ACRE Executive Director of Business Development, Pete Ekstedt, facilitating a workshop. The Wilderness Collective’s Tricia Hiley and Paris Brooke, with ACRE’s Tom Colcott with young entrepreneurs from Mallacoota P-12 College. Local rejuvenation through community owned assets From July 2023 – February 2024, East Gippsland Shire Council engaged ACRE to deliver a series of Community Asset Ownership workshops, coaching and 1 to 1 mentoring sessions. Participants were given the opportunity to explore different examples of community asset ownership, governance, income streams and enabling structures, before applying these experiences to mobilise and re-activate their community asset or enterprise. AMP Foundation backs Social Enterprise Schools to empower rural youth In February 2024, ACRE and the AMP Foundation announced their partnership to expand the Social Enterprise Schools program. Nicola Stokes, GM of AMP Foundation said “We’re proud to be partnering with ACRE to provide $2.5 million over five years so that many more schools can be involved, and many more children with creative ideas, energy and innovation can make a positive difference in the communities that they live and hopefully work in the future.” Wooragee Primary School teachers and students with AMP Foundation’s Lucy Watson and Nicola Stokes with ACRE’s Matt Pfahlert. Community-led rejuvenation partnership – The Wilderness Collective, Mallacoota Throughout 2023/24, ACRE continued to support Mallacoota community-led initiative, The Wilderness Collective. A highlight was securing multiyear funding for continued partner development and initiatives with The Wilderness Collective from Helen McPherson Smith Trust. Social Enterprise Schools also continued in Mallacoota P-12 College, part of the broader entrepreneurial education and development program. ANNUAL REPORT 2024 13
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