Tina Helm is using her Mount Alexander Shire Council scholarship to take part in LEAD Loddon Murray, to put her new skills to the test with the development of a Meet the Candidates project in the lead up to council elections.
Tina has gathered together 13 independent community groups to be involved in the Meet the Candidates project, including My Home Network, Castlemaine Safe Space, Mount Alexander Disability Advisory Group, Castlemaine Pride, Central Vic Climate Action, Castlemaine School Strike 4 Climate, and more.
With a small team of volunteers, they have put out an online candidate questionnaire, with the results to be published on their website (meetthecandidatesmtalexander.com.au) during the voting period (October 7-25), and a face-to-face meet the candidates event to be held from11am-1pm, on Sunday September 29 at the Theatre Royal.
“I wanted to bring community groups together because so many of the issues that people are concerned about are connected, including things like the cost of living crisis, mental health, and climate,” Tina said.
One of the key takeaways for Tina from the LEAD Loddon Murray full-year regional leadership program has been the power of collaboration and partnerships.
“We are stronger together, and we can have more impact when we unite for community,” Tina said.
Tina has worked in a number of community roles in Castlemaine, including as project coordinator for HALT, and station manager of MAINfm.
She applied for a scholarship to take part in the LEAD Loddon Murray Leadership program to continue her learning and skill-building for the paid and voluntary work she does.
The LEAD Loddon Murray Leadership Program is a hands-on course designed for people living in regional Victoria who want to contribute positively to their communities.
“I wanted to provide a platform for groups to utilise the upcoming election as chance to amplify the voices of the communities they represent. This is especially important for those facing challenges right now, e.g. due to the housing shortage.”
“This is also a really great opportunity for the wider community to connect with the candidates and nominated councillors, and to hear more about their values, and how they intend, if elected, to ensure our shire is a wonderful place for everyone over the next four years,” she said.
Meet the Candidates Event Information
When: 11am-1pm on Sunday September 29
Where: Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Registration: events.humanitix.com/mount-alexander-meet-the-candidates-2024
Meet the Candidates website:
meetthecandidatesmtalexander.com.au
