Yarning Spaces
yawa-mba ngarn – Speaking Place
yawa-mba ngarn is a nine-week community wellbeing program designed to support people to strengthen their health and wellbeing through connection, reflection and shared learning. The program creates safe spaces for dialogue, creativity and cultural learning, drawing on First Nations ways of being, knowing and doing, while remaining inclusive of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants.
Designed for the Eurobodalla — adaptable to other communities.
This program has been developed for the Eurobodalla region and incorporates local resources, cultural context and community connections wherever possible. The framework, structure and values are designed so that other communities can adapt it to their own context — replacing local references with their own Country, culture and services.
Submit an EOI
Come along, yarn with others, and explore practices that strengthen health, identity and belonging in a shared, culturally safe space. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people are encouraged to join the program.
A wellbeing program for everyone
Using the Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) framework, the program takes participants on a nine-week journey exploring connection to:
- Country
- Culture
- Community
- Family and Kinship
- Mind and Emotions
- Body and Physical Wellbeing
- Spirit, Ancestors and Identity
The program integrates:
- Whole of community healing and strengthening
- Art and narrative-based therapeutic learning processes
- Cooking and healthy eating activities
- Cultural awareness and allyship
- Self-care and wellbeing practices
- Local Eurobodalla cultural knowledge and storytelling
- Reflective group learning and connection
Connection
to Country
Connection to land, nature and place supports emotional grounding, identity and belonging.
Connection
to Body
Physical health influences how we feel, think and participate in daily life.
Connection
to Mind & Emotions
Emotional wellbeing and mental health influence how people cope with stress, relationships and life challenges.
Connection
to Family & Kinship
Family and kinship networks provide support, identity and belonging.
Connection
to Culture
Feeling connected to community strengthens social support and collective wellbeing.
Connection
to Spirit & Ancestors
Culture provides a sense of identity, belonging and continuity.
Connection
to Culture
Culture provides a sense of identity, belonging and continuity.
Meet the facilitators
Patricia Ellis
Auntie Patricia Ellis, OAM, is a proud Brinja Yuin and Walbunja woman, respected Elder, and cultural knowledge holder on the South Coast. With more than 42 years of teaching at TAFE, she continues to lead the way in keeping Dhurga language strong across Certificates I, II and III. She also runs Minga Aboriginal Cultural Services, sharing culture, language and stories with communities across NSW. A twice‑published author and Deputy Chair of Katungul, Auntie Trish is deeply loved as a mother, grandmother, aunty and mentor whose work strengthens culture for generations.
Jordan Nye
Jordan Nye is a Walbunja man from Mogo whose work spans Aboriginal health, community and youth services, cultural consultancy, government roles and education, grounded in a deep commitment to culture and healing. He has worked alongside remote Northern Territory communities and built strong relationships across the Eurobodalla and beyond, bringing a calm, culturally informed presence to every space he supports.
Eliza Cannon
Eliza Cannon is a community development practitioner whose work spans primary teaching, market gardening and advocacy for socially just, culturally appropriate and ecologically sound food systems. After running her market garden on Walbunja Country for four years and recently working with Anangu women on food security in the Central Desert, she now brings her passion for community wellbeing, cultural integrity and good food to her work across the Eurobodalla.
Ness Shannon
Ness Shannon is an Art Therapist, Counsellor, Behaviour Specialist, Artist and Cultural Consultant with a strong passion for mental health and wellbeing. A dedicated educator whose career spans Prep to Year 12, Ness has worked in both all-Indigenous schools and remote NT communities, co-creating programs such as the Strong Girls Indigenous health initiative. She now facilitates community and private workshops for all ages and abilities in her studio gallery in Mogo and across the Eurobodalla Shire, combining creativity, connection and wellbeing through her work. Ness was recognised for her contribution to inclusion and community wellbeing with the 2025 Eurobodalla Inclusion and Diversity Award.
More information and apply
The yawa-mba ngarn program is an Australian Government Initiative and funded by a grant through the Innovative Models of Care program of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.