Supported with $22,923 to build organisational capacity through the delivery of Governance training for the Clyde River & Batemans Bay Historical Society and their three local partner historical societies before a major expansion of built infrastructure and complexity of operations.

The Museum has been working toward becoming a major tourist attraction, with the recent bushfires accelerating the organisation’s need to progress. Fires razed facilities where four other heritage groups were housed, and by offering storage space and meeting facilities at the Museum until new accommodation could be found, the gesture triggered a recognition of shared values, and how a cooperative approach could envision a new build Heritage Centre in Batemans Bay. By undertaking the training, a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities required in successfully implementing strong governance and delivery of strategies is seen as integral to the realisation of such a shared community Heritage Centre.

The training involves engaging a professional trainer from the Australian Institute of Company Directors to run a one-and-a-half-day course, providing participants with an understanding of fundamental compliance and performance related roles and responsibilities of directors, specifically in the areas of governance, risk, financial performance and strategy. Attendees will consist of the organisation’s Executive committee, and invited committee members drawn from links with Shire heritage and other Not-For-Profit small groups. As part of this project a small technology upgrade of an Ipad mini will be required to enable interactive webinars.

“As our society has grown so have the requirements to improve structure and processes for decision making, accountability, control and behavior. Recognizing this in ourselves, we are most proud of being in a position to enable governance training at a professional level for other small community groups like ourselves.”