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Welcome to the first edition of the AWE Newsletter for 2023

 

 
 

 

 
 

AWE News

 

 
 

AWE in 2023

Welcome back AWE members! AWE is looking forward to another exciting year promoting, supporting and recognising women in emergencies and disaster resilience. Our new Committee has met to plan a range of member benefits, activities and opportunities for the year, including events, scholarships, mentoring, networking, newsletters, Australasian Women in Emergencies Day, and more.

If you’ve got any ideas about how AWE can support you, we’d love to hear from you! Please email us with your ideas.  

Philippa Woolf Scholarship 

The Philippa Woolf Scholarships will be made available to AWE members again in 2023. We’ll be emailing members soon with details of the Scholarship and how to apply. 

                             

AWE-inspiring!

The recent Australia Day 2023 Honours List recognised the outstanding service and contributions of 1,047 Australians. Of those awarded, 48 per cent were women, the highest percentage since the honours system began in 1975. Taryn Brumfitt was announced Australian of the Year in recognition of her important work tackling body shaming and focusing on body acceptance.

AWE members who received an award in 2023 include:

  • Kerrie Gray, Volunteer, Australian Red Cross, Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia 
  • Mandy Denby, Director, Tasmanian Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Public Service Medal
  • Toni Clarke, Volunteer SA SES, Emergency Services Medal
  • Belinda Young, Founder Mums of the Hills, Victorian Local Hero of the Year
Congratulations to these AWEsome members and all women recipients.
International Women’s Day 6 March 2023

AWE is planning a range of events and opportunities to celebrate International Women’s Day. We’ll email members with more details, and you can also keep an eye on our events page for information.

AWE will also once again join the Emergency Services Foundation at their International Women’s Day event on Monday 6 March in Melbourne. Details can be found here – please contact your organisation or agency to arrange bookings.

Nominations are now open for the Queensland Office of the Inspector-General of Emergency Management 2023 International Women’s Day Awards. Click here for more information. Nominations close 10 February. 

 

 

 
 

AWE Events

 

 
 

AWE Open Discussion: Flood reflections

Wednesday 22 February
12pm AEDT

The 2022 northern rivers floods, the widespread floods across other parts of eastern Australia in mid-late 2022, the more recent floods in Australia’s west, and the current floods in New Zealand have been some of the biggest on record and have impacted communities in multiple ways. 

Join other AWE members online to reflect on your experiences and insights into the impacts of these devastating events.

Book now

The monthly AWE Open Discussion series will continue in 2023.
Keep an eye on our events webpage and future newsletters for details.

Connection to Nature Experience – Exclusive Opportunity for AWE Members

11-12 March
Victoria – location to be revealed

Join AWE Co-founder Amanda Lamont for a Nature Based Resilience overnight hike and camp to reconnect with nature. This AWE member exclusive will give you the opportunity to re-establish your connection to land, water, air and wildlife by breathing, listening, touching, feeling, listening, seeing and immersing.

Click here for more information or contact Amanda Lamont at 0407 696 300 or [email protected].

AWE Retreat 

18 – 19 February
Magnetic Island, Queensland

Need a break? Fancy a weekend away with your AWE friends on beautiful Magnetic Island? Keen to make new connections in the disaster and emergency sector? Please contact [email protected] for more information. Places are strictly limited.

 

AWE events are a great way to learn about and get to know other women in the emergency management and disaster resilience sectors. Keep an eye on our calendar of events, Missed an AWE event? Many of our past events are available for viewing on our YouTube page. 

 

 
 

AWE Women in Emergencies for Climate Action

 

 
 

AWE Women in Emergencies for Climate Action’s last meeting of 2022 saw a brief presentation and a discussion about the outcomes from COP26, and what it means for gender, climate and disaster sectors. Our first meeting for 2023 will provide an opportunity to regather, finalise our web page for the AWE website and begin to develop a stakeholder engagement strategy.

AWE Women in Emergencies for Climate Action will be meeting on the following dates unless otherwise advised:
Wednesday 15 February 12pm AEDT
Wednesday 19 April 12pm AEST
Wednesday 21 June 12pm AEST
Wednesday 16 August 12pm AEST
Wednesday 18 October 12pm AEDT
Wednesday 20 December 12pm AEDT

You can join the meetings by using this link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86870936151?pwd=dG5LUVJnZldZZVFGT2h5MzRuL2Jpdz09

Meeting ID: 868 7093 6151
Passcode: 568423

If you have any questions about the group’s activities or want to access previous meeting materials and presentations, please contact the Climate Chapter Chair, Amanda Lamont at [email protected].

We look forward to your contribution to this growing area of work.

 

 
 

AWE Member Profile

 

 
 


Proud AWE member,
Senior Regional Recovery Officer for Emergency Recovery Victoria, and
Victoria SES volunteer
Natalie Stanway

Natalie joined Victoria SES within a month of Black Saturday as she felt a visceral need to help her community. She has been an active volunteer with the SES since, and has attended road crash rescues, storms, and other jobs such as supporting VicPol with searches and crime scene preservation, and Ambulance Victoria with patient retrieval.

 

 

Supporting the community is very important to Natalie and is strongly aligned to her personal values. She believes that giving back to the community benefits her at least as much as those who are on the receiving end. Natalie says volunteering with the VICSES is good for community connections, her mental health, sense of self-worth and helps to improve her skill set.

Natalie also reminds us that you can only continue to fill the cups of others if you ensure you maintain your own. To this end she advocates taking rest days when needed especially as her paid and volunteer work see her in response and recovery roles for the long haul. Natalie spends her rest days doing things completely unrelated to her work or volunteering allowing her to reset, refresh and recharge and come back at full capacity.

Natalie further believes in gaining an awareness of psychological first aid and trauma informed care principles, and checking in regularly with colleagues and community members about their mental health.

You can contact Natalie here.

VICSES provides emergency assistance to thousands of Victorians every year. Find out more about volunteering with VICSES here.

 

 
 

AWE Member Profiles showcase the diversity, skills, and experience of our AWEsome members. They also highlight the vast range of roles, both paid and volunteer, that make up the emergency and disaster resilience sector.  You can nominate yourself or another AWE member to be profiled in the AWE Newsletter. Please email us for more information.

 

 
 

AWE Q&A

 

 
 

Q: Grants and funding applications. I have not had much experience applying for grants and I have been asked to look at what’s available and apply for some grants for my organisation. Do you have any tips, tricks, hacks or secrets that you’re happy to share regarding applying for grants?  Thank you.

A: Applying for a grants can seem like a daunting undertaking, but with just a little research and preparation, you will be well on your way to winning your first grant. There are a few key steps you’ll need to take:

Planning – Make sure you plan your project – who, what, when, where, how, why, and how much. If you can get your head around this, writing your grant will be so much easier.

Finding a grant – Find a grant opportunity that suits your project. The Grants Hub is a great place to start, but there are lots of agencies and organisations that can you help find grants.

Preparing – Ensure you have your organisation’s details at hand. Most grants will need information like your ABN, Incorporation Certificate or Number, taxation status, financial reports, bank details and so on.

Writing – Before drafting your application make sure your project is eligible. Draft your application then ask someone else to take a look and provide you with feedback. You’ll also need to include evidence, letters of support, planning documents, and anything else that the grant asks for.

Next steps – If you’ve been successful in your grant application you will need to sign a grant agreement with the funding body. Make sure you take note of the acquittal and reporting requirements so you can keep your funders happy. If you weren’t successful don’t give up! Try again until you find the grant that is right for you.

Want to know more about applying for grants? A detailed answer to this Q&A is available on the AWE Blog. We’ll also be hosting an Open Discussion on grants soon – keep an eye on our calendar of events for details. 

The AWE Q&A provides answers your questions by calling on the experience and expertise of our AWEsome membership. Email us your questions today.

 

 

 
 

News, events and resources

 

 
 

 

 
 

Girls on Fire in Victoria: Girls on Fire is holding a 2-day Girls Fire & Resilience Program near Ballarat in Victoria on 17-18 March 2023. You can register your interest here or get more information at www.girlsonfire.com.au or email [email protected]. Girls on Fire work with schools, fire and emergency services, regional towns, and all kinds of youth-related organisations to introduce girls aged 15 to 19 to fire, emergency and disaster management skills.

Participate in research about experiences of menstruation while deployed operationally: The University of New England invites participants in a research survey to investigate how women (and people who menstruate) manage and experience menstruation while deployed operationally. You can complete the survey here. For further information please contact Associate Professor Melissa Parsons

Flood survey participants wanted: Natural Hazards Research Australia wants to hear from people affected by flooding in NSW and Queensland between January and July 2022. An online research questionnaire is now open to improve community safety in future floods. You can access the survey here.

Young people, flood, bushfire and drought survey: The University of New England is conducting research into the experiences of young people who are exposed to flood, bushfire or drought. You can access the survey here.

Emergency services mental health survey: Monash University students are recruiting participants to take part in a study investigating the mental health and well-being of Australian Emergency Service volunteers. The aim of the study is to investigate protective factors that minimise burnout and enhance wellbeing amongst Australian emergency service volunteers. You can access the study here.

WAFA Awards nominations now open: Women in Firefighting Australasia is seek­ing nom­i­na­tions for the 2023 WAFA Awards in the fol­low­ing cat­e­gories: Out­stand­ing Con­tri­bu­tion by a Female Fire­fight­er, Youth Lead­er­ship Award, Male Champion Award and Mem­ber Organ­i­sa­tion ​‘Diver­si­ty, Fair­ness and Inclu­sion’ award. Find out more here. Nom­i­na­tions close 1 March 2023.

Awards for Excellence in Emergency Communications: Entries are now open for the Annual Emergency Media and Public Affairs (EMPA) Awards for activities or projects over the twelve months to 31 March 2023. For category criteria, entry requirements and to start your submission, visit the website.

Disaster Ready Fund now open: The Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) is now open for applications. The DRF will provide up to one billion dollars over the next five years, from 1 July 2023, to improve Australia’s resilience to natural hazards. Funding for DRF Round One: 2023-24 is now open. Applications close 6 March.

New support for emergency workers: Drawing on the lived-experience of emergency workers, as well as world-class research, Responder Assist has opened a trauma clinic to support emergency worker mental health. Operated by Phoenix Australia, the clinic is completely independent and confidential, providing emergency workers with access to clinicians that have specialised expertise in working with emergency services personnel. If you’re an emergency worker who has been exposed to a traumatic event and you’d like a chat, contact the intake team by email or phone 1800 329 191 9-5 Mon-Fri (excluding holidays).

AFAC23 Abstracts now open: AFAC23 theme is Creating a sustainable future: the challenges and opportunities . Abstracts are now open in the following topics: Culture and legacies; Education and learning; Emerging technologies and innovation; Intelligence and collaboration; and Sustainable workforce.  Full details are available here.

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

Job opportunities

 

 
 

ACT
Emergency Management Specialist, University of Canberra
Senior Emergency Management Officers & Assistant Directors, Department of Industry, Science and Resources

NSW
Disaster Risk Reduction & Emergency Response Advisor, ChildFund Australia
Program Manager Disaster Resilience, Central Coast Council

QLD
Project Manager – Disaster Management – North Coast Region, Queensland Government
Senior Advisor (WHS – SES Uplift) Projects and Capability Development, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

SA
Environment Protection Officer, Environment Protection Authority South Australia
Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Resilient Ready (second role also available in Victoria)

TAS
Emergency and Fire Safety Coordinator, Department of Health

VIC
Senior Policy Adviser – Community Strengthening & Infrastructure, Municipal Association of Victoria
Program Impact Manager – Natural Capital – Climateworks Centre, Monash University

WA
Project Officer – Linking People to Mental Health Support for Disaster Recovery, Rural Health Connect
Fire Communications Officer North West Cape, Western Australia, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

NZ
Principal Advisor, Recovery, National Emergency Management Agency
Team Leader, Planning, National Emergency Management Agency

 

 
 

Key sector events

 

 
 

If you are attending any of the events below in 2023 and would like to meet up with other AWE members, please email us at [email protected] and we will make sure you connect.

8 March               International Women’s Day

24 March             Police, Defence and Emergency Services Women’s Leadership Summit

1-3 May               Natural Hazards Research Forum 2023

23-26 May           2023 Floodplain Management Conference

20-22 June          2023 Lessons Management Forum

4-5 July               EMC 2023 Melbourne

11-12 July           Disaster and Emergency Management Conference

22-25 August      AFAC23

10 October         Australasian Women in Emergencies Day

 

 
 

Newsletter contributions

 

 
 

The AWE Newsletter is published monthly and is distributed to more than 1600 AWE members across Australasia. For contributions, queries or to let us know what you would like to see in the newsletter, please email us at [email protected].

 

 

 
 

About AWE

 

 
 
The Australasian Women in Emergencies Network (AWE) promotes, supports and recognises the contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australasia.

www.awenetwork.org.au

[email protected]

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AWE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, and pays our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.
 

 

 

 
 

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