Abstract

In 2016, one of Q Shelter’s founders and lifelong members, Deirdre Coghlan, passed away. In honour of her memory, Q Shelter established a bursary to help those in the housing and homelessness sector access professional development they might otherwise miss out on.

“Each year Q Shelter provides up to $5,000 in bursary payments to applicants.

Usually, this amount has been split amongst several applications. Q Shelter has distributed $25,000 in bursary payments since 2017.

Deirdre firmly believed that housing was a human right and was passionate about helping those in the sector gain skills in:

→ Community development

→  Advocacy

→ Grassroots and lived experience engagement

→ Challenging structural and systemic issues

If you are a Q Shelter member who works or volunteers in the sector and needs special funding to grow your skills, consider applying to the 2022 Deirdre Coghlan Bursary. Applications close 1 October 2022. The winners of the 2022 bursary will announced at Q Shelter’s Annual General Meeting in November.

Interested in applying but aren’t yet a Q Shelter member? Memberships start from $10/year for concession holders. As well as being eligible for the bursary, members received discounts to all our training and events, and help shape our representative voice to government. If you share our vision of a home for every Queenslander, sign up today!

Last year’s winners included:

• Erin Jia, Warringu. .
  • $3,300 bursary payment to allow all staff to undertake Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health first-aid training.
• Daniel Robertson, Neighbourly.
  • $700 bursary to engage professional mentoring services.
• David Foreman, Integrated Family & Youth Service .
  • $510 to allow a team member to attend “Motivational Interviewing”, a two-day intensive program, with Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC).
• Kristy Polo, Access Community Housing.
  • $499 bursary to complete a Certificate of Domestic and Family Violence Practice.