FCVic was recently invited to participate in the Be Well Stay Well Festival, an event held at Noble Park Community Centre and organised by the Multicultural Community Engagement Network. This network is led by Cardinia Shire, The City of Casey, The City of Greater Dandenong, and Enliven Victoria. The attending community members were diverse – the local Mexican, Indian, Columbian and Mauritian communities, to name just a few, were represented.
FCVic’s Special Projects team provided a stall at the festival to present a range of financial counselling resources and information. Attendees were also encouraged to chat to the attending financial counsellor, Robyn Angus, to learn more about the sort of support that financial counselling may be able to provide.
Attendees raised a range of financial issues, including rental increases, the danger of scams, and the added difficulty faced by customers of CALD backgrounds when coping with these challenges. Attendees were positive about the resources we shared: the My Financial Health Check proved a useful conversation starter, while attendees were also keen to learn about the Carer Pathway to financial counselling and the launch of our online interactive tool for young carers, Money Explorer. Several referrals were made for community groups who were keen to hear from their local financial counsellors, and find out what help can be offered to their members.
The festival provided a wonderful collaborative opportunity with other community organisations and agencies. Some traditional food was shared, and entertainment from the Spanish community was enjoyed by everyone, making for a fun and informative community event.
Robyn Angus and Bella Walker
Special Projects team


