MyLink - Port Stephens Community Information Hub

MyLink is an online community information hub. It's purpose is to inform and connect community groups, service providers and members of the community.

This webpage provides information to local community service providers and community groups. This page is designed to provide an online noticeboard to share initiatives, training and community information that are of interest to you, your clients and stakeholders.

Information that you would like to be shared can be sent to us at mylink@portstephens.nsw.gov.au

Please allow one week for the noticeboard to be updated. All news stories can then be forwarded on with a click of the mouse button, via either email, Facebook, twitter or LinkedIn.

MyLink is an online community information hub. It's purpose is to inform and connect community groups, service providers and members of the community.

Information that you would like to be shared can be sent to us at mylink@portstephens.nsw.gov.au

Please allow one week for the noticeboard to be updated. All news stories can then be forwarded on with a click of the mouse button, via either email, Facebook, twitter or LinkedIn.

News Feed

DCJ Scholarships 2021

20 Oct 2020
You are eligible to apply if you are studying in one of the following in 2021:
- year 10, 11 or 12 at a NSW high school or equivalent at a TAFE college
- a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship
- a VET subject at a NSW high school.
You must also be either a social housing client or living in out-of-home-care.
This can include:
- living in public housing, including Aboriginal housing
- being on the NSW Housing Register (wait list)
- receiving private rental assistance from DCJ (not Centrelink)
- receiving a Rent Choice product
- living in community housing/Aboriginal community housing
- living in housing provided by a Local Aboriginal Land Council
- living in Supported Accommodation through a Specialist Homelessness Service Provider
- living in statutory, supported or voluntary out-of-home care.
https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/families/support-programs/all-families/dcj-scholarships
October Breakfast – Back to Work

19 Oct 2020

October 27 @ 7:30 am - 9:00 am
$15
As we’re learning to navigate our way through this pandemic, one of the biggest discussions around the table is – how do we return to our original working environment?

For our October Breakfast, we have gathered three incredible women to talk about their experiences with physically getting back to the workplace.

We’ll have some different perspectives on transitioning from the home office to the ‘real’ office, including anxiety around leaving the home environment, the challenges with making things COVID safe, managing employees and workplace culture through this adjustment phase and supporting individuals with flexible working conditions.

I hope you can join us for this inspirational morning!

Kimberly Lewis is the General Manager of Hunter Prelude, a Not for Profit Charity providing Early Intervention & Therapy services. Hunter Prelude is based in the Hunter Valley and supported by an amazing team of Educators & Therapists.

Kimberly has experience in leading teams under the NDIS and working as a Speech Pathologist within the government, non-government and private sectors. Driven by her personal experience with disability, Kimberly is motivated to support teams through change to provide better outcomes for children and their families.

Kimberly is inspired as a leader to invest in people and with a growing workforce provide best practices services that are flexible, inclusive and support women at work.

During what has been a challenging year at the early stages of her career Kimberly continues to be guided to make decisions based on the teams core values of Respect, Collaboration and Creating Opportunities. As a leader, Kimberly has a passion for learning from her team to support her team as they return to a mix of face to face and online work.

Michelle Faithfull, Events & Community Relations Manager – Compass Housing

With over 30 years’ experience in operations, business development, project & legal practice management Michelle also has a long history of giving back to the community with volunteering, fundraising and coordinating events for multiple charities, earning her the title of Newcastle Citizen of the Year in 2020. Her community work and events experience has seen her role with Compass Housing over the past 5 years, transition full time into the events and community relations space, with a focus on supporting people experiencing homelessness, and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Outside of her day job, Michelle travels the world as a fundraising trek leader with Inspired Adventures and is also a marriage celebrant. Bringing people together for common causes is her passion and purpose in life.

Emma Mears, HR Business Partner – The Benevolent Society

With 20+ years experience in Human Resources working across many industry sectors and national and international locations, Emma has recently stepped into the Not For Profit space with The Benevolent Society. With a talent for practical people solutions Emma is passionate about working with leaders to drive an exemplary employee experience that supports business and client outcomes.

With over 1100 staff across 3 states The Benevolent Society transitioned to remote working quickly and has developed a good understanding of the good the bad and the ugly of remote working. With the return to work TBS is looking at the working landscape very differently, considering a number of flexible options to support employees and clients that Emma can share with you.

Visit here to book
FREE Dementia Care workshop- Wednesday 4 Nov

14 Oct 2020

Learn about the Dementia Care Navigator and how you or your loved ones can access aged care services.
4 November 2002
10.30am- 12.30am
FREE
Raymond Terrace Library, 18A Sturgeon St Raymond Terrace
Suitable for persons living with dementia, or carers or family members supporting those with dementia.
Port Stephens Annual Awards

14 Oct 2020

There are people in our community who go that little bit further, open their arms a little bit wider and give that little bit extra to inspire us all to make every day better.

We value the outstanding contributions made every day within the Port Stephens community. The Port Stephens Annual Awards presented on Australia Day each year provide an opportunity for Council to formally recognise the amazing efforts of groups and individuals from around our region.

Visit this page to make a nomination.
Minutes of the October Port Stephens Interagency

13 Oct 2020

Minutes of the Port Stephens Interagency have been added to the library here
Local Area Coordinator Vacancies - Hunter New England

13 Oct 2020

Uniting Local Area Coordination Program is currently recruiting for Local Area Coordinators in the Hunter New England Service Area.
https://careers.uniting.org/jobs/local-area-coordinator-hunter-new-england-newcastle-nsw-australia-fba7528e-2eb2-433b-ab12-46dc779d530b
Small Business Month Events

13 Oct 2020

Find out what's on in Port Stephens to help you strengthen and grow your business, whether you're experienced or just starting out.

https://www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au/work/economic-development/business-events-calendar
Celebrate International White Cane Day with Vision Australia

12 Oct 2020

International White Cane Day is set to be bigger than ever in 2020, with big name artists from across the globe coming together for a special concert to mark the day.
Vision Australia’s White Cane Day Concert will feature performances from artists such as The Wiggles, American Idol finalist Scott MacIntyre, America’s Got Talent winner Kodi Lee, The Voice Australia alumni Racheal Leahcar, two time Grammy winner Dianne Schuur and many more.
The Vision Australia White Cane Day Concert will be broadcast via Vision Australia Radio from 11am-2pm AEDT on October 15. Performances from participating artists will also appear on Vision Australia’s social media platforms.
Jordan Ashby, Vision Australia volunteer partnerships coordinator, said Vision Australia was committed to finding a way to celebrate International White Cane Day in the current COVID climate.
“White Cane Day is a huge day for the blind and low vision community, not only in Australia, but across the world. COVID-19 means we can’t hold events as we would usually, so we’ve decided to move to a broadcast concert that people can take part in and enjoy, no matter where they are,” Jordan said.
“With the support of Duncan Steward from Platinum Cre8ive we have been fortunate to secure this amazing line-up of talented performers from across the globe; who have all donated their performances and time to this concert. Either because of lived experience with the white cane or once we explained what White Cane Day and the concert was all about, people couldn’t wait to get involved,” Jordan said.
The Vision Australia Radio broadcast will also feature exclusive interviews with the musical acts who happen to be white cane users and others from the blind and low vision community, and the wider community is encouraged to get involved on the day.
“We’ll be sharing the performances across our social media channels on the day and we’d love for people to get on there and leave a comment or send a message about what White Cane Day means to them and their experiences as someone who is blind or has low vision,” Jordan said.
The concert will have something for everyone and Jordan said it’s especially exciting to promote and celebrate our blind and low vision singers, songwriters, actors and performers from around the world.
“The majority of our performers have excelled while living with blindness or low vision, people like Dianne Schuur, Rachael Leahcar, Scott MacIntyre and Kodi Lee have gone onto being household names as well as mentors for our lesser known acts.
“It’s great that they get to play such big part in our celebration of White Cane Day and it’s a great opportunity to showcase that blindness or low vision isn’t a barrier to people following their dreams.”
The Vision Australia White Cane Day Concert will air on October 15 via Vision Australia Radio. Head to varadio.org to find out how you can listen. Like and follow Vision Australia on Facebook and Twitter to catch video performances on the day and share your experiences.
Trial of an online self-help program for people with Intellectual Disability

12 Oct 2020

https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/research-projects/idtwo-intellectual-disability-trial-for-wellbeing-online/?edmid=200969683
Next online Hunter Deafblind Connect meeting

12 Oct 2020
Friday 30 October

1.00 – 3.00pm

Theme: Circles Of Support

“Circles harness human warmth and human creativity and apply it to a purpose”
Hunter Deafblind Connect is a network of people working towards inclusion, particularly for deafblind people who have moved out of the Stockton Centre, most of whom only have paid supports in their life. We believe that everyone deserves a friend. We believe that everyone should have someone in their life who isn’t paid to be there.

As such, we are excited to be launching our Circles of Support initiative at our next Hunter Deafblind Connect meeting where we will explore:
- the principles and goals behind Circles of Support
- what the Hunter Deafblind Project is doing to build Circles
- how you can get involved as a Circle Member or Circle Facilitator!
Our October workshop is for anyone who lives in the Hunter who wants to get involved or who is interested in finding out more.

When: Friday 30 October on Zoom
Time: 1.00 – 3.00pm
Free but you must register. Auslan Interpreters will be present

Register here