Blog Archives

June at GBCC...

31/5/2024

Its all systems GO at Team GBCC HQ ! I am struggling to fathom that we are in JUNE ! Half the year has passed already, I will honestly need to start thinking about our Christmas plans in the next month or 2, so if you visit any amazing venues in the next few months that you think would work for kids or adults events be sure to share them with me.

May was full of so many beautiful moments as we celebrated the amazing Women in our community a highlight was our High Tea event. It was so lovely to see so many faces both regulars and those we don't see often come together, and to enjoy good food and adult company and a little bit of childfree time.

We had a fun visit from the band who saw us dancing our way into the week to some well-known tunes. We also uncovered some natural talent in one of our regular little people who took to the drums like he had always played them !

June and July are always busy for our community members as the posting orders start to trickle out and that brings with it both excitement and nerves as well as sadness as people start to prepare themselves to move on. Community centres like ours exist across the country and we all work behind the scenes sharing ideas and supporting each other - so when that posting comes in be sure to come and see me and I can put you in contact with your next coordinator extraordinaire !

From the Coordinator

School Holidays are just around the corner (again)

We have a never before seen activity for our Teens which is live and booking out fast which will occupy most of week 2 for Team GBCC.

I am putting the final touches on Week 1 with the theme being Lets go Adventuring, after the success of the last few holidays at venues outside our little Barracks bubble I am looking further NORTH and a little to the south side to bring together activities that we have never done before. So this holiday season we are testing new ideas to add them to our already amazing venues we have used.

At this stage I am hoping to have at least 3 offsite adventures - ranging from Morayfield to Ipswich in venues!! I have been in Brisbane for 8 years and these are places I have never adventured to, but I have heard GREAT reviews from those who have.

The holiday program and booking options will be in our Facebook group by the end of next week so make sure you are following our page.

From the Committee

Our community network!
While some of the work we do at GBCC is visible, like our activities and programs, there is also a lot of work that remains 'behind-the-scenes' that our members don't see. One piece of that important, invisible work is the connections that we make and the networks we create in our community. There are several other organisations in our wider community that are doing fantastic things for Defence families, and offer a range of services or resources that we know will benefit our members. Our coordinator works hard to create and maintain relationships all throughout the Brisbane region and works with organisations, such as RSLs, Mates4Mates, different community services and many more, to help them to cater their programs for Defence families, inform their planning and facilitate their connection to our members. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements on where her latest community connections have led her lately!
GBCC also maintains a great relationship with the 7th Brigade Headquarters team and has spoken with Welfare Officers and Commanding Officers from the resident units on Gallipoli Barracks. Connections to the Brigade and the Units serves three main purposes; the opportunity to inform planning and policies that affect Defence families, support to the operations of the community centre, and new opportunities to provide activities and services for families. Some of our great ideas require the 'in-principle' and/or practical support from Defence, and with the Units and Brigade invested in our mission to support their families, we can achieve some very exciting things! The facilitation of a teen engagement activity in the upcoming school holidays, where teens will be able to engage in some very cool army-style activities, would certainly not have been possible without permission from Brigade and the willingness of the Physical Training Instructors at the Area Gym. We have even more great ideas in the pipeline that will rely on the support from the great community connections that GBCC has, so keep your eyes peeled!