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The Value of Collaborating with the Local Community

The Value of Collaborating with the Local Community

Image:Attendees at the 'Reconnected Program' (above). Macquarie Community College's Values (below).

Macquarie Community College's purpose is based on 5 important values which can be seen in the Values image above. One of our values is 'Collaboration', which shows our committment to working together and with others to achieve greater outcomes.

Although we already colloborate on a day to day basis with our students, teachers and staff, one of our strategic aims is to increase the breadth and depth of our formal and informal collaboration with other like-minded organisations.

Joining the local conversation

On 2 May, CEO Theresa Collignon, represented Macquarie Community College in a conversation about building social capital and increasing community engagement at a cross-sector NGO forum called the “Reconnected Program”.

The event was hosted by local member, Julie Owen, at the Parramatta Mission and led by The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Shadow Assistant Treasurer | Shadow Minister for Competition and Productivity, Shadow Minister for Charities and Not-for-Profits | Shadow Minister for Trade In Services.

Attendees came from a diverse range of local NGOs such as Arthritis NSW, Arthur Phillip High, Many Rivers, Uniting, Northcott. The small group conversations generated dozens of ideas and observations about how not-for-profit community oriented organisations can (and do) build social capital through each organisation’s work and through community engagement – via service delivery, collaboration, volunteering, fundraising, sharing resources.

Solving societal issues together

Building our individual and collective capacity as NGOs is critical to solving difficult societal issues such as unemployment, homelessness, mental and physical health, loneliness and isolation. Working together we can, and do, support individuals from all walks of life and through that work we also build community cohesion. Some of the ideas that came up on increasing capacity included more sector-based forums, support for the development of a central independent accelerator hub micro-financing models that can help organisations be self-sustaining.

Macquarie Community College look forward to more colloborations with like-minded organisations in the future.

Read more about Macquarie Community College and our focus on the community: