Bringing people together to create a sense of belonging

Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast
Giving. Selfless. Hilarious

Kevin Dando has an innate ability to connect people, making him perfect for his many roles at Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast (MCCGC).

He works with teachers, guidance counsellors, community leaders and social services to encourage a sense of inclusion among new arrivals in Australia as well as Indigenous people.

One of his passions is youth development, with much of his work in this area taking place in his own time.

“Engaging, connecting and supporting the diverse communities is rewarding, challenging and inspiring,” says Kevin. He is equally passionate regardless of whether he is with a youth soccer team, addressing a community leaders’ meeting or building connections between different groups.

“I share a message of being proud of who you are and where you come from, and also about the richness of the culture and the opportunities in Australia.”

He feels emotional about being voted a Westfield Local Hero. “The joy you get out of it after working hard gives you a push to carry on. In community work you have to have passion. You have to be driven.”

Kevin enjoys listening to people’s stories and getting a sense of their journey.

“I also get to share my journey, because I migrated here as well eighteen years ago. I was born in New Zealand, and my mother is from the Cook Islands and my father is Australian.”

He is particularly pleased with MCCGC’s engaging new pop-up approach to Harmony Day. “My area was the northern part of the Gold Coast. We filled vans with different cultural performers and sports personalities and popped into schools to stage short harmony events.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation.

MCCGC will use its grant to fund cultural and wellbeing workshops in the northern Gold Coast region and support and promote community events.

“There is rapid population growth in the northern area of the Gold Coast,” says Kevin. “This grant will help us support the people and organisations there.”

__For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here. __