Imagined Futures

Ticket registrations are now open for the Australian Zero Homelessness Summit!

Co-hosted by the Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness and Western Australian Alliance to End Homelessness, the Summit provides an opportunity for organisations, communities and individuals to come together and work towards an end to homelessness.

You’ll hear from leaders around the world that have ended homelessness or are making significant progress towards this goal.

Secure your spot now: https://events.humanitix.com/australian-zero-homelessness-summit-2024

After a successful first program in Term 2, ADHD WA is running their SPARK program at Meerilinga, Promoting Positive Childhoods in Coolbellup in Term 3. This program has two streams, designed to develop children's practical and emotional skills to better cope with ADHD. (diagnosed or undiagnosed). Parents and Carers can also gain an understanding of ADHD in a Parent Intro Session before the 6 weeks program commences.

For more information and to book a place in the program, visit: https://www.adhdwa.org/spark-telethon/ and complete an application form.

Imagined Futures has been piloting a new workshop to engage with community members as part of the Where is the door? project. This morning, we visited Fremantle Primary School P&C to connect with parents and caregivers in the school community. The focus was on how to support a friend during challenging times and how to guide them to the right services when needed. The school actively participated in the workshop and provided valuable feedback. A heartfelt thank you to P&C President Sam, Deputy Principal Sarah, and Principal Adriano from Fremantle Primary School for their support on this project, as well as to all attendees for their enthusiasm.

Additionally, we conducted a trial of this workshop with Davis Park residents as part of our regular engagement with this community on Fridays. The program offers residents social connections, a shared meal, and access to various services, including the Freo Street Doctor and Foodbank WA. It also provides opportunities for residents to acquire new skills and knowledge, fostering a sense of safety and well-being. 🌟

Imagined Futures would also like to acknowledge Anglicare WA for allowing us to deliver their Friend in Need content to complement our Where is the door? project.

For more information visit https://imaginedfutures.org.au/resources/

Yesterday, the Imagined Futures Community of Practice hosted a second workshop, Understanding Family and Domestic Violence, for frontline workers in the South West Metro region. This interactive training session, led by Communicare, focused on understanding the signs of abuse and practical strategies to safely support someone experiencing family and domestic violence.

The City of Fremantle provided the venue, with 28 participants attending, representing ten different organisations including local government and community agencies.

Some great feedback from participants:
“Amazing presentation, really informative!”
“Presenters were very knowledgeable. Thank you”
“The content of the presentation was engaging especially learning from other service providers and lived experience. “

This event was delivered through the Community of Practice, which is a group of local human services workers who come together to collaborate and address gaps in services in the South West Metro region. The Community of Practice events are generally low budget, with each of the members contributing in kind. Thanks to the City of Fremantle and Communicare for their contributions to this event and the Community of Practice for their commitment to providing training and networking opportunities for frontline workers.

*Imagined Futures Community of Practice is comprised of Sue Nickisson Nickkison, Communicare; Sakina B., Fremantle Women's Health Centre Evie Devitt-Rix, City of Fremantle; Linda Walker, City of Cockburn; Krizanne Brander-Cuffe, Library Connect (St Pat’s/ City of Fremantle) with backbone support from Karen Silverthorne, Imagined Futures.

Last Friday morning, the Imagined Futures Youth Initiative working group had the pleasure of visiting Lakeland Senior High School. The school welcomed us warmly, with friendly student councillors greeting each of us individually. We enjoyed a delightful morning tea provided by the home economics department and embarked on a tour of the school.

During our tour, we were shown the Aboriginal service persons’ garden, a unique tribute to West Australian Aboriginal soldiers who served in World War I. The garden also commemorates the 13 men who lost their lives at Gallipoli. Principal Catherine Boran and Annette Boyle, Chair of the youth initiative working group, are pictured before a plaque listing the names of all the Aboriginal men who enlisted for WWI in Western Australia.

In addition to the warm hospitality we received, our meeting was productive, covering various topics:
👉 Connecting Aboriginal Children in Care: Strengthening family, culture, and community ties.
👉 Expanding the Aboriginal Cultural Games Interschool Carnival: Building on last year’s success.
👉 The positive start for the year of the IF Keeping Kids Engaged Program: Led by Palmerston and headspace at Lakeland SHS.
👉 Opportunities for mental health training and support: Connecting with partners and the broader community.

Thank you, Lakeland Senior High School, for hosting us! 🌟🌿🌏

Uniting WA, in collaboration with Homeless Healthcare, is excited to introduce The Together Program. 🌟

The Together Program is a groundbreaking initiative designed to provide mothers and their precious babies with a safe haven and comprehensive support. Our goal is to empower mothers facing homelessness or precarious living conditions, ensuring they can maintain custody of their babies while fostering a nurturing, stable environment for both. Here's what the program offers:

🏠 Stable housing: Stability, complete with affordable rent set at community housing rates and an empathetic, supportive landlord approach.

🤝 Specialised case management: Tailored to meet the unique needs of both mothers and their babies, our dedicated team helps mothers develop essential skills and establish invaluable networks for a brighter future.

👩‍⚕️ Essential healthcare: Access to crucial ante-natal and post-natal care, along with ongoing GP and child health support services, ensuring the well-being of both mothers and their babies.

🧠 Invaluable research partnership: The Home2Health research team at The University of Notre Dame Australia, led by Professor Lisa Wood, plays a pivotal role in this initiative by gathering crucial data and evaluation to inform policy and service development, ensuring the program’s effectiveness and providing valuable insights for future initiatives.

The Together Program represents a beacon of hope and a transformative opportunity for these families. Join us as we embark on this journey towards stability, safety, and empowerment. 💖

The Sisters of St John of God are pleased to support this program.

For any inquiries on The Together Program, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Imagined Future is hiring! This is an exciting opportunity to deliver a place-based collective impact project that aims to improve and test new ways of connecting people new to help-seeking to available supports. Please share with your networks :)

Project Lead (Connecting Community) Job in Fremantle, Perth WA A fantastic Project Lead role within value based organisation working towards ending homelessness.

The Imagined Futures partnership was delighted to support the inaugural Aboriginal Cultural Games inter-school carnival. Imagined Futures partner the Stephen Michael Foundation brought this ambitious idea to the group earlier this year. They wanted to work in partnership to deliver their Culture Through Sport program to as many students as possible, culminating in a large scale inter-school carnival to celebrate NAIDOC week.

The Imagined Futures partners rose to the challenge. Anglicare WA, Fremantle Foundation, Neami National Palmerston Association St. Patrick's Community Support Centre Strong Spirit Strong Mind (through the Su***de Prevention Coordinator Program) City of Fremantle all provided the funding that meant the project could go ahead.

On the day, representatives from City of Cockburn headspace Fremantle Palmerston Association Righttrack (Public Transport Authority) and WA Police pitched in to help out.

Over the past few weeks the Stephen Michael Foundation has delivered their program to 470 students across six primary school. 180 of these students then came together to play these games against each other.

It was an incredible day with local Elder Betty Garlett giving a Welcome to Country. Stephen Michael spoke about the importance of NAIDOC week and had the kids hanging off his every word. Mayor Fitzhardinge (Fremantle) and Mayor Howlett (Cockburn) echoed the importance of learning about and celebrating Aboriginal culture.

A heartfelt thank you to the many, many people that contributed. The smiles on the children's faces said it all.

A consistent message we get from our collaborators across the sector is “a stitch in time…” As more people struggle, our sector will be pressed more and more to respond and it’s imperative we get the message out that early intervention is so helpful

What to do if you can't afford your mortgage repayments
Many home owners are also at risk of financial stress, with nine consecutive interest rate rises taking a toll. So, what are your options if you can't afford to pay your mortgage?

shared from ABC app

Dan bought his home last year. Like many Australians, he's wondering how he'll pay a rising mortgage bill Many home owners are also at risk of financial stress, with nine consecutive interest rate rises taking a toll. So, what are your options if you can't afford to pay your mortgage?

Thank you to Paula, Caroline and all the lovely ladies from CWA Melville/Fremantle group for delivering these beautiful handmade quilts. They will go in Care Bags for Aboriginal kids in care. For more information or to donate please click on the link https://gofund.me/9068e42e

Do you want to contribute to the healing and well-being of Aboriginal children in care in our local community? Children living in out-of-home care are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. And, Aboriginal children in care have a particularly challenging path to tread because of the ongoing impacts of the stolen generation.
Head to our Go Fund Me Page to learn more about how to be part of a heart warming project that seeks to connect these young people to their families, culture, and community 👇

Connecting Aboriginal Children in Care, organized by Imagined Futures Do you want to join us in making a difference? Imagined Futures and St Patric… Imagined Futures needs your support for Connecting Aboriginal Children in Care

There is no doubt, there is a rocky road ahead. Many people will find themselves looking for support for the first time and do not know where to start.

Interest rate hike moves more people into mortgage stress: here is where to get support - Imagined Futures Increasing interest rates and the rising cost of living are close to the minds of Western Australians already worn thin by the pandemic years. With the Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers saying that inflation “will get worse before it gets better,” times are about to get even harder. There is no dou...

When children are brought into care, they often have nothing with them except for the clothes they are wearing. The Department of Communities gives these children care bags filled with basic items such as pyjamas and toiletries, to take with them to their foster homes. Adding Aboriginal themed items to bags given to Aboriginal children is a simple but powerful way of connecting Aboriginal children in care to culture as a source of comfort.
Aboriginal Practice Leaders at the Department of Communities came up with the idea and the Imagined Futures partnership (including St Pat’s) has been working with the community to bring their ideas to life.
This is one of our very talented volunteers Kie Ritchie and Imagined Futures Executive Officer Leigh Sinclair with the bags, bean bags and quilts that have been sewn for an Aboriginal Children in Care Bag project. Kie has been busy sewing Aboriginal print fabric on to bags and making little bean bags for children to play with/ squeeze when they need something to do with their hands.
The CWA Melville Fremantle Crafters are also involved in the project and have a whole workshop arranged at the beginning of November to make some more!!

To mark World Mental Health Day this year the Imagined Futures Alliance Against Depression (IFAAD) hosted an event for our mental health service provider partners, in recognition of their hard work during the pandemic.
My Local Mind led a Drumbeat session which showed using drums can improve well-being, improve mental health knowledge, build resilience, develop communications skills, and build self-awareness. This fun session had everyone smiling, having some time away from the stresses of outside life.
A special thanks to Clory Carrello and Sandra O’Neill from Cockburn Integrated Health for organising a beautiful venue and providing brunch.

IDAHOBIT – 17 May

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia celebrates LGBTIQ+ people and raises awareness for the work still needed to combat discrimination.

More information & resources : https://www.idahobit.org.au/

Connection and Wellbeing Australia are presenting a free online workshop for community members to build practical Allyship skills that can support LGBTIQ+ communities and people. 17 May, 10am-12pm https://www.facebook.com/connectionandwellbeing.com.au/photos/a.1918007328332198/2632065956926328/

𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑: 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐈𝐐𝐀+ 𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆

For National Volunteer Week (16-22 May 2022), GRAI and Living Proud will be hosting a Better Together: LGBTIQA+ Volunteering event on Saturday 21st May 10am - 12.30pm Southcare Hall, 19 Pether Rd, Manning

Join in some easy volunteering activities and meet like-minded others. Guest speakers will talk about volunteering and the options available

This is an intergenerational event & morning tea is provided🥰

Please register your attendance here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/better-together-lgbti-volunteering-ideas-tickets-306199088717

See our newspaper article about our Alliance Against Depression and campaign. Click on the link to read.

https://heraldonlinejournal.com/2022/04/14/tackling-stigma/?fbclid=IwAR1xMGhobDMaSCtvBZkl5UrUf0TP3-Ld078Ki4SP0iIAtKcmwwOT4qXQH7k

Tackling stigma A NEW campaign aimed at tackling the stigma attached to depression will be targeted at Fremantle, Cockburn and Melville. The Action Against Depression campaign is being spearheaded by Imagined Futu…

Mental Health Support A network that supports you

Reserve your place for “Telling Your Story Safely” at CoMHWA in May – explore with us how to safely share parts of your story and lived experience to increase awareness and understanding. RSVP to [email protected]

The ABC asked their readers how they deal with anxiety as part of their fabulous Anxiety Project (A special ABC news series examining the rising prevalence of anxiety in Australia).

They received more than 700 responses from people across the country, generously sharing personal accounts of anxiety and how they cope.

From formal treatments to breathing exercises and journalling, this article covers the most common strategies.

We asked how you deal with anxiety. This is what you told us From lifestyle strategies, formal treatments to alternative approaches, hundreds of audience members share their tips on living with anxiety.

The upcoming theme for mental health week 2022 👀👀👀

Home Mental Health Week is a week in October (and a year-round website) to help people maintin good mental health

The Cockburn, Fremantle, and Melville Alliance Against Depression uses a world-leading evidence-based approach to create positive change by working together to improve care of people affected by depression. This collaboration is achieved by pooling and mobilising existing resources in our immediate community.

Working together empowers us to address mental health concerns like depression and anxiety, enabling positive wellbeing in our community while preventing su***de and long-term mental illness.

To find out more about the Action Against Depression campaign and how you can support this movement go to https://imaginedfutures.org.au/mental-health/action/

Communication for Peers! Self-paced training with CoMHWA is now live and available online. This session covers topics such as the 5 styles of communication, barriers and enablers, conflict resolution and boundaries to support better communication and relationship awareness. Contact us to get access to the course and complete in your own time: [email protected]

Mental ill-heath and vulnerability subject of Quarterly Essay The treatment of those with mental ill-health and Australian attitudes towards vulnerable people is the subject of the new Quarterly Essay. Titled, Not Waving, Drowning, the paper is an intimate look at the lives of three women battling extreme mental-ill health.

Depression can affect anyone

Understanding how to talk about depression and help someone in need is important.

Check out some of the various mental health resources online that give you the information and skills on how to support the person you care about, and access the right services.

The RUOK website has detailed information on how to ask the question and help support someone who is struggling https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask

For more information on local face-to-face and online supports go to https://imaginedfutures.org.au/support/

When in crisis call Lifeline on 13 11 14