In this, our final, episode we hear from different communities from around the Shire. We know that communities come in all shapes and sizes, and that people's relationships are central to resilience. When people come together adnd collectively do whatever they can to support each other, relationships are preserved, nurtured, strengthened and enriched. These relationships are key to small communities, and they are vital when building resilience and strength against future crises.

The stories we’ve heard throughout this series reveal grief or loss for many, but we’ve also heard how experiences have changed the ways people think about themselves, their relationships, and their sense of safety. These scars include both physical losses and psychological transformations. Stories of hope, loss and resilience take many forms and the storiespeople have shred with us during this podcast series inimately illustrate the different ways people in the Bega Valley remain connected and hopeful.

The story of COVID-19 isn't a single crisis but a compounding cumulative one: these are rural stories of grief and ingenuity, told with humour, warmth or rawness. In these stories we explore the different ways people stay hopeful, deal with loss, and remain resilient and connected. We explore the complexities and nuances of how people in a single rural shire prepared for, confronted and lived through the pandemic.

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© Bega Valley Shire Council and Bega Valley Shire Library 2019-2024

Acknowledgement of Country

Bega Valley Shire Library acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional custodians of the lands, waterways and airspace on which we live.

Help if you need

Mental Health Line (NSW Health): 1800 011 511

Lifeline: 13 11 14; SMS: 0477 13 11 14; W: lifeline.org.au

Acknowledgement of funding

The Talking Together oral histories project made possible by funding from the NSW Reconstruction Authority (Resilience NSW). The NSW Reconstruction Authority is dedicated to disaster prevention, preparedness, recovery & reconstruction.

Funded under the joint Australian Government–NSW Government Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the NSW Government.

All music

“Rocks and Snow” David Ross Macdonald: Bandcamp

“3XQ” Baron Grand: Epidemic Sound

“Fairy Tale” Livio Amato: Epidemic Sound

“Glitch in Reality” David Celeste: Epidemic Sound

“Rainbow” Borrtex: Epidemic Sound

“Hibernation” Hushed: Epidemic Sound

“Thoughts Of You” Dana Boulé: Epidemic Sound.

“...

In this episode we hear from three very different Bega Valley businesses, and while these stories can’t fully capture the breadth of enterprises in the shire — because, like so many places, the nature of business in the Bega Valley is just so diverse — this episode does give valuable insights into how community goals can co-exist alongside financial targets.

What COVID uncovered for many local businesses was conflict: between employees and employers, between customers and the business itself, between keeping people safe and keeping the business viable, and between the business and the different levels of government. By making conflict visible — in some cases for the first time — the divides between how individuals perceived and reacted to the pandemic, and the consequences this had for making everyday decisions were profound. For small communities, the question of conflict most often centres around trust and respect, needs and expectations, common ground and mutual benefits. Working through conflicting views and values can — in the best cases — help us to better understand ourselves, grow our empathy and compassion, and build skills fundamental to community resilience.

The story of COVID-19 in the Bega Valley isn't a single crisis but a compounding cumulative one: these are rural stories of grief and ingenuity, told with humour, warmth or rawness. In these stories we explore the different ways people stay hopeful, deal with loss, and remain resilient and connected. We explore the complexities and nuances of how people in a single rural shire prepared for, confronted and lived through the pandemic.

________

© Bega Valley Shire Council and Bega Valley Shire Library 2019-2024

Acknowledgement of Country

Bega Valley Shire Library acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional custodians of the lands, waterways and airspace on which we live.

Help if you need

Mental Health Line (NSW Health): 1800 011 511

Lifeline: 13 11 14; SMS: 0477 13 11 14; W: lifeline.org.au

Acknowledgement of funding

The Talking Together oral histories project made possible by funding from the NSW Reconstruction Authority (Resilience NSW). The NSW Reconstruction Authority is dedicated to disaster prevention, preparedness, recovery & reconstruction.

Funded under the joint Australian Government–NSW Government Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the NSW Government.

All music

“Rocks and Snow” David Ross Macdonald: Bandcamp

“3XQ” Baron Grand: Epidemic Sound

“Fairy Tale” Livio Amato: Epidemic Sound

“Glitch in Reality” David Celeste: Epidemic Sound

“Rainbow” Borrtex: Epidemic Sound

"Hibernation" Hushed: Epidemic Sound

Image C...

In this episode we look at education from both sides of the classroom, speaking with students and teachers alike, and touching on the lives of rural young people during those early pandemic years. We hear about what school's like when no-one’s at school; how both students and teachers coped during the lockdowns; and the challenges younger and older high school students faced.

While there’s been a lot written and said about the impacts of COVID on young people, there’s been fewer opportunities to hear directly from young people themselves. And as we know, young people living in rural and regional communities deal with completely different sets of circumstances and issues compared to those living in urban or city areas.

The story of COVID-19 in the Bega Valley isn't a single crisis but a compounding cumulative one: these are rural stories of grief and ingenuity, told with humour, warmth or rawness. In these stories we explore the different ways people stay hopeful, deal with loss, and remain resilient and connected. We explore the complexities and nuances of how people in a single rural shire prepared for, confronted and lived through the pandemic.

________

© Bega Valley Shire Council and Bega Valley Shire Library 2019-2024

Acknowledgement of Country

Bega Valley Shire Library acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional custodians of the lands, waterways and airspace on which we live.

Help if you need

Mental Health Line (NSW Health): 1800 011 511

Lifeline: 13 11 14; SMS: 0477 13 11 14; W: lifeline.org.au

Acknowledgement of funding

The Talking Together oral histories project made possible by funding from the NSW Reconstruction Authority (Resilience NSW). The NSW Reconstruction Authority is dedicated to disaster prevention, preparedness, recovery & reconstruction.

Funded under the joint Australian Government–NSW Government Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the NSW Government.

All music

“Rocks and Snow” David Ross Macdonald: Bandcamp

“3XQ” Baron Grand: Epidemic Sound

“Fairy Tale” Livio Amato: Epidemic Sound

“Glitch in Reality” David Celeste: Epidemic Sound

“Rainbow” Borrtex: Epidemic Sound

Image Credits

Series

• Hope Loss Resilience photo by Geoffrey Moore on Unsplash

Episodes

• Fire photo by