Network Success and Innovation

Hannah Healy, HIPPY Broome's Coordinator at Nyamba Buru Yawuru, shares that a standout moment from Wanggarrallangga Ngan-ga HIPPY Jamurr in Term 3, was hosting a vibrant community event at NBY to celebrate National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day (NATSICD). She writes:

"This year's SNAICC theme, Little Footsteps, Big Future, celebrates the special journey children take as they grow, surrounded by culture, supported by community, and connected to country.

The day brought together a wonderful mix of families: children from St Mary's School, Jalygurr Daycare, Our Mob, and Broome Youth Family Hub playgroups, plus many regular and new HIPPY families. The atmosphere was full of joy as children explored activity after activity: making fairy bread, creating animal tracks in the sand tray, cuddling soft Australian animals, checking out the police vehicle, playing with fire hoses, and taking special rides in the fire truck, all while showing off their vibrant face paint, sparkly tattoos, new police hats, and sticker badges.

A surprise visit from the BRAMS Kids Club mascots brought even more smiles and high fives, just in time for everyone to gather for a delicious morning tea.

Hannah observes, "These collaborations and incredible contributions from across community services, educators, families, and cultural groups serve as a powerful reminder: when we place children at the centre and connect through culture, community, and care, we nurture a foundation of belonging, confidence, and possibility"

She closes with how it was a privilege to witness the community come together this way, and a joy to play a part in bringing 'little footsteps' forward toward 'big futures.'

Gala mabu (Thank you)!

Kathleen Scott's journey with HIPPY Cairns South began in 2019 when she was a mum at home with her young daughter, Olivia. Under the guidance of Taritah, who first enrolled them into the program, and later with support from Eliza, Lorna, Joanna, and Jerome from HIPPY Australia, Kathleen was offered the chance to become a HIPPY Tutor, a role that gave her confidence, purpose, and a genuine passion for helping families learn together.

"That experience opened new doors for me: after HIPPY, I moved into full-time roles in HR, then Finance, and now work as an Operations Coordinator; and have now published a storybook called 'Olivia - The Narwhal's Brave Adventure to the Great Barrier Reef'.

The values and skills I learned through HIPPY, patience, communication, and connection, continue to influence everything I do"

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Olivia also completed HIPPY Northside, making it a truly special journey for both of them. Earlier this year, the family moved to Cambodia where Kathleen's husband supports children and teens rescued from sex trafficking. Working remotely, Kathleen found time to complete a children's book written under Olivia's name and inspired by their HIPPY roots.

The story follows a curious narwhal traveling to the Great Barrier Reef. It's a rhyming picture book for children aged 2-8, celebrating curiosity, friendship, and real places in Cairns.

It's their way of giving something back, a story that began with HIPPY and grew into something much bigger.

On Thursday 9 October, HIPPY Eastlakes held their October Holiday Event, ‘A Splash of Colour Fun Run’. Families gathered on the school play field to enjoy connection over lunch, craft, games and a super fun colour run.

Smiles were big and energy was high as a tribe of HIPPY families ran through waves of water hoses, sprinklers, and colours. White t-shirts quickly transformed into rainbows of bright colours. Children also enjoyed ball skill activities, parachute play, and craft activities including decorating rainbow frisbees. Families relaxed over a picnic lunch, chatting and connecting with other HIPPY families. Overall, 10 families attended with 30 children, with most bringing along older and younger siblings.

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It was heartwarming to see the friendships that have developed over the year, particularly one little girl in the Age 3 program who experiences incredible shyness. She was so excited to reunite with her HIPPY friend and do the colour run together.

‘it was so nice to take all my children to something so fun, we rarely can afford to take our children out’. This was amazing!’ HIPPY Parent

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HIPPY Coordinator Courtney also invited families from their expression of interest list, which proved to be a great recruitment strategy for next year's cohort. With so many parents returning to work earlier, school holiday events are proving popular with families. The Colour Fun Run was such a hit that HIPPY Eastlakes will make it an annual holiday event.

HIPPY Broken Hill has developed a fantastic partnership with their local South Football Club. Last year, the Club offered the clubhouse to host HIPPY graduation and cooked and served meals for all the families. This year, they're providing the venue again and offering volunteers to help with catering.

Through this initiative, Coordinator Krista and Line Manager Michelle have built strong relationships with the club, a meaningful connection in a town where AFL runs deep in the community.

Last year's graduation was held at the Broken Hill South Football Club for the first time, creating a night to remember. The team celebrated 30 proud 4-year-old graduates, surrounded by their families, friends, and wonderful volunteers from the Club. Around 100 people came together to share in the occasion, making it one of their most successful graduations ever. On a scorching 40-degree summer evening, everyone enjoyed a hearty meal of chicken or beef schnitzels, chips, fresh salads, and plenty of soft drinks. The generosity of the club, who donated the venue, food, and their time, made the evening extra special.

"Partnering with the local football club offers more than just a great venue. It helps build strong community ties and shows our children the value of teamwork, friendship, and belonging. AFL runs deep in the community of Broken Hill, so by engaging with the club, our children see first-hand how sport and community spirit can bring people together"

This year's Graduation will be held at the South Football Club again.

While they'll be hiring the venue and food at a reduced rate this time, the club has kindly offered to provide their volunteers again, along with another delicious meal. This collaboration between Maari Ma and the club builds community engagement, with families learning more about their local club, and the footy club learning about the range of early childhood and parenting programs at Maari Ma. These experiences not only celebrate achievements today but also plant seeds for confidence, resilience, and community connection in the future.

HIPPY Orange Coordinator Sally Thomas supported a wonderful initiative through the Marang Dhali Eating Well Program, with HIPPY families participating in six sessions facilitated by a previous Tutor. Through this partnership, Sally helped two Tutors become trainers in this healthy food program designed for First Nations families.

Marang Dhali, a Wiradjuri phrase meaning "Eating Well", is delivered by NSW Health's Western NSW Local Health District Aboriginal Health Promotion Team. The program trains Aboriginal Health Workers to deliver cooking and nutrition workshops in their local communities.

Much like HIPPY, it uses an "action learning approach" where participants learn through practice. Over 4-6 cooking sessions, participants prepare meals, cook together, and yarn about safe food storage, food handling, reading food labels, modifying recipes, and cooking for and with children.

Sally advocated for HIPPY Orange Aboriginal HIPPY Mentor Alana to participate in the Marang Dhali Facilitator training, recognizing it as an opportunity to support career development while meeting the expressed interest of Aboriginal HIPPY parents who wanted to come together on Fridays to cook and share meals.

"Through P2P and supervision discussions, we identified Alana's wish to develop her group facilitation skills, access training for career development, and build community with her families. I encouraged her to deliver a program with six HIPPY Aboriginal participants, which involved building confidence in her facilitation skills and project management"

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Alana completed her Marang Dhali Facilitator training in October 2023, which included traveling to Dubbo for a full day's training and follow-up support in March 2024. With support from her HIPPY colleagues who volunteered their time to help with preparation and child supervision, Alana successfully delivered six sessions between October and December 2024 with six families participating.

The Coordinator secured support from their provider organisation to budget for staffing costs and program resources, enabling families to share the joy of preparing, cooking, and eating together, building relationships in the process.

In 2025, Alana gained employment with a local ACCO and is now utilizing her Marang Dhali Eating Well facilitator skills to support program implementation in her current workplace.

This process paved the way for current HIPPY Mentor Anna to participate in the Marang Dhali training, continuing the commitment to support implementation of the program in the local community.