With ChangeFest25 fast approaching, Imagined Futures is preparing to welcome visitors to Walyalup Fremantle for this national place-based gathering. Together with Walyalup Elders and Leaders and Collaboration for Impact, we’re putting the final touches on the event details. It promises to be a powerful convergence of changemakers from across the country.
We’re proud to have recently launched Where is the Door? for young people – a new resource created in response to local need, helping young people understand where to start when seeking support. Launched by the Commissioner for Children and Young People, the event featured young voices sharing their experiences of reaching out for help.
Our cultural connection events for Aboriginal children in care have now been running for three years. These gatherings offer meaningful opportunities for connection – especially between siblings and family – and deepen cultural knowledge and community ties that might otherwise be missed.
We’ve also completed the Outcomes Measurement Framework, which evaluates the impact of Imagined Futures. It provides strong evidence of the strengths of our collaboration and highlights what’s needed to ensure its sustainability. And in case you missed it, our Annual Story is now available, showcasing the breadth of Imagined Futures projects throughout 2024–25.
It’s Almost Here: ChangeFest25 – 19–21 November
Imagined Futures is thrilled to be welcoming visitors to Walyalup Fremantle for ChangeFest25, a national gathering of place-based changemakers. Guided by our Walyalup Elders and Leaders group and working in partnership with Collaboration for Impact, we’ve spent the year shaping a program that tells our story and reflects the ChangeFest principles. It’s exciting to see this hard work coming to life.
The opening plenary will feature Narelda Jacobs, who will share her reflections on the stories being told by and within communities across the continent. She’ll be joined by local Elder Dr Jim Morrison and former Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettit to explore the powerful stories of Walyalup and WA – stories that are helping this community step bravely into new futures. Together, they’ll highlight how the ChangeFest principles are laying the foundations for change across Australia.
We’re also delighted to announce that the Hon. Tanya Plibersek – Minister for Social Services and Federal Member for Sydney – will join us in-person for the Opening Statement.
Since 2013, Imagined Futures has made a meaningful difference in the South West Metropolitan region of Perth, encompassing Melville, Cockburn, and Fremantle. With ChangeFest25, we have a unique opportunity to share this story more widely – showcasing how place-based collaboration delivers better outcomes for children, families, and communities in WA and beyond.
It’s not too late to get your tickets!
There are full gathering and single-day options available – come be part of this inspiring national movement. Visit the ChangeFest website to see the full program and to register.
Launch: Where is the door? for young people
For a long time, young people in our region have told us they don’t know where to go when they need help. So we listened. We asked what would be helpful and then mobilised the collective resources of Imagined Futures partners to make it happen.
Where is the door reduces barriers by helping young people understand what support is available locally – in bite-sized, digestible chunks. We show how to access it, what’s free or low-cost, and where to start. Whether it’s face-to-face, phone-based, or online, we make that first step easier and less overwhelming.
We’re deeply indebted to the incredible young people who shaped this event; especially our wonderful MC Hannah, and panellists Angelina, Amber, Brandon, and Tristan. A heartfelt thank you also to our wonderful speakers who complemented the event beautifully: Sue Nickisson, Chair of the Imagined Futures Community of Practice; David Scaife MLA; the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA Jacqueline McGowan-Jones – who joined the young people in cutting the ribbon to officially launch the initiative.
A special thank you to Stan Perron Charitable Foundation for providing the funding required to bring this initiative to life; to Neami National for co-funding the event and providing support staff; and to the City of Cockburn for hosting us at their amazing youth centre.
We would love your help to share this resource with our community.
Our Year in Reflection – Annual Story 2024-25
Each year, the Imagined Futures Annual Story captures the heart of our collective journey – the challenges we’ve faced, the progress we’ve made, and the powerful partnerships that continue to shape our work. Rooted in the voices of community and driven by a shared commitment to place-based change, this story is a celebration of what’s possible when we come together with purpose.
We invite you to explore the highlights, insights, and impact of the past year – and to join us in imagining what’s next.
Read the Annual Story 2024-25 – here
Kambarang marks three years of Cultural Connections for Children in Care
Three years ago, Aboriginal Practice Leads Brenda Van der Hor and Stephen Loo came to Imagined Futures with a great idea. They wanted to strengthen support for Aboriginal children in care by fostering real, enduring connections – especially between siblings. Connections many of us take for granted, but which are life-changing for children separated in care.
Equally important was the commitment to cultural connection – knowing that identity and belonging are foundational to social and emotional wellbeing. The goal was to increase natural supports that transcend formal systems and endure over time.
It’s hard to believe three years have passed. Regular events now bring children, carers, and community together. We’ve watched the children grow, witnessed the joy of family reunions, and seen the deep impact of cultural learning – shared by children, carers, and helpers alike.
At our recent Kambarang event, guest performers Levi Islam from Black Coal and Rueben Hayden-Nelson brought Aboriginal culture to life – Levi played the didgeridoo and shared language and stories, while Rueben led a cultural dance class and storytelling in Noongar language.
A heartfelt thank you to all our contributing partners and to Fremantle Ports, whose support through their Community Investment Program made it possible to provide catering, cultural activities, and photography.
Working together to Preventing Burnout
At Imagined Futures, our Where is the Door? framework is all about connection; helping people find the right support at the right time, and empowering frontline workers to better support those seeking help. Through our Community of Practice, we identify service gaps in the human services sector and create opportunities to build the capacity of those on the frontlines.
A prevailing theme has been the need to prevent burnout. With increasing cost of living and housing pressures, frontline workers are supporting more people than ever; and that takes a toll. That’s why we’ve delivered a series of “Exploring Burnout and Activating Self-Care” sessions reaching 92 participants over the past year from a range of different organisations including state and local government, not-for profit and private sectors.
Our latest session was supported by City of Fremantle. Led by Romy Pritchard from RDP Enterprise Solutions, these interactive trainings dive deep into stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout, offering practical strategies around boundaries and self-care.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants walking away more confident and equipped to care for themselves while caring for others.
The community of practice is considering running this training again in 2026.
Evaluating our Impact
The Imagined Futures Outcomes Measurement Framework – Evaluation 2025 provides a comprehensive assessment of our place-based, community-led approach to addressing complex social challenges. Developed in partnership with the Centre for Social Impact, the evaluation explores three key domains – Collaboration Health, Conditions for Collective Impact, and Project-Level Effectiveness – through tailored surveys across our Leadership Group, Working Groups, and Project Teams.
The findings affirm the strength of our collaborative culture, the value of shared measurement and backbone support, and the tangible impact of projects like Where is the Door? and Cultural Connections for Children in Care. While highlighting areas for growth such as data access and financial sustainability, the evaluation underscores the effectiveness of Imagined Futures’ model and the deepening value experienced by long-term partners.
Read the full evaluation report – here
