Since 2016, Q Shelter has awarded a bursary in the name of Deirdre Coghlan, a founding and life member of Q Shelter. Deirdre was known to many Queenslanders as a champion of social housing and as an outstanding community development worker.
Deirdre contributed significantly to the founding of Bric Housing, through a collaboration involving four community housing providers. In her later years, Deirdre was also a proud tenant of Bric Housing and famously achieved an amazing level of community development with other social housing tenants in Redcliffe. She loved her role and the difference it made.
The bursaries, totalling $6,500 per annum, fund professional development activities for Q Shelter members who work or volunteer in the affordable housing and homelessness sector.
In 2023, the winners of the Deirdre Coghlan Bursary Award included:
- Shelter Housing Action Cairns (SHAC)
- 3rd Space
- Warringu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation
Applications for the 2024 Deirdre Coghlan Bursary are now open and can be submitted via this link. Applications will close on 18 October 2024.
The winner will be announced at Q Shelter’s AGM on 14 November 2024.
Deirdre Coghlan
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