Place-based social change on the agenda in Western Sydney - Jesuit Social Services

Attendees at the ChangeFest Aboriginal astrology workshop

ChangeFest is a national celebration of place-based social change – which empowers and supports local communities to identify, plan, fund and evaluate the services they need.

In November 2019, the three-day event was held in Mount Druitt, Western Sydney, where we have worked with and alongside the community for 12 years. Our work in the area helps Western Sydney communities break out of cycles of disadvantage by developing local answers to local problems.

Our organisation was a local host of ChangeFest 19, which was attended by more than 500 people and focused on themes including climate change, justice reinvestment, the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians and improving early childhood outcomes in Western Sydney.

Ecological Justice Officer Bronwyn Lay joined other experts from Deakin University, Doctors for the Environment and Council of the Future for a discussion about place-based change and the climate emergency, focusing on the urgent need to work differently to protect the natural world and the opportunities for place-based systems change.

We also facilitated an Aboriginal astrology workshop at Willmot Community Hub, led by Aunty Sandra Hickey.

The next ChangeFest will be held in the Northern Territory, and we look forward to again being involved in learning, planning, collaborating and progressing agenda for change.

Making something out of nothing: from bottle tops to tools and wisdom

Most people see discarded bottle caps from milk and soft drink bottles as rubbish. Stuart Muir Wilson, Program Coordinator at our Ecological Justice Hub, sees them as a way to reimagine climate education and climate action in schools.

Alliance key to climate justice in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is on the frontline of intensifying heat, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. Remote communities and homelands across the Territory are particularly at risk of these impacts with many Aboriginal communities already facing food insecurity, a lack of safe drinking water and access to reliable, affordable electricity. The Climate Justice Alliance, established in the Territory in 2021, strives towards a just transition - one that focuses on adapting to the impacts of climate change, and on the alternative economic futures needed to ensure justice for people and planet.

Neighbourhood houses building climate resilience and community connections

In the city of Darebin, nestled in the inner north of Melbourne, there are many community members who experience multiple forms of disadvantage and are vulnerable to the impacts of heat. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the Centre for Just Places is working closely with communities like Darebin, to build climate resilience. The Centre empowers them to cope with the impacts of climate change and to continue thriving as connected, vibrant communities.

School canteens feed curiosity

The Currawong Kitchen school canteen was established in 2020 to provide healthy school snacks, catering, and food hampers to families in the historically disadvantaged and under-serviced area of Mount Druitt. Two school canteens now sit alongside Jesuit Social Services’ affordable grocery stores, Ignite Food Store and Open Pantry, where the parents of school children can shop in a supportive, educational, low-cost setting. As Chandelle, who oversees Jesuit Social Services' food security programs in Western Sydney, explains "We’re different from a typical school canteen. We’re passionate about inspiring children to be curious about what they eat and encourage them to try a variety of healthy foods. We want them to develop their palates and trust their taste."

Nine Yarra neighbourhood houses join forces to strengthen local climate resilience

Nine Yarra neighbourhood houses gathered this week to launch a plan to reduce their environmental footprint and support the local community to adapt to climate change.

Open Pantry helping provide food security and connection

Hear how Open Pantry delivers healthy meals and community for the Western Sydney residents.

View from The Bush Hut

Jesuit Social Services staff explore how nature-based therapy can enhance their practice

On a rainy morning in a patch of Kew bushland, Jesuit Social Services staff gathered to learn about nature-based therapeutic practice and the ways it can enhance their work with participants, and improve their own wellbeing.