Thirteen community organisations have received a Resilience Care Kit from council, aimed at improving community resilience, safety and comfort for community members in times of need.
The kits include defibrillators for some community centres, USB charging stations, battery-operated radios, sanitary and comfort items, cleaning supplies and tea and coffee supplies.
Environment and Sustainability Committee Chairperson Councillor Russell Milligan said community centres and organisations played a vital role and are recognised as key stakeholders across our city.
“In times of need, community centres and community groups truly shine, offering a helping hand through the toughest of times,” Cr Milligan said.
“Last year, Ipswich City Council held a resilient leadership program for community centre leaders, building their leadership capacity and ability to support their communities.
“We heard from our community leaders that their centres needed some more practical resources to better care for residents in need.”
The organisations who have received these resilience kits cover Ipswich from west to east, including Marburg & District Residents Association, Goodna Neighbourhood House, and Camira Springfield Community Centre.
The kits were provided through the City-Wide Resilience Project, funded by the Local Economic Recovery Program (LER), jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
“Items like charging cables, sanitary items and even tea and coffee facilities can help community centres offer a little more comfort and welcome to those in need,” Cr Milligan said.
Eleven community centres and organisations have also received a defibrillator as part of their kits, boosting their emergency response abilities and visitor safety.
Research has shown that more than 24,000 Australians have a sudden cardiac arrest annually, with survival rates only about 10 per cent.
Having a defibrillator at hand, along with CPR, can put survival rates as high as 70 per cent.
Ipswich City Council values the contributions of community centres and organisations, with an action identified in the council’s Community Development Strategy 2021-2026 that local community centres are supported and connected, share knowledge and information, and deliver impactful social programming.
“Community centres play a critical role in supporting Ipswich residents in good times and bad, and Ipswich City Council is proud to support them in turn,” Cr Milligan said.
An emergency kit is simply a collection of essential items that will equip your household for several days of outages to essential services like power, water and gas, as well as potential isolation from supermarkets and pharmacies, all of which might happen during and following a disaster.
Here is a handy list of items to keep in your emergency kit, and do not forget to check it every few months to make sure all items are in working order and all food is in date.
Resilience Care Kit recipients:
- Redbank Plains Community Centre – Division 1
- Amberly Girl Guides Hut, Willowbank – Division 1
- YMCA Springfield Central – Division 2
- YMCA Springfield Lakes – Division 2
- Camira Springfield Community Centre – Division 2
- Gailes Community House – Division 2
- Goodna Neighbourhood House – Division 2
- YMCA The Villa (Ipswich CBD) – Division 3
- Leichhardt One Mile Community Centre – Division 3
- Riverview and District Community Centre – Division 3
- Rosewood Community Centre – Division 4
- Karalee Community Association – Division 4
- Marburg & District Residents Association – Division 4
Defibrillator recipients:
- Redbank Plains Community Centre – Division 1
- Amberly Girl Guides Hut, Willowbank – Division 1
- Shiloh Church – Division 2
- YMCA Springfield Central – Division 2
- Camira Springfield Community Centre – Division 2
- Ipswich Show Grounds – Division 3
- YMCA The Villa (Ipswich CBD) – Division 3
- Leichhardt One Mile Community Centre – Division 3
- Riverview and District Community Centre – Division 3
- Karalee Community Association – Division 4
- Marburg & District Residents Association – Division 4
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