THE GRAPEVINESTAFF NEWSLETTER – 17 May 2013

Staff Survey Coming Next WeekHi everyone

During the coming weeks, Gumala Aboriginal Corporation will be conducting an employee survey.

As one of the largest and fastest growing Aboriginal Corporations in Australia, GAC is constantly evolving, and is committed to a process of continuous improvement and becoming an employer of choice.

To continue to do this successfully, GAC must commit to a constant process of internal review and analysis.

One of the most productive ways to do this is to listen to your views on a broad range of issues. Your opinions are important and this survey is your chance to express those opinions.

The survey is hosted on an independent web site and all survey responses are strictly anonymous. No one from GAC will be provided with or will have access to your individual results.

So when you are invited to complete the survey, please be thoughtful and honest.

Once the data is in, we will share the results and in the months that follow the survey, HR and management will discuss ways to improve our culture and performance and address any problem areas, while also recognising areas of success.

We would like to get 100% participation in order to ensure that each and every employee’s voice is heard.

So when you receive the survey invitation next week, please give

GEPL Update GEPL staff will be officially moving in to Level 2 in the Perth office on Monday 20 May.

Have a look out for new faces around the office and be sure to introduce yourselves.

We will be introducing them formally in our next Grapevine on 31 May so watch out for our next edition.

it your prompt attention.

Thank you for your time and commitment to this invaluable project.

In this Edition: - Staff Survey

- GEPL Merger update

- WAiTTA awards finalist

- Perth PT Training Schedule

-Wakuthuni Open Day

- Time out with Rita Peters

- and more...

The counTdown has Begun!

“Make sure your voice is

heard!”

It’s the staff survey! Remember your opinion is important and all survey responses are completely anonymous.

At work, we are very lucky to have a real kitchen, complete with sink, refrigerator, and microwave.

We are luckier still to have a dishwasher. But, the dishwasher does not have a function that includes things like “stack cups in machine”, “switch on machine” and “unload machine”.

Consider the workplace kitchen:

A big thank you to Perth Reception (Front Desk) for the outstanding job you are all carrying out on a day to day basis. It’s a tough job in “the front line” at Gumala, so well done. A special mention to Sue and Kerryn in carrying out your core responsibilities so well. We appreciate your patience and professionalism. The transformation of Perth Reception (Front Desk) involving two Member Services Officers stationed at the front desk (rotating on a daily basis) has been extremely successful, so well done MST!

Recognising the front desk

Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and NEC Australia (the IT solutions and services providers who were responsible for creating GIS) have been announced as finalists in the 2012-13 WA Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards (WAiTTA).

The winners will be announced during a Gala Presentation Dinner on June 14. The awards recognise outstanding IT innovations and performance.

Good luck Gumala!An “in action GIS photo” (featuring Alycia) that was used as part of the presentation made last

week by all of the finalists.

Gumala: Finalist in Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards

Well done Education

Term 2 has seen the new school agreements working successfully, with over 300 of our 849 students having all of their educational needs being fulfilled.

Nor does the kitchen have any fairies who miraculously pack away dishes left to dry next to the sink.

The kitchen is a place we all make use of so it stands to reason that we all make the effort to keep it clean and tidy.

It’s a team responsibility!

The first week of personal training will be held on Thursday 23 May from 5:15pm – 6pm.

We have only 5 spots left for the training sessions as we can only take 15 people at a time.

Everyone must fill out a medical waiver before the session commences.

We will be focusing on running for the next 12 weeks to hopefully prepare you for the city to surf run on the 25th of August.

Perth’s 12 week personal training program with Kerryn Stapleford

1st week we will be focusing on flexibility / warm up exercises.

Training will be held at Langley Park just at the entrance of Bennett Street. We will meet outside Gumala at 5:10 near the smokers area.

If it rains we will still be doing training, just in the smokers courtyard.

What you need to bring: a change of clothes, water bottle and a towel.

I have designed a fun program that allows you to interact with others within the group, assists you in correct techniques that promotes proper breathing, good posture and a program we can all enjoy.

This program is designed to slowly build up the necessary muscles to allow you to reach a goal of a 5km run/walk.

Week 1: Flexibility

Being flexible: This week is about learning how to warm up before a race, the looser you are prior to a race, the lower the risk of injury during and after a race.

Flexibility refers to the maximum joint range of motion that can be achieved without injury to the joint support tissues.

Flexibility is mostly genetic. That is that you are born flexible or you are born tight.

Stretching is the process of trying to lengthen muscle and soft tissue

12 week program to reach a goal of a 5km run/walk:

to increase flexibility.

What is important is to have the functional range of motion needed to perform an activity, so functional range is more important than flexibility.

There are many reasons given for stretching; most are “mythical.” Stretching does not prevent injury or improve performance.

However, warm up activities do prevent injury and improve performance. So time is best spent warming up the muscles rather than stretching before activity.

We are going to learn a few exercises and warm up activities that we can even incorporate in our everyday life.

• Toe touches, side twists, superman’s, sky touches and leg raise hold.

Week 2: Techniques

Running is a skill that requires

practice to master. Learning good running technique is crucial to running well, getting faster and staying injury-free. Using the Core Running technique develops an efficient and strong running style.

The Core Running method focuses on seven key running characteristics:

• 1. Footstrike,

• 2. Cadence and stride length,

• 3. Body positioning,

• 4. Lower limb mobility and elasticity,

• 5. Shoulder movement and arm swing,

• 6. Torso and spinal stability,

• 7. Neck and head alignment.

Type of exercises for this week :

Oblique hold, knee raises, arm twists, lunge hold, and a light run with back up right.

Gumala Celebrates Wakuthuni Open Day

On 7 May, Gumala held a successful Information and Open day at Wakuthuni. The open day provided stakeholders with the opportunity to develop and collaborate relationships with each other and the Wakuthuni community.

The open day also provided key Wakuthuni stakeholders with an opportunity to: deliver community safety strategies, strengthen community partnerships, provide integrated service delivery promoting community wellbeing, reduce recidivist offending, improve the health and safety of vulnerable persons within the community, for the better management and delivery of justice within the community, improve service delivery and recognise barriers and work corroboratively to overcome such barriers.

First session of Cultural Awareness Training 2013 rolled out in Tom Price

The first session of cultural awareness training for 2013 took place in Tom Price last week.

Respected Banyjima Elder, Dawn Hicks, and Ronnelle, gave staff in the Head Office their first session of cultural awareness training.

The Tom Price cultural awareness training is expected to roll out over six sessions.

Staff in the Perth office will be advised of their cultural awareness training times soon.

Gumala recently received a formal letter from a Member

expressing his gratitude and thanks to Nirmala for all her help with setting up his business. In the letter the

Member personally thanked Nirmala for helping him take

his business to the next level. It’s great to hear Members

giving great feedback to our staff. Well done Nirmala!!!

Check out this photo of Robyn taken last week in one of the transit houses.

It’s 8.30 at night and Robyn decides to make a batch of scones!

And mighty nice they were, as Lynne and Peter can attest to!

Gumala might have a contestant for the next series of My Kitchen Rules.

Is this the next

contestant for My Kitchen

Rules?3A celebrates Mother’s Day

Check out what our little 3A students made their Mother’s for Mother’s Day last week.

•Whatdoyouhaveapassionfor?

My passion is my family, helping others, composing music and recording life experiences where messages transmitted into song may strike a chord to spark a happy memory or lift ones soul.

•Themostinterestingplace(s)youhavetravelledtoorlivedin?

I have travelled extensively around the globe in my lifetime and have found Tom Price the most interesting and spiritual place to be.

The traditional owners of this land and Aboriginal culture are very similar to mine, although there are differences here that are fascinating and command respect.

I have the utmost respect for the people of this land and am humbled to be welcomed here to work in their country and be warmly embraced by the local tribes.

Tom Price is a wonderful town to live in with a family orientated caring community. It feels like home away from home but in a different setting.

• Onethingonyourbucketlist?

To build a retirement home at Waipiro Bay.

•Themostmemorableevent(s)inyourlife?

Being blessed with my beautiful children and family and having experienced the true feeling of unconditional love from my mother.

• WhatisagooddayatGACforyou?

Every day is a good day at GAC, as I love my work and have much adoration for my work colleagues.

Time out with MSO Officer,Rita Peters

•Giveusasnapshotofyourpast,includingwhereyougrewupandwhatyouhavedone?

I am an Aboriginal Maori of New Zealand, and of Ngati Porou tribal descent. I hail from Waipiro Bay, the Centre of the Universe and our Tribal Paradise on the East Coast of New Zealand. We lived at the Bay until I was two years old, where my father returned from World War 2. Sadly when he passed away my mother thought it best we move to Auckland to start a new life. I lived there for 45 years.

My childhood was tough as we lived in Ponsonby which was the “Hood” back then, a very rough area compared to today. It has changed dramatically and is now a millionaires mecca. Things never stay the same, I guess. I am the eldest of 13 children and have five children including our adopted girl, and two Grandsons and one Great Grandson. In my younger years my vocation was mainly factory work. After my Mum passed, which broke my heart deeply, I found refuge working alongside my brother who was a Church Minister and Senior Traditional Maori Healer. He had his own healing clinic in Auckland where so many people came for help. For many years, we voluntarily helped the sick including organisations dealing with mental health, drug and alcohol, suicide, and victims of abuse who liaised and referred their clients to my brother’s clinic.

When my brother died, my heart was broken once again. The grief I endured moved me back to our tribal bay where my loved ones were buried.

My tribe embraced my return and taught me my language and culture which was extremely fulfilling and gave me a sense of belonging.

My stance as a Maori woman was realized in contrast to being raised in the city where the grasp of the ‘big smoke’ had claimed my identity and spirit most of my life.

From the Bay my family and I moved to Tom Price where we will stay til the day the bay calls me home to retire. Be at peace, people, all is well.

Rita with her children on holiday in Los Angeles

Happy Birthday to...

Elly Lukale (today)

Lisa Shields (Sunday)

Ronnelle Hicks (22 May)

Do you have anything you want to include in the next

staff newsletter? If so, contact Natasha.

Cecilia and Lisa play for the same netball team (Benchwarmers) and they are currently on a winning streak 3 wins, no losses.

Cecilia and Lisa are also in same softball team (Devils) who beat Tigerettes (Simone Pes) in the first round of the season 20-4.

Emily Lockyer and Ronwyn James play for Stealers (2012 Champions) and sadly lost their first game 7-0.

Tom Price staff are getting active

for Winter

Laureen’s son goes sky diving Laureen and her husband gave their son his ultimate 12th birthday wish last weekend - the chance to sky dive!

Matthew said he didn’t want a party to celebrate his birthday but to instead go sky diving, having missed out on the chance to bungy jump in New Zealand two years ago because he was too young.