Across Queensland
The 2009 Shared Visions disability conference held in early April brought together people from the disability sector to share information, network and encourage innovation to make a difference in the lives of people with a disability.
Key speakers at the two day conference explored important changes taking place at the local and international levels for people with a disability.
This year's Youth Week had a stimulating start when celebrity scientist Bernie Hobbs joined some of Queensland's brightest young volunteers at the State Library of Queensland as part of the annual Ideas Festival. The ABC science journalist, best known as a regular judge on The New Inventors, joined six young volunteers for a chat to discover what makes them tick.
Youth Week is held annually to raise awareness of the positive contribution that young people make to their community. The event coincided with the launch of the Queensland Young Volunteer Awards. Visit www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au for details.
Queenslanders expressed their condolences during the National Day of Mourning held on 22 February to remember those who died or experienced loss and destruction in the Victorian bushfires.
Foster and kinship carers across Queensland were officially acknowledged in March with the Foster and Kinship Carer Excellence Awards ceremony at Parliament House in Brisbane. Pictured are Tod and Petra Bathe of Innisfail who provide a safe home for two young children with DiGeorge syndrome.
The community came together in Cairns for the annual Picnic in the Park. Traci Fraser of the Cairns Homelessness Service Hub and Coleen Jensen and Lynette Dewis of the Street Based Outreach Service were there to talk about local housing, health, youth, Indigenous and multicultural services.
Michael Hogan of the Department of Communities and Paul Scully of Lifeline Fraser Coast met to discuss local services funded by the department.
Crowds converged on Scarness Park in March for the Fraser Coast Multicultural Festival.
Leading social commentator Bernard Salt was a keynote speaker at the Shared Visions Conference in early April. He caught up with delegate Ian Chill during the event.
The ABC's Bernie Hobbs helped launch Youth Week in Brisbane alongside Ash Brosnan and Danielle Vujovich.
Arna Brosnan from the Department of Communities accepts a cheque from Lieutenant Commander Ted Cummins for the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. Accompanying them is a delegation of personnel from HMAS Cairns who helped raise the funds.