Mingaletta director awarded Churchill Fellowship
Mingaletta board member Mr Mark Champley has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship
He plans to travel to Canada, the UK and Holland next year as a Churchill Fellow to learn best practices and conduct research into reverse mentoring.
Mr Champley said he saw reverse mentoring as a unique way of bringing aboriginal and non-aboriginal people together "to celebrate cultural diversity in a safe environment".
"The two-way mentoring process presents opportunities for our First Nations peoples to develop and progress careers and non-aboriginal leaders to gain a better understanding of aboriginal history, culture and issues."
He said he gained satisfaction from "providing a platform where people come together, build connections and share knowledge, creating meaningful relationships".
"The Churchill Fellowship will allow me to conduct research and share knowledge with overseas partners delivering similar programs.
"This will help me to develop and expand the reverse mentoring program and help unite Australians and remove discrimination as we walk in each other's shoes."
Mr Champley was formally presented with the Churchill Fellowship at Government House by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley on October 21.
"It was especially memorable as two of my nine children were present."
He said he applied for a Churchill Fellowship earlier this year.
"The application process was extensive with the final interview being held at the Sydney Hilton Hotel and comprised of a presentation and questions from all nine judges.
He was later contacted by the Churchill Trust and informed that he was the only aboriginal man successful in NSW.
Mr Champley said: "Mingaletta is our local aboriginal community hub and open Monday to Friday and all are warmly welcomed."
He was congratulated by Member for Robertson Dr Gordon Reid, who addressed a meeting of Mingaletta recently.
Mr Champley was pictured at Government House with a painting of former NSW Governor Sir Roden Cutler, who he had met on his only previous visit to Government House as school captain of Balmain High as a teenager.
SOURCE:
Media statement, 11 Nov 2022
Mark Champley, Mingaletta