We were honoured and inspired to be welcomed by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Dr. Anne Aly – the first Muslim woman elected to federal parliament and someone who deeply understands the migrant journey.

Dr Aly shared her personal story of arriving in Australia as a young child, and the challenges her family faced. Her mother, newly arrived with two young daughters in a country where she didn’t speak the language, found daily life isolating and unfamiliar.

“Hubs would have made all the difference,” she said.

Her words inspired the room and reminded us that community, connection, and culturally safe spaces are essential to helping families feel at home. She spoke of the trauma that can come with leaving family and culture behind – and how finding community early can transform lives.

Dr Aly reflected people are at the centre of everything she does – and that’s why the government recognises the important work of community hubs in building stronger, more connected communities.

Bec generously shared the challenges and learnings from her career, touching on themes about setting personal boundaries, being comfortable with the unknown and what it genuinely means to collaborate. Importantly, Bec shared that we are all “connective tissue”, that the work we do in hubs is “slow, connected, grass roots” and that we are “playing a really long game”. Bec reminded everyone that “trust only happens when we spend the time to get to know one another and do all that slow stuff”.

Jon facilitated a workshop in the support coordinator stream that looked at the importance of having conversations with presence. This included the philosophy and components of a coaching conversation, gaining alignment with a shared purpose and active listening.

Katy ran a workshop in the hub leader stream, where the room explored leading conversations that matter. Katy led the discussions around how to have insightful conversations, including mindset and skillset practice within an individual’s context. To view Katy’s slides, click here.