TasCOSS Community Voices Program
Share your story, create change. Are you struggling to pay your bills and cover the essentials? Have you got ideas about how to make things better for your community? Let’s face it, you’re the real expert when it comes to what it’s like to make ends meet in lutruwita / trouwunna (Tasmania). The Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) is looking for community members to be part of a new Community Voices Program. The goal of the program is to create paid opportunities and training for Tasmanians living on low incomes to make their voices heard in services and decisions which affect them.
Who can become a Community Voice Partner? You can apply to become a Community Voice Partner if you: • Have personal experience living on a low income (struggling financially to make ends meet). • Are passionate about issues affecting Tasmanian communities on low incomes. • Are keen to learn the skills required to be a Community Voice Partner. • Can communicate with others in different ways. • Have time to engage. • Have access to email and phone (support for this can be given where required). • Live in Tasmania and are over 18 years old. • Speak English (does not have to be your first language).
What do Community Voice Partners do? Community Voice Partners share their stories to create change. This change aims to make sure services or decisions which affect you and your community are really fit-for-purpose. This could happen in many ways, but some examples could include Community Voice Partners working with organisations to: • Have input into the design or improvement services. • Identify issues faced by you and your community. • Sit on boards, committees, or interview panels. • Collaborate on projects. • Speak at events. • Talk to your community to understand issues more deeply and share what you find.
As a Community Voice Partner, you will... BE HEARD share your experiences with organisations to can create change.
BE SUPPORTED through preparation, training, and mentoring.
BE PAID for your time. BE RECOGNISED with a Certificate of Participation and reference letter.
Need help applying or have questions? Contact Lucy Mercer-Mapstone at TasCOSS (0458 173 629 | lucy@tascoss.org.au).