Join us on Thursday, 6 June as we celebrate Morwell Neighbourhood House’s 40th anniversary at the Kindness Matters Luncheon!
In honour of this milestone, we’re hosting the Kindness Matters Luncheon to celebrate the House, our work as a not-for-profit community organisation, and the strength of our whole community.
The event is also an opportunity to raise funds to help us deliver the much-needed support we provide to the Morwell and surrounding communities through our programs, including the People’s Kitchen – a whole-of-person approach to increasing food security, health, and well-being at a local level through collective community action.
All proceeds will go towards supporting our range of community support programs.
So come along and enjoy a delicious two-course meal, live music, a raffle, an inspiring panel discussion, and so much more – all while supporting a local not-for-profit organisation and registered charity to make change!
Thursday, 6 June 2024
11:45 am – 2:45 pm
The Kindness Matters Luncheon is only one of several ways Morwell Neighbourhood House is celebrating its 40th Anniversary. We look forward to announcing more events soon and celebrating with people and organisations from across the whole community this year!
As a community-led, not-for-profit organisation, accessibility is important to us, in everything we do - including financial accessibility. We strongly believe everyone deserves the chance to celebrate their community at special events.
We know that ticket prices can be a big barrier to attending events. So we're asking for your help to ensure everyone in the community has an opportunity to celebrate by purchasing a Pay it Forward ticket. Pay it Forward tickets are a great way for you or your organisation to give back and get community involved.
If you are unable to attend the luncheon because of financial barriers, we're happy to help!
Please email or call to request a ticket and be added to our list. Please remember to provide your name and contact details in your email.
We will contact you in the event a ticket becomes available. Any Pay it Forward seats will be allocated randomly and at the discretion of the Morwell Neighbourhood House team.
A dynamic, captivating and engaging performer, Mel's style is all her own. Although Mel is a well-regarded songwriter in her own right, she is also well-known for putting her own spin on cover songs from all genres and eras and making them her own.
Mel plays a variety of different gigs, showcasing both her original music and also her large and varied collection of cover songs.
Find out more
Aunty Christine Johnson is a proud Gunaikurnai woman with strong family and community ties to Gippsland and East Gippsland. Her passion for community engagement and broad knowledge of Aboriginal heritage and culture have proved successful conduits for engagement and collaborative working. Her commitment to education and her support of Indigenous families to remain engaged around their children's education has achieved positive outcomes for families and the wider community.
Lauren Murphy is a renowned Gippsland-based freelance photographer exploring the uniqueness of people’s stories. Her photography studio specialises in compelling, authentic portrait and documentary-style imagery for people and brands across Gippsland, Melbourne and beyond.
Find out more
As part of the celebration, we're hosting a thought-provoking panel discussion. The panel will explore how we, as a community, can drive meaningful change and tackle pressing social issues with fairness and equity.
David Burt is a 40+ year veteran of the Latrobe Valley power industry having commenced with the SECV in November 1982 as a Commercial Administrative Officer. David has worked in a wide range of roles and functions with the SECV, Generation Victoria, Yallourn Energy, TRU Energy, and EnergyAustralia, including Finance, Human Resources and Community Engagement.
For 15 years, David led the Human Resources team for Yallourn and EnergyAustralia’s energy assets. Since 2019, David has built EnergyAustralia’s relationship with local Stakeholders and Community as EnergyAustralia’s Community Relations Lead in the Latrobe Valley.
David is a former Moe City Councillor and former Chairperson of PowerWorks. He is married to Maria and enjoys time with his extended family including 3 grandchildren.
Professor Joanne Porter has worked at Federation University’s Gippsland campus since 2002.
Dr Porter is the Director of the university’s Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (CERC) working in partnership with government, agencies and not-for-profit organisations across the State. She leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers and evaluators, over a wide range of projects to shift thinking in evaluation research by empowering communities to grow through evidence-based innovation.
As Director, Joanne has successfully led over 50 evaluation and research projects with a focus on community resilience and engagement programs. Joanne has an extensive research history with over 90 publications in peer reviewed journals and competitive grants.
She continues to lead clinically and community-based research projects.
Shaun Mallia is the Executive Officer of Kindred Spirits Enterprises. Shaun is passionate about incubating social impact projects and creating healthy, fulfilled and thriving communities. His unwavering commitment to creating positive change within the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland communities has cemented his reputation as a trusted advocate and ally for the local community.
Shaun's journey began as a journalist and award-winning editor of the Latrobe Valley Express newspaper, where he honed his skills in storytelling and community engagement. He served as the communications manager of the ground-breaking Hazelwood Health Study, which delved into the effects of the Hazelwood Mine Fire smoke event on the Morwell community – a testament to his dedication to understanding and addressing community needs.
With a keen eye for innovative solutions, Shaun then led the Social Marketing Team at the Latrobe Health Assembly, pioneering creative strategies to promote health and well-being. His expertise in fostering meaningful connections between organisations and communities led him to a role with AGL Loy Yang as Community Relations Specialist.
Shaun's involvement extends beyond his professional endeavours; he is also a community member of the Latrobe Health Assembly, serves as a Board Director with Drouin and District Community Financial Services, and is a member of the Latrobe City Tourism and Major Events Advisory Committee.
Tracie Lund, Manager of Morwell Neighbourhood House and Latrobe City Councillor, is a highly regarded community leader in the Latrobe Valley.
As the Manager of Morwell Neighbourhood House since 2012, Tracie has transformed the community centre into a vital support hub – gaining valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities found in the community.
Tracie has been a vocal advocate for the rights and interests of the Morwell community, championing causes such as affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and social justice. She has empowered residents to become advocates for change through education, training, and grassroots organising efforts.
Her work is framed around the community development model – working with the community and advocating government and organisations to ensure local voices are heard and local issues are put on the agenda.
Her staunch advocacy, unwavering dedication to public service, and passion for grassroots democracy have put Tracie in a position to affect positive change and create strong local representation. She has championed many causes and initiatives that have helped to create stronger, more resilient, inclusive, and connected communities – locally and across the state.
Tanya is an Intensive Care Nurse, PhD student and Public Health Specialist who is passionate about community health and wellbeing and is a strong advocate for community voice in decision-making.
As Chair of the Board of Latrobe Health Assembly, she brings determination, curiosity, and optimism to her role, as well as a diverse range of knowledge and health expertise in public health, social innovation and systems thinking.
Tanya's PhD aims to develop a best-practice framework for place-based approaches to improving health and wellbeing in areas of poor health and disadvantage.
She holds a Masters in Intensive Care Nursing, Bachelor of Health Promotion with Honours and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Ellen-Jane is currently Executive Officer of the Latrobe Health Assembly, a place of community informed health innovation situated in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. She has been in the role for the past four years.
As Executive Officer, Ellen-Jane brings to the role a long history of working in the university and government sectors. These include - Principal Advisor for the establishment of the Latrobe Health Innovation Zone, Director Portfolio Services at DHHS, Academic Register at RMIT, Director Systems and Training at RMIT and many other senior officer roles spanning six government departments and two Universities over nearly five decades. Ellen-Jane also tutored at Monash and Melbourne Universities in the areas of Sociology, Political Science and Law.
Away from work Ellen-Jane has a love of the Strezlecki Ranges in South Gippsland, the CWA, her old school Land Rover Defender (and all the exploration it entails), and her adult children. Ellen-Jane holds a variety of graduate and post graduate qualifications in the areas of Sociology, Political Science, and Public Administration from Monash, RMIT and Melbourne Universities.
We are so grateful for the support from our incredible event sponsors.
