Published on Friday, 20 December 2024 at 3:59:30 PM
As we enter the holiday season, I want to take a moment to reflect and express my thanks to everyone who has worked with us over the past twelve months.
Wunan has accomplished so much this year, thanks to the incredible hard work, compassion, and resilience of our team. This year saw the opening of the Kununurra Withdrawal Intervention Centre and the addition of Allied Health services to our portfolio at Wunan Health. We also celebrated the expansion of Lily Lagoon Resort, including the completion of its $3.875M refurbishment, and the creation of 17 new funded jobs as part of the New Jobs Program Trial.
We formalised a strong partnership with MG Corporation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which facilitated the opening of the KNX Community Hostel. This facility provides accommodation for permanent residents while offering training and development opportunities for local people. Building on this partnership, we are thrilled to be launching the Pindan Childcare Centre in February 2025.
In addition, we proudly launched The Bedford Downs Stock Route Walk, exceeded targets in our Driver Training and Governance programs, and secured extended contracts for several key initiatives, including Headspace, Journey to Empowerment, the Financial Hub, KEEP, Early Years and Family Support Services, and the Community Childcare Fund. We also welcomed exciting new programs like Target 120 and Talent Pool. A major highlight was the introduction of our Cultural Safety Framework, embedding culturally safe practices across Wunan to foster excellence and growth within both our organisation and the community.
This year also marked the conclusion of the Stronger ACCOs, Stronger Families program, a collaborative effort to strengthen ACCOs in the child and family services sector nationwide. Wunan Media achieved registration with the Aboriginal Business Directory WA and Supply Nation, producing impactful content for clients.
With the guidance of our board and senior management, we launched our strategic plan, setting a strong foundation for 2025 and beyond. As part of this process, we revised our Vision and Mission to sharpen our focus on Closing the Gap in the East Kimberley and empowering local people through our social enterprises and services. Central to our efforts is the Wunan Way - our core purpose and values - which continues to guide everything we do.
The Wunan Maintenance Services core team continues to support New Jobs Program Trial participants as they develop valuable skills and gain experience on their employment journeys, while our iBase team remains dedicated to providing essential support to Aboriginal businesses across the Kimberley.
We’ve also formed partnerships with three Australian universities to research key issues affecting the East Kimberley and forged a fruitful new collaboration with LifeChanger, bringing mentoring support to a large number of mentors and school students.
From the success of the Pathways to Home Ownership program, helping local people realise their dreams of homeownership, to the tireless efforts of our Driver Training Team in assisting locals to obtain their licenses and unlock new opportunities - each initiative is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team.
We would also like to extend our many thanks to Kununurra Picture Gardens, Mulan Aboriginal Corporation, Kununurra Police, Waringarri Media Aboriginal Corporation, East Kimberley College, Kununurra Basketball Association, Kangaroo Haven Inc., Kununurra Weightlifting Club, and Binnarri-Binyja Yarrawoo Aboriginal Corporation for your sponsorship in 2024.
To all our funders, partners, stakeholders, community members, clients, participants, and their families - thank you for your invaluable support in helping us achieve the best outcomes for our community.
Wishing you all a wonderful and safe holiday season and a Happy New Year!
Prue Jenkins
Chief Executive Officer
Wunan Foundation
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