A group of four Gunawirra staff visited Tamworth over the weekend and ran an amazing Marte Meo training sessions there with Maria Aarts from Holland. The training was attended by 36 preschool teachers who look after six Aboriginal preschools in NSW, plus a number of local community workers.

One group of five workers had joined us for the first time. Their preschool for 32 children is a corrugated iron lean-to on the back of an ancient Masonic Hall in the town of Kootingal. The good news is that the Government has agreed to provide $500,000 towards a new preschool. They want Gunawirra to help train their teachers in the best way to be as useful as possible to these needy children.

Maria Aarts immediately agreed to halve the Marte Meo fees for the workshop and that of any other country preschool centre. The six directors met with Norma and Shiri and later Patricia to discuss three new Gunawirra initiates for preschools.

To enquire about Marte Meo training please use use the form on our Contact Us page.

On August 30th to September 1st the United Nations is running its annual DPI/NGO Conference in Melbourne with the theme “Advance Global Health”.

Gunawirra has been awarded space in the exhibition area and we will be presenting our story, programs and publications to the attendees. Our video “I go to Preschool now” will also be featured in the conference audio visual presentations.

This is only the second time in 63 years that the UN has held this important global conference out of New York and Gunawirra is excited and honoured to be included.

The Board and supporters of Gunawirra would like to thank everyone who attended the “Let’s Go To Pre-School” function on 6th May at the Gilbert + Tobin office.

The new book called ‘Let’s Go To Pre-School’, for Australian Indigenous pre-schoolers and their parents, was released and is being distributed to indigenous children and their families.

For more information go to our website Events page or call Kristina Karasulas on 0414 923255.

All are welcome to attend a function hosted by Gilbert and Tobin, Solicitors for Gunawirra, from 5.30-7.30pm on Thursday 6th May 2010 at 2 Park Street Sydney.

A new book called ‘Let’s Go To Pre-School’, for Australian Indigenous pre-schoolers and their parents, is to be released at a cocktail party on 6th May at the Gilbert and Tobin office in the Sydney CBD.

Your entry fee donation of $50 will support distribution of the book to an indigenous child and family.

Norma Tracey, Program Director of the not-for-profit organisation Gunawirra, says the new book will help more Aboriginal children enter pre-school. “It is widely reported and acknowledged that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are significantly educationally disadvantaged. This book, and the other work of Gunawirra, is part of a powerful community initiative to change that”.

Using beautiful photographs, ‘Let’s Go To Pre-School’ follows three Aboriginal children, Kiara, Noah and Sharon as they play and learn through a typical pre-school day.

The author of the book is Rebecca Gorman who will speak about its background at the function on 6th May.

For more information go to our website Events page or call Kristina Karasulas on 0414 923255.

The Directors and Members of Gunawirra Limited wish to thank all those who assisted with or attended the annual fundraising lunch held on October 30 2009.

The lunch contributed greatly to Gunawirra’s ability to support specialised services for our very young Aboriginal children in NSW. >> click here to read more >>

Jean Illingworth

The Gunawirra annual fundraising lunch is just a month away. More than half the places are taken but there are still seats left and Gunawirra warmly invites you to attend and support our specialised services for very young Aboriginal children in NSW.

The lunch is to be held on October 30 2009 at the Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn St. Sydney, and additional information is available on our Events Page.

Guest Speaker at the lunch will be Jean Illingworth, Principal of Djurragun College and Queensland Senior Australian of the Year 2009. >> click here to read more >>

This morning Gunawirra was accepted to present at the Conference for AAIMHI and Marce in Melbourne on the October long weekend. We have 90 minutes for a symposium on our thinking and our work. This is exciting and a genuine way of showing we are now on the Map. >> click here to read more >>

Gunawirra Limited is proud to announce that Boomerangs last night won the award for “Innovation in Aboriginal Health” and was presented with the award by the state Minister of Health at a dinner for over 500 people state wide. >> click here to read more >>

We celebrated Naidoc early so we would not clash with town activities. We held a community BBQ on Monday and Tuesday and had a terrific turn out with many parents and community members present. I think we were all glad to see the sun. >> click here to read more >>