing with communication in the digital space, social media and other electronic communication issues.
Greg has an extensive background in Education, ICT and the private health sector. Drawing on this experience he will guide you through issues such as:
• Managing members’ information (eg. dos and don’ts for sending out group emails and lists);
• Managing volunteers' contact details (eg. dos and don’ts for using this information);
• Assigning responsibility for this information in a community group and where and how it should be stored;
• Appropriate use of social media (eg. Facebook comments, posts on group pages, etc.) and managing reputational damage; and
• Dealing with scams, data breaches and data theft (physical and electronic).
Greg encourages you to bring along questions and experiences for the group to discuss. Whilst time might be limited, others may appreciate the extra input to take home and consider.
Workshop 12: Partnerships and Networking for Community Groups
Wednesday 22 November 10.00 am – 11.30 am – Barkly Square, Ballarat East
Presented by Vicki Coltman, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and Kay Miller, Ballarat East Neighbourhood House
This workshop will focus on the benefits of partnering with other organisations to deliver events and services. Issues with partnerships and other forms of collaboration will also be explored. We will look at the many forms partnerships can take and explore what networking for community groups really means.
