The yarning circle has been operational in Katherine for a few months, as a sort of community discussion group.

Year on year, Kidson4th, a childcare centre in the Gold Coast, raises funds for a not-for-profit organisation. 

With ties to Katherine already established through previous fundraising, it was hard to bypass the weekly circle, Kidson4th director Rachael Egerton said. 

“In the past we have supported different organisations in the NT such as Remote OpShops – we did a big drive for clothing and sent it all up,” she said. 

“We really thought it was important to support issues around Indigenous culture and families.” 

Ms Egerton said she heard about the Yarning Circle through her sister Tanya, who often attends. 

“It really resonated with the community at the centre, being young families themselves,” Ms Egerton said.

“We asked local businesses and families if they had prizes and we ran a raffle at our Christmas concert. 

“We had a great response even though Katherine is so far away.” 

The Yarning Circle received the out-of-the-blue cheque at the beginning of this year and project facilitator and intensive family support worker at Save The Children, Pip Gordon, said she couldn’t be more grateful.

“It will specifically help bring remote community elders to the Katherine Yarning Circles to help them share their knowledge and ideas as well as build confidence to start their own circle,” Ms Gordon said. 

“Yarning Cirlces have been going on forever and a day and this is a great way to create discussion about issues that affect children.”

Ms Gordon said the local initiative currently enables two or three local elders to facilitate the circle each week. 

The welcome donation will now allow elders who would not have had access to Katherine previously to share what works in their community. 

“The Yarning Circle concept comes from a time when community engaged through sitting together, yarning up, holding important community meetings, where listening to stories and respecting Elders was customary,” Ms Gordon said. 

“The ‘Dakku Kan’ Yarning Circles were established as a direct result of hearing the requests for a safe space to be created that explores ways to best support children and families as led by Aboriginal leaders.

“It is the cross sharing of ideas which is really important,” Ms Gordon said. 

“We need the opportunity to connect elders from remote regions, not only so we can listen to different ideas, but also so that eventually Yarning Circles are not just held in Katherine, but in lots of communities.” 

The ‘Dakku Kan’ Yarning Circle takes place every Thursday from 10.30am to 12:30pm at Save the Children’s Play2Learn Centre, in Katherine. 

“All community members are welcome who have an interest in listening and sharing, to grow in understanding of cultural ways,” Ms Gordon said. 

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