Children’s Ground announces five year $9.57m partnership with Goodman Foundation

A Red Centre not-for-profit is looking to scale up, thanks to a multi million investment built on six areas of focus. Find out what they are.

Children's Ground staff members delivering services in Alice Springs. Picture: Supplied

A new multi million dollar partnership built on six areas of focus is aiming to “facilitate generational change” and scale up operations of one Red Centre not-for-profit.

Children’s Ground have sealed a five year $9.57 million partnership with the Goodman Foundation.

Announced on Tuesday, the new partnership will help Children’s Ground “to continue to facilitate generational change for children and families across five communities in Mparntwe (Alice Springs),” Children’s ground chief executive Jane Vadiveloo said.

“Opportunities for employment, education, safety, health, wellbeing, family and community activities and cultural life will be improved in the short-term, and together we will strengthen the foundations for generational success in the long-term,” she said.

Children's Ground delivering services in Central Australia. Picture: Supplied

The six pillars of the partnership are: strengthening and expanding early learning delivery for children under 11-years-old; supporting organisational capacity; creating new research opportunities; protecting First Nations culture and languages while supporting elders; helping men get employed and become role models; and establishing an extended hours community development program for youth and young people at risk.

Goodman Foundation’s chief executive Kris Ashpole said the partnership aims to provide practical support to Children’s Ground.

“Through partnerships with First Nations led organisations like Children’s Ground, we aim to accelerate tangible solutions that strengthen communities and enable long term positive change,” she said.

The Goodman Foundation is part of the Goodman Group, a multinational group which is a “specialist global industrial property and digital infrastructure group,” according to the group’s website.

Arrernte elder and Co-Founder of Children's Ground, William Tilmouth. Picture: Damon Van Der Schuit

Children’s Ground chair William Tilmouth said long term partnerships are key to systemic change.

“This relationship will pave the way for communities to plan, establish, operate and govern developments from inception through to realisation. This is critical in giving First Nations people agency in their lives and having them decide the steps they want their community to take towards the future,” he said.