Community champions who are pioneering projects in women's healthcare, multicultural youth engagement, and place-based support for children and young people in the Goulburn Valley have all been announced in the University of Melbourne's Social Equity Institute cohort of Community Fellows for 2025.
Mary Reema Antony (Women's Health Goulburn North East), Hayley Rowan (The Bridge Youth Service) and Sarah Pain (Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project) represent the Fellows from the inaugural Goulburn Valley cohort, which has been designed to provide academic mentorship to vital community organisations tackling unique challenges in the region.
Mary Reema Antony shared her appreciation for the impact this program will have for her organisation and community.
"The commitment of an institution like the University of Melbourne to actively invest in community-led initiatives in the Goulburn Valley is incredibly significant. The resources and support provided through the Community Fellows Program acknowledge the unique challenges faced by regional and rural communities and demonstrate a willingness to support place-based, grassroots solutions."
The signature program is the only program of its kind in Australia, and allows practitioners of community-focused organisations to step outside the daily demands of their work and receive expert guidance on how they might document, evaluate, share and scale their work for greater impact.
Charlene Edwards, Executive Officer of Melbourne Social Equity Institute said she was thrilled to welcome the first cohort from the wider Goulburn Valley region.
"The University of Melbourne is deeply committed to working in partnership with communities and their organisations in the region to improve social, health, economic and cultural equity, and this program seeks to build the research capacity and skills of the Goulburn Valley Fellows to positively impact their communities," Ms. Edwards said.
"We very much hope that this opportunity is transformative for the Fellows and their organisations and – most importantly – the communities they serve."
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute Community Fellows is continuing to expand the University of Melbourne's engagement in the region, already active through the recently opened Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence, the University's revitalised Dookie campus and a range of local healthcare facilities and educational programs.
See the full list of MSEI Community Fellows for 2025 here.
