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Community Matters is the new podcast hosted by Community Industry Group’s CEO Nicky Sloan that dives into community-driven solutions for pressing issues. Join Nicky as she catches up with community leaders to hear inspiring stories, expert insights, and actionable ideas to create positive change.
28 Episodes
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When demand for homelessness services hits record levels, what does innovation look like to respond to the challenge? With 68,700 people on social housing waitlists across the state and over 3,000 waiting in the Wollongong-Shellharbour area alone, the homelessness crisis can feel overwhelming. But Kelly McGarrity, Housing Services Manager at Wollongong Homeless Hub and Housing Services (WHHHS), is finding creative ways to respond and to meet people where they are. Fresh from receiving a Commu...
More than 1 in 10 Australians live with asthma—that's 2.8 million people. In the Illawarra alone, over 250 people are hospitalized each year, impacting not just those with the condition but their families and communities. In this informative episode of Community Matters, Nicky talks with Alexander Brown, Asthma Program Coordinator with Healthy Cities Australia, about a partnership that's working to change these numbers. Breathe Better Illawarra brings together Healthy Cities Australia a...
The 2024 Closing the Gap report revealed a stark truth: 47% of the health gap for Aboriginal people, including life expectancy rates, is related to institutional racism, interpersonal racism, and intergenerational trauma. These findings make one thing clear: cultural safety isn't optional. But what does cultural safety actually mean for community service organisations, and how do we achieve it? In this episode, Nicky sits down with Becky Garrett, Operations Manager at SAHSSI and recent recipi...
In a terrible indictment on disability inclusion in leadership and governance roles, across Australia's 300 largest companies, not a single director openly identifies as living with disability. Zero. And it's been that way for years. In this powerful episode of Community Matters, host Nicky Sloan sits down with Krystal Tritton, CEO of disability provider roundsquared, who describes this as “a horrible statistic, that has gone unchecked for so long”. As a busy executive who is totally bl...
What does it mean to truly live, even when facing a life-altering diagnosis? This life affirming conversation with Wollongong lawyer, board director, mentor and well-known community connector Graham Lancaster cuts to the heart of the value of civic engagement. Graham was recently recognised with the Medal for the Order of Australia for his service to the law, and to the Illawarra community. Nicky explores with Graham how his involvement in voluntary activities including the Apex club as...
In this essential episode of Community Matters, Nicky speaks with Alison Oyston, Manager of Illawarra Advocacy, about why the last 12 months have been "one of the most difficult in recent history" for people with disability. "There's a lot of danger inherent in the circumstances we are seeing at the moment, and we are really screaming risk from the rooftops at our organisation - people with disability are suffering." A perfect storm is brewing: housing crisis, cost-of-living press...
What happens when 200 hectares of industrial land becomes available for transformation? For Wollongong, it represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the region's future while honoring its past. In this compelling episode of Community Matters, Nicky sits down with Michael Yiend, Head of Property Development at BlueScope, to explore an ambitious project that will create an estimated 20,000 jobs and fundamentally change how the community connects with this significant landholding....
With over 13,000 young people in NSW alone without a secure place to sleep tonight, it’s time we talked about youth homelessness and the critical lack of housing security for young people across our region. Nicky unpacks this issue with Kristy Puckeridge, Manager at Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS) on this vital episode of Community Matters. Kristy speaks to the range of issues that impact on housing security for Australian youth with lack of affordable housing options and pove...
With 32% of Australia’s population born overseas Australia is truly a nation of immigrants with a strong and diverse multicultural identity. On this episode Nicky speaks with Allyson Pazos, Manager for Youth and Refugee Services at MCCI (Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra) about the important work they are doing in community supporting former refugees and new migrants to the region. Nicky and Allyson discuss the challenges for new settlers from refugee backgrounds and the fa...
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide that may be upsetting or triggering for some listeners. Resources and support are available and listed at the bottom of the show notes below. In this episode of Community Matters Nicky talks with Lachlan Stevens, Director Founder and Veteran, about the importance of “a sense of purpose” and the work he is doing to support veterans transition out of military life and into fulfilling opportunities after serving their country.&...
“It’s a little bit mind blowing!” says Nicky in this vital episode as she talks Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Jagdeep Singh, Emerging Technologies and Innovation Specialist. Jagdeep and Nicky take a much-needed look at the “big gap” that exists between the use of AI in the workplace and the boardroom and the guardrails, the guidance and the policy that guides staff and directors around organisational approaches to the use of this new technology. The shift in capability of AI has be...
On this important episode of Community Matters Nicky talks with Karen Burdett, CEO of Greenacres Disability Services, and dives into the benefits of employment inclusion and the challenges we face today as a result of Australia not keeping pace with the OECD levels of employment for people with disability. Just reaching OECD averages on disability employment would see 117,000 people with disability employed and $11.9 billion in value to the GDP of the country. Karen articulates the benefits f...
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual violence and disturbing content that may be upsetting or triggering for some listeners. Please use your discretion when deciding whether to continue listening. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, resources and support are available and listed at the bottom of the show notes below. ************* In this challenging and thought-provoking episode Nicky chats with Tracy Lumb, the Manager of Shoalhaven...
In this episode Nicky speaks with Alice Lans the CEO of Noah’s Inclusion Services to better understand how allied health disability services support functional outcomes for children with disability. Alice is a Speech Pathologist by training and now leads a dedicated team of allied health professionals, support workers and early childhood educators at Noah’s all of whom are working together to support functional and developmental outcomes for kids with disability. Alice talks abou...
In this enjoyable episode Nicky chats with Amarni Harris, a young Personal Care Worker with Warrigal Care. With a workforce twice the size of the entire mining industry in Australia, aged care needs great people and faces an urgent need to grow the workforce to meet the increasing demand. For anyone considering a career in aged care this episode demystifies the pathways to getting into the sector, from volunteering, to certificate courses, to tertiary qualifications and the great oppor...
In this powerful NAIDOC Week special celebrating the 2025 theme of "Next Generation: Strength Vision and Legacy," host Nicky sits down with Charlie Ashby, Cultural Lead for Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in the Shoalhaven. This is a conversation that will transform how you think about cultural healing and community connection. “We are in good hands” says Charlie as he opens up about the incredible work happening at Cullunghutti, where children are strengthening their cu...
“There’s got to be food and it’s got to be fun!” explains Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre Coordinator Cath Daly about her approach to supporting community health and wellbeing. Nicky talks to Cath about supporting families and kids by providing nutritious breakfasts and packed lunches and a place to connect and share. After school programs, bingo and other community initiatives sees this little centre under Cath’s passionate leadership providing essential supports to the community. Nicky ...
In this powerful conversation, Nicky dives deep into fairness, equity, and social justice with Craig Foster AM—former Socceroos captain, sports broadcaster, author, human rights advocate and 2023 NSW Australian of the Year. Nicky and Craig discuss how his own life journey took him from country NSW and a sheltered worldview to a broader, more diverse and inclusive perspective shaped by exposure to the people and communities he experienced through his soccer career and his activism. Crai...
This week Nicky talks to Ed Birt, Senior Policy Specialist at the Community Industry Group, about the shift towards a risk proportionate registration model for disability service providers that is coming to the NDIS. In December 2023 the NDIS Review recommended a risk proportionate registration model where all providers are registered based on the level of risk and complexity of their services. Ed explains that presently only 6% of NDIS providers are registered. Registrati...
Statistics show, despite years of disability employment strategies, rates of employment for people with a disability remain much lower than the general population. On this episode Nicky takes a deep dive with Rod Von Clark the CEO of the Flagstaff Group to understand why. Rod talks about some of the systemic and cultural barriers to people with disability achieving employment. While getting a job is generally regarded as a great achievement and important to our identity an...
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