CEO UPDATES – JULY 2021
Hi everyone,
There’s just so much happening at Mardi Gras HQ, so just wanted to keep you all in the loop.
Congrats to Kate Wickett
In case you missed it, Kate Wickett has officially been appointed as the CEO for Sydney WorldPride. Kate was instrumental in bringing WorldPride to Sydney and has been steering the ship since 2019 – congratulations Kate!
Strategic plan
Work is now in full swing on updating the SGLMG Strategic Plan, which will articulate the purpose, priorities, and direction of the organisation through to 2024.
Since my last update, we have been busy consulting with our members, community leaders, community organisations, the broader LGBTQI+ community and our partners via interviews, workshops and focus groups.
Through this process, we have received a tonne of valuable feedback. While there’s too much to relay, I thought I would share some themes emerging:
- There is potential for Mardi Gras to play a greater role in building connections between the communities under the LGBTQI+ umbrella.
- There is a need to enable and support LGBTQI+ community groups in their endeavours.
- The organisation has immense capability in running large events and this is perceived as a great strength of Mardi Gras – one we need to continue to leverage moving forward.
There is a lot of feedback, and we look forward to sharing the Strategic plan in due course.
Welcome to our new First Nations & Community Engagement Officer
We are thrilled to welcome Matika Little, our First Nations & Community Engagement Officer, to the team. She is a proud Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi woman, originally from Wagga Wagga.
Matika will lead engagement with LGBTQI+ First Nations communities, ensuring their voices are heard and reflected in the work of Mardi Gras and be at helm of creating opportunities to support, connect, and uplift LGBTQI+ First Nations people all year round, no matter where they are.
She will also be important liaison between Mardi Gras and the First Nations Advisory Committee.
SGLMG X NSW Police Accord
As you may know, we are currently working to refresh our Accord with the NSW Police. The Accord is a MOU between Mardi Gras and NSW Police that ensures all policing activity at Mardi Gras events is appropriate to the scale and risk of the event and that all event visitors feel sale, protected and are treated fairly.
Something that is Vital to this refresh process is collecting community feedback on what’s working well and where things can be improved.
The independent research agency undertaking this process have advised that the best way to collect this feedback is in-person. We are committed to this process. Because of the COVID-19 situation in Sydney, it’s meant that we’ve had to move back our in-person consultations. I will have an update for you in coming months, however if you do still want to express interest in participating in a consultation on this topic, you can do so here – NSW Police Accord Review.
WorldPride
Copenhagen WorldPride is just a couple of weeks away – get excited! We will be cheering them on from the other side of the world, as well as streaming some of their events via our Facebook page, so keep an eye out.
As always, we are working closely with Kate and the Sydney WorldPride team in planning for 2023. The logistics are immense! I’m hoping to share with you some very exciting updates in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout.
Stay safe
I just wanted to take a moment to recognise that a lot of people in our communities are doing it tough right now.
Help is never far away. Beyondblue (1300 22 4636), Lifeline (13 11 14) and QLife (1800 184 527) are three services that will provide support. Make sure you’re reaching out to friends and family and just being aware to how you’re feeling – it makes all the difference.
Sincerely,
Albert Kruger
CEO
