BUNBURY indigenous support business Goomburrup Aboriginal Corporation has used the success of recent awards to strengthen its resolve to tackle crucial issues in the community.
Goomburrup took home a community business award and was runner up for an aboriginal business award at the South West Small Business Awards last month.
A month on, chief executive officer Paul O’Neil said the organisation was pushing ahead with two main projects – the Benang Suicide Prevention Program and Kaditj Kaditj Drivers Program.
Mr O’Neil said the suicide program, which was developed to address the increasing statistics around Aboriginal youth suicide, had had assisted by recent efforts by staff to foster relationships with young people in Bunbury.
“We aim for the preventative side of it, we give the young men and women the opportunity to talk to other members of our community,” Mr O’Neil said.
“We try to look for the signs of troubled youths or disengaged youths.”
He said the driver program focused on guiding people through the standard licensing process, coupled with practical training.
“I think having that acknowledgement from the awards and by the Small Business Centre really highlights to the broader community what we are doing,” he said.
Mr O’Neil said Goomburrup had flourished thanks to the support of local government and business from the “top down.”
To find out more visit goomburrup.net
