Partnership for First Nations leadership

A THREE-year partnership has been announced between Community Bank Buninyong and the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.

The two organisations will work together for three years on the Nallei Jerring Program, which aims to empower young First Nations people to grow as leaders.

“The Nallei Jerring Program is a program that really connects local high school indigenous people with their culture,” said project lead Sam Elshaug.

“The program itself is designed to support both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, primarily aged 12 to 15, living in the west of Victoria.”

Participants in the program take part in sessions at school as well as excursions.

“There’s both practical and theory-based activities and the program generally runs over a three-month period,” said Ms Elshaug.

“It has been running for five years and it was piloted last year in Ballarat with six schools that participated.”

Community Bank Buninyong will fund the program for the next three years and Ms Elshaug said this is a great way to support the community.

“It is quite an exciting program especially in that First Nations education space,” she said.

“We consider it to be a great partnership primarily because the Western Bulldogs Foundation are running a professional program.

“It’s been well piloted, well adopted and it’s got good support in the community.”