Join in, Join Up! Join a Community Group.

AN INITIATIVE OF:

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:

ourcommunity.com.au

The Telstra Foundation and Our Community share a goal to help every Australian reach their full potential

Recognising that being engaged with the local community can benefit every individual, Our Community’s Join In, Join Up! program encourages people to get involved in a local group. Whether they’re focussed on sports, arts, culture, health or any other passion that they share, belonging to a community group keeps people connected to their community.

From providing a forum for new mums to share baby stories, to getting fit with the local netball team, or having someone to discuss a serious illness or addiction with, there’s a connection out there that every person can benefit from.

Community groups are an invaluable support network of local people with whom to share experiences, both good and bad and a place to find support.

The first step to getting involved is finding out what’s happening in your community, then going along and joining in.

Join in, Join Up! is making the process easier than ever, and the Telstra Foundation is proud to be supporting them in this initiative.

Herb Elliott, AC, MBE Telstra Foundation Chairman

TP_A5Ad.indd 1 18/6/09 2:31:41 PM

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Join in, Join Up! Get Connected.Community groups provide a great way to help others and make new friends and get things done – but joining in and joining up isn’t just about making a contribution, it’s good for your physical and mental health as well.

Join a Community Group. You’ll Be Glad You Did.People who plunge wholeheartedly into the life of the community – people who play team sports and join committees and sing in choirs – get back more than they put in.

• It’sgoodforyourhealth

• Itprovidesyouwithtop-of-the-linepeoplemanagementskills

• Itlinksyouupwithexpertnetworks,and

• Itgivesyouachancetogetyourvoiceheardonissuesofcollectiveimportance.

Have a look at the groups that are important to you right now – and those that can be important in the future.

Whatever your interests are, there’s a community group out there waiting for you to join up. There are 700,000 such groups across Australia and you can join as many as you like – most of us belong to at least two.

Come alonG anD Be part of Ít all.

ContentsOur Supporters 4

Arts & Culture 5

Animal Welfare 6

Children & Family 7

Ten Tips to Ease Your Way Into a New Community Group 8

Community Communication & Advocacy 9

Community Services 10

Disability 11

Economic Development 12

Education, Employment, & Training 13

Ten Tips to Make Your Community Group More Welcoming 14

Emergency & Safety 15

Environment, Conservation, & Heritage 16

Faith & Spirituality 17

Health & Wellbeing 18

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Indigenous 19

International 20

Multicultural 21

Ten Tips to Ease Your Way Into a New Community Group 22

Older People 23

Rural & Regional Development 24

Science & Technology 25

Sport & Recreation 26

Women 27

Youth 28

Ten Tips on Starting a New Community Group 29

Additional Resources 30

The Australian Community Sector 31

Where to Go and How to Search the Website 32

About the Join In Join Up! Program 33

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Telstra’s philanthropic fund the Telstra Foundation supports community organisations that share its vision of making a positive and lasting difference to the lives of Australia’s children. Its Community Development Fund is funding Join In Join Up! as part of its program to create meaningful connections between people and their communities.

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) works in partnership with other government and non-government organisations in the management of a diverse range of programs and services designed to support and improve the lives of Australians. FaHCSIA is committed to helping communities by promoting strong community partnerships and encouraging all members, from individuals to businesses, to make a difference.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is a national employers’ organisation which was established in 1928. Its members are owners of some 4,500 pharmacies throughout Australia. Community pharmacists, as the most accessible healthcare professionals, are ideally placed to help Australians engage in community groups for better health.

Our Community is a world-leading social enterprise that provides a one-stop-shop of essential resources and tools for Australia’s 700,000 community groups and schools, and practical linkages between the community sector and the general public, business and government.

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our SupportersJoin In, Join Up! is an initiative of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and Our Community, and is proudly supported by the Telstra Foundation and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

arts & CultureBooks, films, and music – we all spend enormous chunks of our lives passively taking culture in. If you want to take the next step and give some of it back, there are all sorts of groups you can join.

WHAT’S yOUr HeArT’S DeSIre?

Book clubs, film clubs, art clubs, amateur theatres, choirs – there are so many ways to let your creativity out in company. Find yourself an audience. Develop your talents. Talk about what you care about.

• Artisasocialfunction All arts need a knowledgeable audience – people who know how it works and what’s

involved. The more you do it at your level, the better you’ll understand it at theirs.

• Watchingitislessfunthandoingit Get off the couch, turn off Australian Idol or Dancing with the Stars and go out and find

people who are singing and dancing in real life. Choirs and line dancing have room for people at all skill levels.

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DOn’T Be SHy

You’re not going to be the worst performer there – at least, not for long. They’ve seen worse. They were beginners themselves, once. You’ll soon catch up.

We share this world with all kinds of other species, and we don’t always give them the respect we ought. even where we’re not deliberately cruel we may be thoughtless, neglectful, selfish, uninterested. Animals need someone to keep an eye on their interests.

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THe AnIMAlS WenT In TWO By TWO

We keep pets, and we want the best for Missy, or Tiger or Spot or Rex, and for all the other cats and dogs and bunny rabbits out there. And outside the fence, we worry about Skippy and Blinky Bill and the Tasmanian Devil.

• Specialise:Some clubs work with just one breed of animal – raising them, grooming them, exhibiting them, and becoming expert in everything about them. Is that you?

• Generalise:Some clubs see the animal within the wider ecology, preserving the

environment and fighting off threats to the habitat, local and global. Is that your thing?

All CreATUreS GreAT AnD SMAll

If getting your hands dirty is not your thing, there are still a lot of options for you to contribute to animal welfare. Put your lobbying skills to good use by joining a group that’s advocating to improve the lot of our feathered and furry friends.

animal Welfare

Children & family

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Families come in all shapes and sizes, but whatever their form, there are no university courses to teach you how to be a good parent – you have to pick it up as you go along, learning from the people who’ve already done it. And when you’ve seen it done right, you want to share.

FAMIlIeS UnDer STreSS

Keeping a family together is never easy, and sometimes it’s next to impossible. Poverty or illness or catastrophe can throw a family into a crisis. Could you help them to pull through?

Become a volunteer.

• Local:Your area probably has a respite home and a children’s camp and a family op shop and a play group, and they all need people to chip in with the chores. Good neighbours help out.

• International:Australian children are luckier than most. They haven’t had to grow up with wars going on around them, or famines, or city-sized slums. There are people trying to do something about this – are you one of them?

CHIlDren Are THe FUTUre

If a family goes wrong, the damage rip-ples out for generations. Investing your time in strengthening families is among the most productive ways to live. Many groups touch on this area – choose one.

10 tips to ease Your Way Into a new Community Group...

1. folloW YoUr Heart Find a cause or a social activity you’re passionate about – one that involves

you and satisfies you.

2. tWo’S CompanY Take a friend along. You can support each other, and you’ll have someone to

discuss it with while you’re getting to know the scene.

3. reaD tHe manUal There should be an induction manual, and there certainly ought to be a

constitution and some other materials that will help you to get to know the group a little better.

4. fInD a mentor Ask one of the longer standing members to show you the ropes. Get them to

write down people’s names, too: you’ll never remember them all on the first day.

5. tHere are no StUpÍD QUeStIonS If you don’t understand something, don’t hesitate to say so.

6. CUt tHem Some SlaCk Unless you’re joining the Utopia Paradise Club, you’ll find that some people

are sometimes irritating. Grin and bear it.

7. tHere’S no SUCH perSon aS SomeBoDY When you see something that needs doing, don’t just say “Somebody ought to

fix that,” and walk away. Fix it yourself.

8. look to tHe lonG HaUl Don’t expect to have everything hunky-dory immediately, and don’t expect

people to let you run the place on your first day.

9. plaY to YoUr StrenGtHS You’ve got specialist skills and things you’re particularly good at. Make sure

the group knows what they are so that they can put you where you’re most needed.

10. tHe fÍrSt tÍme ÍS tHe HarDeSt You don’t have to confine yourself to one community group. Widen your

horizons and lend a hand over the road as well.

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Community Communication & advocacy

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People who can’t speak up for themselves need someone to help give them a voice. People who aren’t listening need someone who can get their attention.

JOIn UP. SPeAk OUT.

You might feel strongly about something but you’re only one person – until you join a community group. When you’ve got an organisation behind you you’ve got enough clout to break through with the media or the Minister.

• Speakoutforindividuals:Some people have had bad luck and need assistance finding their way through the bureaucratic maze. They need someone to walk them through it. How about you?

• Speakoutforcauses:Governments are busy, and they haven’t got your dedication to the issue. They may need reminding of where the right course points. A community group can help convince them.

even THe BeST GOvernMenT neeDS A PUSH nOW AnD AGAIn

From writing a letter to the minister to organising a national day of protest, you have to have an organisation behind you if you’re going to have an influence.

© Ilona Diessner /Albany &

Regional Volunteer Service

Community ServicesIn life and in death and everywhere between, community groups are helping people. Without them our system would collapse into misery and helplessness. Join the army of helpers that make our society go.

DOInG OUr BIT

Old people, young people, sick people, people in need of every kind – they all get services from volunteer agencies. Whoever and whichever way you want to help, you can.

• Incrisis:There are groups that provide help for people who are homeless, hungry, in financial difficulties or at the end of their tether. Groups that provide school uniforms and books, a lift to the nearest town for a doctor’s appointment or a little time to listen and connect. There are groups helping to fight fires, rescue those lost at sea and save the environment.

• Preventingcrises:Many groups assist in averting crises by offering support and links with others, someone to reach out to. Support groups, progress associations, neighbourhood and community houses: all help promote a healthy society.

MUTUAl OBlIGATIOn

The traffic isn’t all one way, of course. At some times you help, and at other times other people help you. And they’ll help you more readily if there’s a strong public culture of volunteering for other; and the way to build that tradition is to volunteer. Pass the good around; it’ll come back to you sooner or later.

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Disabilitynineteen per cent of Australians have a disability – nearly one in five. And if you haven’t got a disability now you may get one as you grow older. It’s in everybody’s interest to get these things right.

THere’S nO HelP lIke SelF HelP

People with disabilities set up their own groups. There are groups for family members or friends. There are groups for particular disabilities and for disability rights in general. Somewhere out there there’s a match for you.

• Onedisability,onegroup:Every disability has a group of its own where people can come together to socialise, organise for services and exchange advice.

• Alldisabilities,alltogether:People with disabilities have common interests and common goals, and there are groups for this, too.

nO lIMITS

If you have a disability yourself, by all means join up with other people with the same condition, but don’t stop there – do your bit for diversity by joining any community group that takes your fancy.

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If an organisation can harness the energy of commerce behind the good of the community it’s an almost unstoppable force. When local business gets together it can reach in to almost every aspect of life.

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• Forus: Business dynamism is an immensely powerful force, and when it can be harnessed to

the development of a town or region or industry this will kickstart many schemes of civic improvement.

SHAre yOUr InSIGHTS

Running your own business gives you skills in management, salesmanship, and people. Putting your heads together gives you perspective, understanding, and cooperation. Good things will come from that.

economic Development

keeP THe COMMUnITy MOvInG

• Foryou: Networking with local

movers and shakers introduces you to the way the system really works. It’s a chance to build your credits and your skills and to try out your capacity at local governance on an informal basis.

education, employment & training 13

eDUCATIOn IS All ArOUnD

Your old school, your kids’ school, the school you walk past to get to the shops , the local kindergarten, the school attached to your church, the evening course in your com-munity language – there are so many points where education touches your life and your ideals. Could one of them use your help?

• Parents&Friends: Across Australia, about one volunteer hour in eight goes into education. Schools both rely heavily on the help of support organisations, which rely on you.

• Learners&citizens: Education doesn’t stop at the school gate – there are thousands of groups involved in educating the public about practically everything from Alzheimer’s to Zoos. Help them get the word out.

THere CAn never Be TOO MUCH leArnInG In THe WOrlD

Think of what we owe the people who taught us. Think of what we ought to give back to the next generation. Think how you can get into a group that’s helping.

kindergartens, schools, colleges, adult learning houses, universities and training courses always need extra support if they’re to carry out their task of educating our young people to operate in a rapidly changing world. Can they call on you?

10 tips to make Your Community Group more Welcoming...Is your community group in good shape to start taking on new members? Are you open, flexible, friendly, and welcoming?14

1. look oUtSÍDe Commit your group to bringing in new blood. Don’t let your organisation clog up

with the same old faces.

2. aSk aroUnD Don’t just wait for people to come to you. Ask your members to nominate those

friends who’d be interested.

3. look Ín neW plaCeS Australia is changing fast – change with it. Do you need to translate your flyers

into new languages?

4. make aCCommoDatÍonS There are people out there who would join up if they weren’t kept out by

unnecessary difficulties. Is your clubhouse wheelchair-accessible? Does the food you serve take account of differing cultural and physical dietary requirements? Conduct an audit.

5. Get Ít Ín WrÍtÍnG You all know what the group’s policies and practices are, because you’ve been

there forever. New people need it all written down in an induction manual.

6. Go onlÍne Every year more of our business and more of our enjoyment migrates to the

internet. Set up a welcoming webpage.

7. fÍnD tHem a mentor When a new member signs up, match them up with an old hand who can show

them the ropes.

8. BrÍnG tHem on

After they’ve been involved for a bit, invite them to come on to a sub-committee, and use that as a tryout for bigger things.

9. SHoW YoU appreCÍate tHem

You can’t pay your volunteers, so you have to reward them in other ways. Be lavish with praise. Show them respect. Listen.

10. ÍnveSt Ín tHe fUtUre It’s all worth it. Unless your group puts in the work it needs to do to make itself

more inclusive, welcoming and relevant, you’re nowhere.

emergency & SafetyFire, flood, famine – whenever a disaster happens there’ll be thousands of people fleeing and a small number going the other way. They’re the crisis team. Does that sound like you?

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WHen yOU’re neeDeD, yOU’re reAlly, reAlly neeDeD

Emergency services and disaster relief groups rely on volunteers to help them save lives and reduce suffering. If you want to belong to a group where people are very happy to see you, join up.

• InAustralia What disasters might some day turn up

on your doorstep? Who can you train with to be ready if it happens? Don’t leave it too late.

• Aroundtheworld Everything happens, somewhere. The earth

shakes, the sea rises, the forests burn – somebody, somewhere, wants help, by the million. There are groups you can join that can provide that help.

An ever-PreSenT HelP In TIMe OF TrOUBle

If community means anything, it means that neighbours help each other when trouble comes – and band together so they can help more effectively. Do as you would be done by.

environment, Conservation, & HeritageThe environment is everything that’s out there. So it’s big, and it needs you now more than ever. We all have to work together on this one, individually and collectively.

© Landcare Australia

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IF We IGnOre THe PrOBleM, IT’ll GO AWAy. (TAkInG US All WITH IT.)

Human beings have shown that we’re powerful enough to change the climate, raise the oceans, and exterminate other species. Now we’re finding out whether we’re powerful enough to stop it.

Together.

• Greengrassroots:What’s at risk right now in your neighbourhood? Find out who’s out there organising to protect it. Get your street behind you. Make yourself heard.

• Atthepeak:Governments sometimes need to be pushed by something large enough to do the pushing. That’s what the big environment groups are for. But they can’t do it without you.

THInk GlOBAl OrGAnISe lOCAlYou can choose not to go to sing in the choir .. You can decide not to play sports. You can decide never to join a group to share experiences. But you can’t decide not to live in the environment. You may not be interested in ecology, but ecology is interested in you.

faith & SpiritualityFor thousands of years humanity has been wrestling with the big questions about life and death and all that’s in between. If you’re a seeker after truth, find a group you trust to lead you forward.

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CAn yOU MAke IT On yOUr OWn?

Many human beings yearn for something greater and deeper than that which we see around us. There are groups out there that can guide you.

• Striving:All faiths stress the duties we owe to our fellow humans. Every tradition has many, many groups to channel its good works. Join up and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

• Giving:Australian religious institutions get more than one in three of our charity dollars, and about one in six of all hours volunteered. Get with the strength.

THe SPIrITUAl IS SOCIAl

Whenever two or three people are gathered together in one room there is always the potential for spiritual growth.

Health & Wellbeing

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GOOD HeAlTH IS A PreCIOUS GIFT

The fight against disease is a struggle that’s been going since the birth of the human race – a fight that’s both universal and ut-terly personal for each of us. But don’t wait for bad fortune to strike – join a community group that can help you get active.• Cure:Hospitals and clinics are the front

line of the struggle, protecting us all. They rely on a vast pool of volunteers. Would you like to be one of them?

• MutualSupport: Illness - acute or long term – brings anxiety, stress and

the need to talk and share. There are thousands of mutual support groups for every type of illness or disease.

They are comforting, informative and very helpful to others newer to the condition. What about joining one?

JUST JOInInG A GrOUP IS GOOD FOr yOUr HeAlTH

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – if you don’t belong to a community group, it affects your health for the worse.

Join up, join in, and live longer.

When we’re under threat, we join together. The biggest risk to our health and our lives are our diseases and our accidents, and we have to join together to defeat them or cure them. (And we can also join together to ward them off.)

lndigenousThe oldest culture in the world in one of the younger nations. That’s got to present some challenges. But there are lots of opportunities as well.

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yOUr COUnTry. yOUr CUlTUre.

What part will you play in the post-Sorry era?

• Belonging:There are groups based on a common history of dispossession and discrimination, groups where indigenous people can share their stories and be among their own. You’ll fit right in.

• Sharing:Share what you know through arts groups, theatre groups, heritage groups, language groups.

MeeTInGS THAT MATTer

Indigenous people have their own approach to meetings and decision making – acknowledging people’s heritage, patiently listening, taking as much time as necessary to settle on an option. Don’t give these away. Work in both traditions.

lnternationalThis is the lucky country. There are a lot of other countries that have had some bad luck – and one of the great things about Australia is that we don’t mind helping out. There are groups that are pitching in across the globe to help with food, shelter, diseases, and human rights. Join up and share the luck.

20 WHerever A CHIlD GOeS HUnGry

There’s a need for a helping hand. Whether you’re concerned with AIDS in Africa, bandages for Bangladesh, conservation in Columbia, diabetes in Denpasar, or any problem anywhere, you’ll be able to find a group that wants you to join in the efforts to do something about it.

• Peopleneedfood:Even in the years between typhoons and earthquakes millions of people around the world are trapped in grinding poverty. Your work can provide the leverage to pry their villages out of the old ruts.

• Peopledemandrights:Poverty and distress are exacerbated by governments that ignore the plight of their people, oppressing them for gain or repressing them for security or warring on them for speaking out. Show them that someone’s taking an interest.

WHO IS My neIGHBOUr?

We live in a global village. Our TV sets drop us down right next to people half a world away. Make a more meaningful connection. Take the time to learn about other ways of thinking and doing.

Bree Manley / Australian Volunteers International

multiculturalAustralia is a mosaic of communities brought together from around the world. Our ancestors came here from many countries – or we did. Our children will need to be tutored in the traditions that nurtured our culture. We will need to keep the old ways alive and learn how to make them relevant to new circumstances.

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A PIeCe OF THe OlD COUnTry

A healthy society can draw on the treasures of many cultures. It’s in everybody’s interests that we get together to learn from each other and share what we know.

• CommunitySupport:When people are in distress or want, they come to their own community first, and their own community will help. Which communities do you most identify with?

• CommunityCulture:The dances, dress, songs, romances, and epics of

every culture on Earth are a treasure to be preserved and developed and shared. Bollywood, csardas, gamelan, haggis, injera, kimchi, latkes, Roquefort, shakuhachi, tapas – what’s not to like? Drop in and immerse yourself.

GOlD FOr AUSTrAlIA

One thing Australia is good at is not being all one thing. We mix and match and shuffle until everybody is happy. It’s a wonderful thing to be part of. Come along and show us how it’s done.

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ten reasons to Join a Community Group1. Ít’S GooD for YoUr HealtH Studiesshowthathavingagoodsocialnetworkextendsyourlife,keepsyou

healthy, and staves off mental deterioration.

2. YoU meet neW frÍenDS Get to know new people and work with them on things you all care about.

How many people have met their future partners at the club?

3. YoU make neW ContaCtS Keeping your networks in good repair helps you to see opportunities when

they come up and gives you people to call when you want help.

4. YoU learn neW SkÍllS You can learn workplace skills from being a volunteer. You can learn governance

skills – committee management, business planning – from joining a Committee.

5. Ít’S GooD for tHe CommUnÍtY The more people work together and get to be familiar with the way things work

around the area, the more people support each other through the tough times.

6. YoU Can folloW YoUr ÍntereStS Whatever you like to do, there are other people out there who like it too.

Join a group and you can share your passion.

7. YoU Can BUÍlD Up YoUr Cv If you’re applying for a tertiary place, or a new job, or a new relationship, it helps

to be able to point to the unselfish efforts you’re putting in for the community.

8. YoU Can learn HoW to WÍn YoUr BattleS Experienceinoperatingaspartofacommunitygroupgivesyouthetoolsyou

need to get your voice heard in the centres of power.

9. YoU Can make a ContrÍBUtÍon We all want to make the world a better place, even if it’s only by making sure

our team has its turn at taking the flag.

10. Ít’S GooD for tHe CoUntrY Australia needs a strong civil society, where the government and business don’t run everything and people manage their own organisations for community goals.

older peopleAfter 60 or so years of personal growth and development you’ve got so much more to give – and still so much more to learn. Join up today.

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keeP yOUr MInD ACTIve. leArn SOMeTHInG neW

People who join community groups live longer lives, in general, and keep their wits about them longer. You’ll never be 21 again, but you can still be doing new things when you’re 101, and it may be even more fun then.

• Keepyourstrengthup: Older people need a strong voice in Canberra to make sure that their interests aren’t

overlooked in the rush of lobbyists. Join one of the groups that’s representing you in the corridors of power.

• Don’tletitbelost: Family history, oral history, creative writing – there’s going to come a time when the

younger generation is going to want to know what things were really like way back then, and you won’t always be there to tell them. Get it on the record now.

TIMe On yOUr HAnDS? GO HAnDS-On

Once you retire you’ve got the time to put more into your organisational commitments. Many groups couldn’t survive without the contribution made by retirees.

rural & regional DevelopmentAustralia is the most urbanised society on earth, and if you live out of reach of a freeway you can be overlooked when they’re handing out the goodies. Country people have to work twice as hard to break even. But don’t work harder – join in and join up.

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everyBODy neeDS SOMeBODy TO leAn On, SOMeTIMeS

Country people belong to more groups than city people.

They know the value of that helping hand.

Today you need help, tomorrow it’ll be me – that’s the basis of country life.

• Countrypeople’sgroups: Social groups, civic groups, community services – in the country, if you don’t join together and do it yourself it won’t get done. So you do. Join in and get to know the locals.

• Groupsforcountrypeople: Country people need to get their voice heard. There are groups whose job this is - associations, co-ops, parties, campaign committees. If you have a point to make, bring it here.

every lInk IS PreCIOUS

Rural communities survive as a network of relationships – places to exchange in-formation and anecdotes and obligations. Every group that folds punches a hole in this web, every new group darns a rift. Do your bit to repair the fabric.

Science & technologyScience is a marvellously powerful and always fascinating thing, and you can’t do better then let yourself be caught up by its spell.

THe TrUTH IS OUT THere

• Educate:What knowledge and skills do you have that you can offer to help others catch the science bug? There’s a group out there that is looking for you.

• GetEducated:Interested in why the sky is blue or your hair is red or why we have dreams or if there is really a chance that there’s life on other planets? Find out what fascinates you and then find a group that can help you find out more.

never-enDInG STOry

It’s all good, and it’s never finished. There’s something for all tastes and all visions. Join in if you want to keep up.

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Sport & recreationAustralians have a proud tradition of watching sporting excellence on Tv. Some of us even go to the extent of joining a club and doing it ourselves. Come along and join us.

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WHen TOO MUCH SPOrT IS never enOUGH

There are clubs out there for people who hit a ball with a club or a mallet or a bat or a paddle or a racquet, or roll a ball over grass, or hit a shuttlecock or jog around a field, or lift weights or jump or swim or walk. Something for everyone, especially you.

• What’sinitforyou:Participating in sports keeps you fit, bonds you to the community, and provides you with your own personalised entertainment module. You don’t have to be world champion – look for a personal best.

• What’sinitforthecommunity:Sports promote health, socialise children and young people, and bring communities together – large and small – to build trust through a common endeavour. Oh, and they’re fun, too.

Any WHICH WAy

Do it as part of a team or do it solo. Do it yourself, or watch someone else do it. Be the player or the coach. There’s a sport for everyone and a place for everyone within a sport.

WomenThere are groups where everybody of all genders works together, and then there are groups where men and women separate to follow their own interests or their own needs or their own challenges. Is one of them right for you?

WOMen’S BUSIneSS

With a common history of discrimination, women need each other’s support. With a common vulnerability to violence, women need each other’s protection. With a common susceptibility to certain types of illnesses, women need each other’s understanding.

• Chatandchew:Just the mere act of coming together over a cuppa and a biscuit can make you feel safer, more supported, more useful, more connected.

• Chatanddo:What contribution can you make to ensuring women take their proper place at the board table, behind the CEO’s desk, in academia, in the courts, on the sports fields, in the halls of power, in homes? There are groups you can join that are working for equality.

rInG THe CHAnGeS

For several thousand years the world has been run along men’s lines to please men. Women are just getting their hands on the levers of power. Don’t assume that things are going to go on exactly as they were. There’s room for improvement. What would you like to alter?

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ten tips on Starting a new Community Group1. folloW YoUr Heart Make sure you’re really committed; don’t dash into the first idea that comes along.

The time will come when you’ll ask if it’s all worth it. You need to know the answer.

2. Be ConCrete Asfaraspossible,knowexactlywhatchangesyouwanttobringaboutintheworld.

The tighter your focus, the better your chances of getting what you want.

3. Do YoUr BUDGet Sit down and sketch out the resources you’ll need to get to the other side of your

plans. Is the money there?

4. Don’t reÍnvent tHe WHeel It’s a lot of work to set up a group; it’s a lot less work to join one. Make sure nobody

else is already doing that job.

5. CHeCk YoUr DÍarY You can sometimes get more money, but you can’t get more than 168 hours in a

week. How many of those can you spare?

6. fInD tHe CommÍttee fÍrSt Round up the people who care and persuade them to join you. If you can’t sell it to

them, you won’t win over anybody else.

7. DUmp YoUr eGo There is going to be criticism, there are going to be compromises , there are going

to be misunderstandings. Don’t take them personally.

8. Get onlÍne If you put up what you’re interested in then anyone else in the world can find you

and join up.

9. Be patÍent Lifeisn’taone-hourTVepisode.Achievingourgoalstakesalongtime,andthere

are setbacks, but usually it will be worth it.

10. Hope for tHe BeSt, plan for tHe WorSt Never lose the vision you set out with. Never believe you won’t get there. And never forgetMurphy’sLawisgoingtobewithyoualltheway.Behopeful,andbeflexible.

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YouthIt’s a challenging world, and it’s not going to get any easier, and young people are going to need all the help they can get preparing themselves to deal with it. They’re also going to be wanting a bit of fun along the way!

OPPOrTUnITIeS AnD BArrIerS

Many things can hold a person back in life – family problems, poverty, homelessness, learning difficulties, disability. Community groups can provide the resources and the sympathy and the mentoring that can help carry a young person over these hurdles.

• Olderpeoplehelpingyoungpeople:

You can’t put old heads on young shoulders, but you can get everybody’s heads together to find a way forward.

• Youngpeoplehelpingthemselves:

Young people want to have their voice heard, and there are organisations which build young people into an effective force that can demonstrate some clout. Young people listen to young people, and open up to someone of their own age.

yOU’re Only yOUnG OnCeAnd you want to get it right. Helping young people is investing in the future of the country.

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PeOPle WITH A lOnGer TerM IllneSS

DISABIlITy

CArerS

neW PArenTS

PeOPle WITH A MenTAl HeAlTH ISSUe

OlDer PeOPle

MUlTICUlTUrAl

PeOPle WHO Are lOnely

PeOPle exPerIenCInG GrIeF

Talk to the pharmacy staff about how they can help you access these resources or take a look for yourself at: www.ourcommunity.com.au/atrisk

additional resourcesJoining a community group has health benefits for everyone but specific groups may have even more to gain by joining in and joining up. Additional resources have been created through the ‘Join In, Join Up!’ projectfor:

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Joining up is good for you. Here’s how we know. WHat tHe CommUnItY SeCtor DoeS for USNot-for-profit organisations provide employment for 600,000 Australians – 6.5% of the labour force and almost 12% of private employees. They spend over $30 billion dollars, 5.5% of GDP.

WHat We Do for tHe CommUnItY SeCtorOf adult Australians, 41% volunteered in the year to January 2005 giving an estimated 836 million hours of their time at an average of 132 hours per year per volunteer. The median for volunteering hours was 44, half volunteering more and half less than this amount.

WHY Ít’S GooD for USThere’s a large body of hard evidence that says how you fit into your community is just as important for your health as anything you do yourself. Exercising is good for you, eating well is good for you, but neither of them is as good for you as having a supportive network of family, friends, and colleagues to interact with.

Social integration leads to reduced mortality risks, and to a better state of mental and physical health. Social isolation lowers your immune function, socially supportive interactions have the opposite effect. Volunteering boosts your health and your sense of wellbeing.

People stay healthy if they have confidence in their friends and their work and their lives. Social bonds help us understand the world as coherent and meaningful.

JoÍn Ín, JoÍn Up! You’ll live longer, in better health, and you’ll be making a contribution that you can be proud of. Everybody wins.

“Controlling for your blood chemistry, age, gender, whether or not you jog, and for all other risk factors, your chances of dying over the course of the next year are cut in half by joining one group, and cut to a quarter by joining two groups.

”

Putnam, R., 2001, Social Capital Measurement and Consequences, Canadian Journal of Policy Research, 2(1):41-51

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Where to Go and How to Search the WebsiteSearch the Our Community Directories of Community Organisations now to contact some of the 700,000 community, education and non-profit groups that make Australia such an exciting and diverse place to live.

By clicking on the icons you can search for community groups that are relevant to you - no matter what your interests or needs or where in Australia you live.

Select a directory that interests you - you have 21 to choose from - then narrow your search by entering your postcode or local government area.

Help build community by supporting, joining, donating or volunteering to the community groups that make a difference in your life.

Take a look also at the other Join In, Join Up! pages to find out more about the project.

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www.ourcommunity.com.au/joinin

about the Join In Join Up! program Our Community, The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and the Telstra Foundation have united to create the exciting ‘Join In, Join Up!' project. Our Community is a world-leading social enterprise that provides advice and tools for Australia's 700,000 community groups and schools, and practical linkages between the community sector and the general public, business and government.

Harnessing the potential of The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s 5,000 community pharmacies across Australia to be major resources for the community, our goal is to get the message out to as many people as possible that joining a community organisation can have huge benefits for your health.

Through the ‘Join In, Join Up!’ project pharmacists and pharmacy assistants can help you ‘get connected’ with a great community group in your local area.

Talk to the pharmacy staff about the benefits of joining a community group, and obtain details of community groups you may be interested in.

‘Join In, Join Up!’ web pages on the Our Community website, provide a range of resources on finding a community group to join or making your group more inclusive. Take a look at www.ourcommunity.com.au/joinin

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www.ourcommunity.com.au/joinin