The SEED Project HUB hosted not-for-profit organisation PLACE on its Community Roadshow and Listening Tour.
Photo by
Billie Davern
During its 10-week Community Roadshow and Listening Tour, PLACE made a stop in Seymour to hear the stories emerging from the SEED Project.
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PLACE, or Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment, is an organisation that aims to foster growth in communities by making sure they are equipped and empowered with all they need to flourish.
The vision of PLACE is to ensure that communities and governments share decision-making by forming collaborative partnerships.
PLACE’s tour has been running since March 25 and will end on June 13, after having stopped in towns across the country.
The aims of the tour are to hear the stories of local community groups, organisations and people; share and refine PLACE’s work; and explore partnerships in towns.
On Thursday, April 3, PLACE representatives Andrew Davitt, director of collaborative solutions, and Jen Rose, PLACE historian in residence, visited the SEED Project HUB to assess SEED’s impact on the local community and listen to any suggestions on how to enhance PLACE’s work.
“We’re going out and meeting with organisations that are doing place-based work to hear, not just what they’re doing, but how they went from zero to where they are now, what challenges they’ve had over that period, and what they want in the future to help support them,” Mr Davitt said.
“I think they (SEED) have a really different governance structure.
“It’s a really interesting model in terms of bringing together different organisations and acting as the stitching together of support that people need.”
The listening tour was attended by SEED staff, members of other organisations, such as OurPlace, and former participants in SEED programs Justine Delzotto and Jo Evans.
Attendees, including SEED staff, members of other local organisations and previous SEED participants gathered to hear SEED’s story and offer advice to PLACE on how to refine its work.
Photo by
Billie Davern
Ms Delzotto and Ms Evans both shared heartfelt accounts of how SEED had touched their lives.
“There has been important impacts on myself,” Ms Evans said.
“It’s holistic, they don’t just take bits and pieces, but they look at the whole of you, and then they make up these individualised programs, so it suits everyone.
“There are so many women just like me, and they’re lost, and they’re stuck.
“Every time I do a workshop, I meet women who are from all different backgrounds, and the one thing we have in common is that we want to be active members of our community: we grow at our own pace, and we celebrate every goal we kick.”
Ms Delzotto said she was able to overcome barriers in her life because of support from SEED staff and the programs they facilitated.
“I found myself in a rut and needed to make that change in my world,” Ms Delzotto said.
“I’m proud to say I’ve pushed myself because I’ve got the moral support, the social support, if I needed any outside services, I would be referred on to them.
“SEED is very important to have because there are a lot of women in this area who are self-isolated.
“SEED can help you find your inner strength and lift yourself up, it’s a really encouraging environment that says, ‘you do have a place in this world and in your community’.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you look like, we’re all the same when we walk through these doors.”
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