The learning and development partnership between Brisbane City Council (BCC) and CPR Group started in 2020, when CPR Group was engaged to host a series of webinars for local community groups and organisations. With the first workshop series starting during the first COVID lockdowns, the focus was drawn to how clubs and organisations can build resilience and how they can adapt to emerge successfully from the lockdowns. The 2020 workshops saw great attendance levels and engagement, which resulted in BCC wishing to continue the program. CPR Group was engaged to host the 2021 and 2022 webinar series.
The 2021 and 2022 webinar series again saw great results in attendance and engagement. For most workshops we saw a 70% engagement rate with 458 total views of the recordings and 414 people attending the webinars in person. The ongoing support for the 2022 webinars was secured when Councillor Vicki Howard presented these positive results to BCC’s Lord Mayor and Councillors.
The scope for the webinars included topics such as Flood Recovery - grant writing, planning, and recovery tips; good governance; preparing and running a great AGM; planning for the future; and how to better use technology.
In addition to the sessions run for clubs and organisations, CPR Group has run multiple training sessions for BCC staff. These sessions aimed to train and guide the staff through the issues volunteers in clubs and organisations face and give them the tools to speak the right language to deliver the right messages to these volunteers.
A challenge of the program was to deliver thought-provoking, interactive workshops in an online environment and keeping people engaged. We knew a big change needed to be made to avoid ‘webinar fatigue’ and add value in attending the workshops live, rather than watching recordings. To increase engagement and bring the ‘in-person experience’ into the online environment, more polls, open mic times, and Q&A sessions were included. These inclusions generated more conversations and made the workshops a more personal experience for the attendees. Personalising the issues addressed meant that attendees were able to share their stories.
CPR Group ensures value and bespoke webinars and workshops with our clients by regularly reviewing our content.
At the end of each webinar, direct feedback is sought from attendees. It is great to see the positive comments each time, demonstrating that we are effectively tailoring content to our audience.
At CPR Group, we believe that training can change lives and it is great to see the positive impact in clubs and organisations around Brisbane.
Some feedback from the workshops:
“Excellent. Very clear, concise, informative.”
“Great session with heaps of helpful tips”
“ Very useful advice!”
Bellbowrie Sports and Community Club and Wests Mitchelton Rugby League Football Club are two of our showcase clubs that have turned their clubs around from difficult times.
Bellbowrie Sports and Community Club struggled with internal member turmoil and financial difficulties. However, they were able to implement business systems to support continuity, and separated governance from their operations to ensure their success.
Wests Mitchelton Rugby League Football Club was experiencing dysfunction within the committee and members. They were in a tough financial situation and were not communicating effectively with Council. The club has now turned itself around and has been successful in simplifying its planning, meeting Council compliance, using technology to make volunteers' lives easier, and creating business systems and following them.
You can watch the full success stories of Bellbowrie Sports and Community Club and Wests Mitchelton Rugby League Football Club here.
If you would like to learn more about CPR Group’s training and workshop offerings, and our showcase clubs, please contact us on 1800 100 204 or email us at info@cprgroup.com.au today.
