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Finalists - Community Organisation
Sponsored by the David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research
Awarded to a non-government or community-based organisation with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in the Australian community.
A community organisation is a self-funded not-for-profit organisation that operates within a single local community or as a subset of a wider group of not-for-profit organisations.
The finalists for 2011 are:
Swags for Homeless - Winner
Swags for Homeless was founded by Tony Clark when he questioned why homeless people sleeping on the street are not given suitable outdoor bedding when turned away from shelters.
Swags for Homeless partners with over 100 charities across Australia to distribute 'Backpack Beds' directly to homeless people in need.
The backpack bed is designed to help give the homeless dignity, self-esteem, health, sleep, comfort and safety. Three thousand Backpack Beds were distributed in the last 12 months, with distribution numbers limited only by public and corporate funding.
Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation
WDNWPT is a small non-government community-controlled health service based in Alice Springs. The organisation aims to improve the lives of people suffering from end stage renal failure and help them to maintain links with family and country. Their influence goes beyond the Western Desert and has forced government to rethink policy and resourcing for services in remote communities.
Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE)
Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) has worked at the intersection of arts, community and technology in Western Sydney for more than 20 years.
Through digital stories, film, urban music and any other medium with a pulse or a pixel, ICE projects tell the stories and provide the platform for diverse and marginalised voices to be heard in Australian cultural life.
ICE also manages Switch, Western Sydney's state-of-the-art multimedia and digital arts access centre, in partnership with Parramatta Council, and the Switch Academy offers cost-effective digital training to the public.
Kids Helpline - BoysTown
Kids Helpline is a free confidential 24 hour counselling service specifically for young Australians up to 25 years of age. For a quarter of a century, Kids Helpline has been lending an ear and offering support to children and young people on anything ranging from discussions about family, friends and school to child abuse, suicide, self-harming, bullying, mental health, and homelessness.
Kids Helpline has incorporated new technologies over time and extended into email and web counselling, with more than 466,000 attempts to contact Kids Helpline last year.
The Community (Organisation) Award is sponsored by David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research
