July 2024

To our Huber Hive Community

Here in the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice has just passed, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year in New Zealand and Australia. It heralds the deepening of winter, a time for reflection and renewal. For Māori in New Zealand, it coincides with Matariki, the Māori New Year, which is celebrated with a public holiday. It’s a time to pause, appreciate the seasonal shift, and embrace the unique cultural heritage that enriches our winters. 


We have an exciting line up of upcoming events and speaking engagements for our team both in Australia and online. If you’d like the chance to meet with us in person or learn from our team, we’re pleased to share all the ways you can do this this month.

Ngā mihi nui,

Michelle Macaskill

Interim CEO, 

Huber Social

Join us for a free virtual live session

This session is tailored for professionals and enthusiasts alike who are keen on understanding the nuances of social impact measurement or seeking to enhance their current practices. The session will be live, and hosted by Huber Social Chief Integrity Officer Brett Nan Tie, and Head of Delivery Simon Vaughan. 


From the session, you will come away with:

  • A deeper understanding of the social value measurement ecosystem, and the components of social value.

  • The descriptions and rationale behind each of the eight principles of measuring and valuing social impact.

  • Guidance for the practical application of the principles in your context.

This partnership established the groundwork for ongoing social impact measurement across a broader scope of Resilient Lismore’s work. After almost 18 months of measurement, the first Resilient Lismore Social Impact Report is set to launch later this year. Stay tuned!

Read more about Feel the Magic’s 2022 Social Impact here, and watch this space for the 2023 report to be released in the coming months!

Event Highlight: SEVENTEENx (WA)

We are thrilled to announce that our founder, Georgina Camp, will be a featured speaker at the upcoming SEVENTEENx event in partnership with CAANZ.

This exciting event, themed around sustainability, ESG, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, is part of the Australian Tour showcasing Australia's leading sustainability experts and impact-driven entrepreneurs.

SEVENTEENx, coming to Perth on 28th August, offers a fantastic opportunity to hear from top ESG and sustainability leaders, engage in valuable networking, and contribute to your CPD log. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with like-minded professionals.

Event Highlight: Community Colleges Australia (NSW)

Our very own Simon Vaughan will be speaking at the 2024 CCA Annual Conference this year. This event, hosted by Community Colleges Australia (CCA), brings together leaders and experts from the education and community sectors to discuss vital topics and share innovative ideas. This year's theme is Creative Resilience, Adapting and Thriving in an Uncertain World. 

Held in Sydney on 21-23 October, the conference offers an excellent opportunity to engage with thought leaders and explore the future of community education. Register below to connect and learn from the best in the field.

Reece Foundation x Resilient Lismore Report 

“Hot water after 10 months without is quite a landmark."

In late 2022, Reece Foundation and Resilient Lismore partnered together to deliver the ‘Essential Plumbing Project’. Supporting Lismore residents who were displaced or vulnerable due to the record-breaking 2022 Flooding Event in northern NSW, this project aimed to restore essential water and sanitation to a standard that was safe, secure and dignified.

Recognising the long-term nature of disaster rebuild, this partnership played to partner strengths and focused on fast-tracking trade and resource power into what can be a slow and delayed rebuild journey, as well as prioritising community-led coordination of how and where such intervention should be directed.

18 Months On: With a $5m commitment from the NSW Government to continue the work, Resilient Lismore is delivering the 'Repair to Return' property restoration project across the Northern Rivers into 2025, with teams of Reece Foundation trade volunteers bringing their trade power and big hearts to help make it happen.

Feel the Magic Social Impact Report

Supporting Children and Families through Grief

Feel the Magic aims to create a community where grieving children and families feel supported and empowered. Since 2018, Feel the Magic has partnered with Huber Social to undertake an annual impact measurement of Camp Magic, a transformational weekend program that combines fun physical challenges and grief education for kids and teens aged 7–17 years.

This contributes to the growing evidence of Camp Magic’s success, and offers insights to further support the wellbeing of campers. Key findings include:

•       Camp Magic has a particularly strong impact on the wellbeing of teen girls.
•       Positive mental health and social connection are the most important outcomes for campers’ wellbeing.
•       Campers experience increased connection and belonging within a like-minded community.
•       There is opportunity to improve campers’ wellbeing through strengthening help-seeking behaviours.
•       Feel the Magic tools and resources are “very helpful” for all campers.

Westpac Australia Social Change Fellowship: An Opportunity

Huber Social Chief Integrity Office Brett Nan Tie has been invited to sit on the Regional Selection Panel for the Westpac Australia Social Change Fellowship.

The Fellowship supports the professional and personal development of individuals who are leading an initiative that tackles one of the country’s social issues. Westpac awards ten Fellowships per year valued at $50,000 each.

If you have someone in your network who should apply for the Fellowship, please nominate them or encourage them to apply.

Podcast Highlight: SDG Convos with Mick Hase

Chatting with entrepreneurs, change makers and visionaries on how they are using their business to create amazing outcomes in their community and the world aligning with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, this podcast is a must-listen.

"A really insightful chat with lots of lessons and takeaways for considering how to engage and measure social impact work in communities."

Mick Hase.

Our Community Challenges

From our Waggle last edition, we asked the question:

"What do you see as the biggest challenges in measuring and managing the social impact of initiatives effectively? And how are you addressing them?

Thanks to our community who responded with their thoughts and insights. Here's a thought that resonates with many from Dr Janelle White, Senior Anthropologist at Archae-aus.

We hear you, Janelle, and have experienced the difficulties raising funds can bring. 

Want to waggle with us? Check out this month's question below!

Serve Better. Lead Better. Deliver Better

We are excited to introduce two new ways to learn about social impact measurement through our accreditation courses at Huber Social Academy. The Theory course offers a foundational understanding through five self-paced, online modules, perfect for those seeking flexibility. For a more comprehensive education, the Social Impact Measurement and Management Accreditation includes ten modules with personalised feedback, one-on-one coaching, and practical applications.

Both courses are designed to equip you with the skills needed to effectively measure and manage social impact. 

Ready to deepen your understanding of social impact measurement and management? Join a free information session and start your journey today.

Photograph courtesy of Archae-aus, Australia's leading archaeology & cultural heritage consultancy.

"Gaining financial support to do so - just starting out trying to work out where funding might be for social enterprises and/or NGOs to source when they want such work done."

Waggle with us!

Building on the challenges shared by our community in last month's waggle, we got feedback around the difficulty of finding financial support for purpose-driven organisations.

Let's share our wisdom.

"What strategies have you and/or your team engaged that have helped you to build effective fundraising in the NFP or Social Enterprise space?

What advice would you give a new organisation?"