Community Matters

Supporting working parents - building family friendly workplaces with Dr Rosina McAlpine

In this episode of Community Matters, Nicky Sloan sits down with Dr Rosina McAlpine, author, researcher and educator, work and family wellbeing expert and the founder of

Surplus Food, Hungry Families - The Plan to Fix Food Waste with Melinda Lawton

Every year, 1.7 million tonnes of food are wasted in NSW, the equivalent of 68 Olympic-size swimming pools. Meanwhile, 38% of households in the Illawarra Shoalhaven regio

Business Meets Charity - The Rise of Social Enterprise with Kylie Flament

In this episode, Nicky sits down with Kylie Flament, the CEO of SECNA (Social Enterprises Coordinating Council of NSW & ACT), the peak body supporting social enterprises

Supporting the Strength of Women – Navigating Menopause with Georgia Watson

Menopause affects 51% of the population directly (and 100% of us indirectly) so it’s a topic we really need to get better at talking about. In this episode, Nicky does j

Carrying Hope to Achieve a Home – Women’s Homelessness with Sabrina Hissey

Older women are now the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness in Australia, and record numbers are being pushed into crisis by eviction from long term rentals a

Building a Workplace People Love - The Ripple Effect of Great Leadership with Jenni Hutchins

In this episode of Community Matters, CEO of Warrigal, Jenni Hutchins, joins Nicky Sloan for a powerful conversation about leadership, workplace culture and how the way w

Growing Old Without a Home: Australia’s Hidden Housing Crisis with Natasha Debsieh

In this important episode of Community Matters, Nicky is joined by Natasha Debsieh, Manager of Age Matters, an IRT Group initiative that supports older people across the

FOSTER CARE: With Christine Wilde - It takes a village to raise a child

In this heartfelt episode of Community Matters, Nicky Sloan is joined by Christine Wilde, an experienced Foster Carer with CareSouth, a community-based organisation that

ADVOCACY FOR INCLUSION: With Rebecca Schmidt Lachlan – Helping others is helping ourselves

At just 26 years old, Rebecca Schmidt Lachlan woke up from a stroke able to do only one thing: blink her eyes. What followed was a remarkable journey of reinvention, resi

INNOVATION EQUITY: With Tamantha Stutchbury - Why Diversity in Startups Is Everyone's Problem

What if the solutions being built for tomorrow's world are only designed for half the people in it? That's the provocative question at the heart of this week&ap

PHILANTHROPY: With Susan Wallis – A Commitment to Kindness

On this inspiring episode of Community Matters, Nicky sits down with local legend Susan Wallis, Head of Government and Philanthropy at Good360, a remarkable charity tackl

LIVED EXPERTISE: With Dr Shane Clifton – Nothing about us without us!

The community sector talks a lot about lived experience but what does it really mean, and how can a lived reality of disability become a form of expertise every bit as ha

INCLUSIVE ARTS: With Ethan Arnold – Neurodiverse Actors Can Do Anything!

Getting a regular paid gig in the performing arts is no easy feat, but Ethan Arnold has done exactly that. In this enjoyable and thought-provoking episode of Community Ma

CHILD POVERTY: With Melissa Andrews – Levelling the Playing Field with Communities for Children

What does it mean to be one of the wealthiest nations on earth, yet leave one in six children living in poverty? In Australia, that contradiction is stark — and for nearl

POLITICS: With Katelin McInerney MP – From Community Advocate to Member of Parliament

What does it look like when someone who has spent their career fighting for communities steps into parliament where decisions actually get made? On this episode of Commun

FIRST NATIONS: With Aunty Barb Nicholson – Dreaming Inside: Justice, Dignity and First Nations Voices

Aboriginal Australians make up just 4% of the population — yet account for 36% of the prison population. And that number is still rising. This week, Nicky sits down with

SOCIAL JUSTICE: With Matt Grudnoff – Taxation Reform for a Fairer Australia

This special episode of Community Matters comprises a keynote presentation from Matt Grudnoff, Senior Economist at The Australia Institute, who makes the case as to why e

NDIS ACCESS: With Melissa Antoun – Bridging the Gap: NDIS Access for Multicultural Communities

Accessing and navigating the NDIS is challenging for anyone—but for people whose first language isn't English, it's even more daunting. A 28-page application is

HOMELESSNESS: With Kelly McGarrity – Creating pathways to housing

When demand for homelessness services hits record levels, what does innovation look like to respond to the challenge? With 68,700 people on social housing waitlists acro

ASTHMA AWARENESS: With Alexander Brown – Building an Asthma Smart Community in the Illawarra

More than 1 in 10 Australians live with asthma—that's 2.8 million people. In the Illawarra alone, over 250 people are hospitalized each year, impacting not just thos