Talking together for 50 years
The early childhood sector has played a vital role in supporting communities and families in the Northern Rivers amid the onslaught of challenges in the last three years. And one local organisation that has endured those difficulties and emerged reinvigorated for a bright future, is Casino-based Jumbunna Community Preschool and Early Intervention Centre.
“’Jumbunna’ is an Aboriginal word that means ‘talk together’,” says general manager Karen McDermott of the centre’s philosophy, “and we believe that by playing, working and talking together we learn to understand, and accept each other.”
Jumbunna’s services, which extend across the Richmond Valley and Kyogle Local Government Areas, include preschool, mobile preschool, supported playgroups, parent programs and more. It is also a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider. Jumbunna started life as a small community pre-school in 1972 (50 years was marked in 2022), and now employs 47 staff, encompassing teachers and educators, speech and occupational therapists, and early intervention specialists, among others.
The centre is a community-run, not-for-profit organisation, governed by a management board of seven volunteers who delegate the day-to-day running to Karen. The majority of Jumbunna’s programs are government-funded, while fundraising also takes place for some things.
“Any profit goes back into the service for its primary purpose: to support children, families and young people,” Karen says.
It is preparing to expand in ways that will see it serve the community even more meaningfully – with particular emphasis on engaging with local Indigenous families.
“We have outgrown our current facility,” says Karen of Jumbunna’s current site on Casino’s High Street. “I was successful under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Package [in obtaining] a grant for $1.6 million, to build our Jumbunna Community Hub.
“It is our vision to bring more services and supports to our region so that families can access them in their community”
![](https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Jumbunna.jpg)
“It is our vision to bring more services and supports to our region so that families can access them in their community, such as behaviour supports and psychology.“The Hub will also be for the wider community to use. We are already planning, with the local Aboriginal medical services, to hold a young Aboriginal mums’ group in the Hub. It will provide a culturally sensitive environment and private space for them to gain access and support for their pregnancy.”
This vision is finally being realised after disruption from the floods of February 2022, when several of Jumbunna’s venues were impacted.
“Our centre at Wardell became an evacuation centre, and then the food distribution centre, to support the local community,” says Karen. “Our Bonalbo venue was totally inundated with floodwaters and had to be fully refurbished. We are very grateful that we were able to relocate to the Bonalbo Central School while the refurbishment was carried out. At Stratheden our storage shed was flooded and we lost some resources. In Casino our playground was flooded and again we lost resources.”
Despite these severe disruptions (indeed some staff members were badly affected by the floods personally), Jumbunna was still able to extend a hand to others in need: the centre allowed St Mary’s Community Preschool, also in Casino, to use its facilities after St Mary’s was forced to close due to flooding – an arrangement that went on for six months.
“This was such a positive experience for all, and we have created stronger connections that will support us to provide ongoing quality services in our community. We were even featured in the Department of Education’s newsletter as a prime example of community partnerships.”
Jumbunna also went the extra mile, and showed immense resilience, during the pandemic. Karen and her team ensured the centre stayed open in this time, overseeing a range of initiatives that prove its ingenuity.
“We became very flexible in our delivery mode, so we could continue to engage with and support children and families,” says Karen. “We offered Telehealth, homework packages, playgroup in the park, used social media to connect, made calls to parents, face-to-face therapy – all while following strict Covid guidelines.”The “talking together” ethos of Jumbunna is at the heart of this institution amid every challenge and through the opportunities ahead.
Share this story
Read more stories
local, seasonal, transformative gem hits town
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/jane.jpg 960 639 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/jane.jpgGateway Fine Foods and Catering
Debbie McQueen has three words of advice for anyone starting a business in Kyogle: flexibility, perseverance and patience. They’re three traits Debbie…
The dream team
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Joel-Jensen_team-photo-scaled.jpg 2560 1707 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Joel-Jensen_team-photo-scaled.jpgJoel Jensen Constructions
Despite the pressures of running an award-winning construction company, there’s one thing Joel Jensen strives to do every day.
love, peace and artisan cheese
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nimbin-valley-dairy-003.jpg 666 500 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/nimbin-valley-dairy-003.jpgNimbin Valley Dairy
Not every goat in Australia has its own nutritionist and its own vet. But the goats at Nimbin Valley Dairy definitely do. Bill, the nutritionist…
effective creatives have all the fun
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cumulus-vfx-byron-002.jpg 1000 750 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/cumulus-vfx-byron-002.jpgCumulus VFX
They’ve walked the Sydney Harbour Bridge with Hoges. Gone down the garden path with Peter Rabbit. Flown Katie Holmes over…
Farmers in the fields
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/E0A8334.jpg 2048 1366 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/E0A8334.jpgNorco Primex
Bruce Wright has made his career by bringing together and supporting many of the region’s farmers and primary producers.
from generation to generation
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/brookfarm-byron-006.jpg 850 565 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/brookfarm-byron-006.jpgBrookfarm
After buying a rundown dairy farm in the Byron hinterland in 1989, it was another ten years before Pam and Martin Brook made their shift to the…
Three generations of style
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/SCARBOROUGHS.jpg 940 627 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/SCARBOROUGHS.jpgScarboroughs
Running a small clothing shop in a country town is a fine art. It requires balance, delicacy and an open mind to serve the needs of locals, tourists, the area’s workers and more.
beauty and the bottle
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/husk-distillers-tweed-001.jpg 1280 853 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/husk-distillers-tweed-001.jpgHusk Distillers
The Husk Distillers story starts in the tropical paradise of the Caribbean. Paul and his wife Mandaley Perkins were on holiday in 2009 and discovered…
In Ventura we trust
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Ventura-Brewing_product-shot.jpg 2500 1667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Ventura-Brewing_product-shot.jpgVentura Brewing
Ventura is a symbol of luck, chance and good fortune – and while Ventura Brewing’s two founders have had a good dose of all three – it’s mostly been a lot of hard work and focus to launch this craft kombucha brewery amid a global pandemic.
take me to the river
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10986182_733888960072606_3561220566688304460_o.jpg 2048 1536 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/10986182_733888960072606_3561220566688304460_o.jpgGrafton to Yamba Houseboats
The Clarence River, at the southern end of the Northern Rivers, is known colloquially as the ‘Big River’, while its Aboriginal name is ‘Breimbah’ or…
lights, camera, action in ballina shire
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Byron-Studios-team-photo-scaled.jpg 2560 1750 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Byron-Studios-team-photo-scaled.jpgByron Studios
Northern Rivers has long been a hub for film makers and a popular backdrop for film and television productions. But there has been one thing missing to tie it all together…
Townsend taproom breakthrough brews
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sanctus-Brewing.jpg 1123 627 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sanctus-Brewing.jpgSanctus Brewing Co.
When Sanctus Brewing Co. began life in 2019, there was no indication that the brewery would go on to enjoy the immense success it has over the last three years.
true blue locals making a difference
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mountain-blue-001-copy-2.jpg 1920 1280 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mountain-blue-001-copy-2.jpgMountain Blue
Mountain Blue is the definition of a twenty-first century business. Not only have owners Ridley and Mieke Bell expanded their blueberry production…
the power of the win-win-win sustainability approach
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ENV-Solutions_James-scaled.jpg 2560 1707 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ENV-Solutions_James-scaled.jpgENV Solutions
In less than seven years environmental consultancy ENV Solutions has grown from a one-man band in Ballina to a multi-award winning business with more than 25 staff across three locations…
Feeding Pets with a Passion for Purpose
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Frontier-Pets_Di-scaled.jpg 1947 2560 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Frontier-Pets_Di-scaled.jpgFrontier Pets
Diana Scott was more than a bit annoyed at being unable to find a premium quality food for her dogs that was also ethically produced, so she did what all great entrepreneurs do – she created it.
building a good reputation
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/brett_harley_building_002.jpg 1000 667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/brett_harley_building_002.jpgBrett Harley
When the only pub in town burns to the ground, it’s a big responsibility being the one chosen to rebuild it. The success of Uki’s new Mt Warning…
A collaborator at heart
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Table-under-a-tree.jpg 940 627 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Table-under-a-tree.jpgTable Under A Tree
Georgina Inwood credits the evolution of her business, Table Under a Tree, to her ability to “take stock while still running at a million miles an hour”.
flying high, with a helicopter view
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/air-tg-ballina-helicpoters-002.jpg 800 531 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/air-tg-ballina-helicpoters-002.jpgAir T&G
Northern Rivers is well known for its breathtaking natural beauty, and imagine if your day at the office involved enjoying these views from the air…
Nurtured by nature
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GreenX7_Tim-Jack-Adams-scaled.jpg 2560 1723 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GreenX7_Tim-Jack-Adams-scaled.jpgGreenx7
For the past 10 years GreenX7 has been running workshops and retreats internationally and in the Tweed for clients as diverse as McDonald’s, Deloitte, Six Senses, and the Australian Defence Force, to inspire both individuals and teams to tap into the healing power of nature.
From trauma to business transformation
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Our-Cow.jpg 1620 1080 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Our-Cow.jpgOur Cow
For Casino-based meat providers Our Cow, the last three years have seen remarkable, game-changing growth.