Starlink has never been and is not a political platform. It has always held to a bipartisan view - we know that the pendulum tends to swing from one side to the other in every sector under both of our main political parties. :)

However on this occasion we felt the need to comment on the fact that the Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies (ACYS) has been defunded in the latest Federal budget ... after 30 years of operation!

ACYS has always been a wonderful source of the latest news, information and resources for the youth sector in the years since Starlink began back in 1995. So it is with a heavy heart we consider the fact it may be no more.

We hope that either the government's decision may be reversed, or another source of funding will be found to ensure that ACYS continues to provide the wonderful service it has always provided to those who work in the youth sector.

For more information, or to offer your support, visit the ACYS website.

The Royal District Nursing Service has some excellent resources about Dementia and Diabetes available at no cost on their website.

Getting To Know Me - A Dementia Training Package is an online self-directed course that you can undertake at your own pace. It's been "designed to enhance the knowledge of clinicians working with people who have dementia." No special background knowledge or understanding of dementia is required.

There are six sessions altogether, which incorporate slides and videos as well as subject matter to read. You can view the sessions one by one or collectively. The length of time to complete the course will vary depending on past experience and the pace at which each person need to absorb the information.

There are also talking books available in languages other than English about diabetes (Greek, Italian, Macedonian & Vietnamese) and dementia (Vietnamese).

These books open in your internet browser like a book, with navigation arrows to turn the pages. The English version is written on the left hand page, the translated version on the right. To listen to the 'talking book', you click on the photograph of the translator, to the bottom right of the page. Clicking on the red box next to that photo will stop the audio. The books are also printable if you wish to have a hard copy available as well.

Produced by the Aspen Institute, this Branding and Marketing Toolkit is an excellent resource for any organisations or community groups engaged in social entrepreneurship, community-based businesses or for nonprofit organisations wishing to develop a "for-profit venture" as part of their funding strategy.

Subtitled Lessons from the Ford Foundation Community-Based Forestry Demonstration Program, 2000–2005, it's not a new publication. Also some of the information in the toolkit (for example the legal structures discussed) is very US-centric. However most of what it contains is still very relevant today and is also applicable for Australia.

There are checklists and worksheets for different aspects of establishing, monitoring and marketing a community-based business. These included identifying market opportunities and target markets, setting up a marketing plan, developing your brand, promotion and advertising and strategies for measuring success.

Melbourne readers may be interested to visit a wonderful exhibition, coming up at Gallery Sunshine Everywhere from 24 May 24 to 21 June.

Called SWIRL (Story Writing in Remote Locations), it celebrates the twentieth year of Lawry Mahon and Victoria University education students working with Indigenous Communities in Northern Territory.

Visit their website for more information.

Visit our Events Calendar to find details of conferences, workshops, training opportunities, exhibitions and special days to celebrate!

Click on the event in the calendar for details and links to the event websites.