A story of resilience, connection, community-led governance
Community led groups and organisations taking control of community led initiatives.
The COCB was a response from community groups across QLD to the 2012 Newman Government, when massive funding cuts were introduced that threatened the viability of many community groups and social programs. The silver lining to these funding cuts was it brought together board members, community workers and academics to trial new ways of working, recording their findings and building resilience through focusing on supporting good governance in community boards.
This coalition was the beginning of a statewide movement with several chapters across the Queensland especially active in areas North and South of Brisbane, Whitsundays, Isaac, and Mackay regions, and Sunshine Coast.
The COCB has grown from strength to strength, holding onto the original vision of building capacity and resilience through supporting the governance of small voluntary-run community organisations.
The Sunshine Coast COCB became an arm of an existing piece of collaborative infrastructure, the Sunshine Coast Community Cooperative Ltd. Through this simple, yet very effective Co-op structure, the COCB has been able to attract resources and partner with others to ensure its future.
Other larger community organisations on the Coast have played a key role in shaping the COCB, none more so than Caloundra Community Centre that has provided administrative and managerial support, enabling the Co-op and COCB to continue its important work of supporting small community boards.
The Co-op and COCB now are one entity called the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards Co-operative Ltd. This does not limit the ongoing wider collaborations the COCB was formed for.
“Over the last few years, I have attended a number of the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards training courses, both online and in person. I find their training well prepared and both informative and enjoyable to attend.
I often share with my friends in Brisbane about the benefits of this training being offered here on the Sunshine Coast and they are impressed with the initiative.
I am convinced that the training is crucial to members who are new on committees and have little background or preparation for serving on such board/committees.”
– Briar Willard Committee member Nambour Community Centre –