Canning Cultural Ambassador Program 2024 - 2025

Backstory

The City of Canning is Western Australia’s most culturally diverse local government, 51% cent of our residents are born overseas, whilst 43% speak a language other than English at home.

The Canning Cultural Ambassador program begun as a pilot project in 2021 as part of the City’s COVID-19 Connect in Canning program, in partnership with Multicultural Futures and Curtin University. The purpose was to assist the City in overcoming obstacles that were preventing people from accessing City information and services. This was achieved by establishing a network of community champions who are bilingual or multilingual. These champions aid us in enhancing our connections and communications with the diverse community in Canning.

The program now stands integrated as part of the City’s volunteer program. Not only does it fulfil its initial objective, it has evolved into a strategic tool that influences the City’s operations and enriches its community outreach efforts.

Get involved

The Canning Cultural Ambassadors are select individuals representing a diverse Canning community, who are well connected and ideally live in Canning. Cultural Ambassadors have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the barriers their communities face when accessing City resources, services, and opportunities and are able to share these barriers with the city.

• Join our 2024-2025 Canning Cultural Ambassador Program and be part of a passionate group of volunteers who are supported by the City to improve outcomes for their communities.
• For your commitment to the program you’ll receive great benefits, including:
  • 6 free spaces for use at Hillview Intercultural Community Centre
  • 4 free spaces for use at Cannington and Riverton leisureplexes
  • 4 free spaces at Riverton, Willeton, and Cannington Libraries
  • opportunities to shape City planning and direction through engagement activities and direct feedback
  • capacity building and leadership training
  • networking opportunities
  • one-year free Leisureplex membership.

A Canning Cultural Ambassador is:

• considered a community leader and enabler of learning opportunities
• able to communicate in the language of the community they represent
• well connected within their communities.

Cultural Ambassadors will be provided with learning opportunities to increase their knowledge around:

• understanding the demographics of their communities
• how to problem-solve the delivery of information that can be culturally sensitive
• how to work with communities to build trust in and across local government with the aim of increasing migrant communities’ access to and participation in a range of resources across the City of Canning.

Community members are invited to express interest in being part of our Canning Cultural Ambassador program. For more details about the role, refer to the attached Position Description document.

What are the next steps?

If you are interested in the Canning Cultural Ambassador Program please complete the Canning Cultural Ambassador EOI Form 2024.

The closing date for expressions is the 4th of October, 2024. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview and referee information. All successful candidates will be contacted by mid-October on the next steps.