SUFY's Reconciliation Action Plan
SUFY would like to acknowledge the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live,
and play. We would also like to acknowledge the surrounding clan groups that occupy the area neighbouring Brisbane.
We pay our respects to the Elders—past, present, and emerging—and acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to play within the community and recognise their cultural and spiritual relationship with the land, sea, waterways, and sky.
We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded, that this is stolen land, and renew our commitment to actively work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for justice.
Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
About Our Artwork
Written by Aboriginal artist Duane Doyle
“My name is Duane Doyle, I’m from West End Community House Art Gang, living in Meanjin/Brisbane. I acknowledge our Traditional Custodians of the Yuggera and Turrbal ancestors and families that still exist today.
In telling the SUFY story with the artwork, I heard two stories. The first story I heard was when I met Uncle Willie and Helen. They shared the story at The Coffee Club on Boundary Street, West End. At that point in time, I didn’t really feel too cool, I felt very hot and like I was sweltering listening to their story. Then the second part of the story was when I met with Kelly and Alison who took me to their new office location, and they shared the second part of the story with me. Although there were cables and everything was being renovated, I kind of ‘uplifted’ or ‘brightened up’ or something and felt kind of at peace with SUFY and myself.
So, the idea of painting their story, I believed there needed to be a centre point where SUFY headquarters was, so basically, I painted their camping grounds which is their new office today in Montague Road. SUFY stands for ‘Speaking Up For You’. In the camping grounds we have SUFY members working. As we move outside the circle, we go to the boomerangs. The much larger boomerangs are the Directors of SUFY. These people are unpaid, and they do their work voluntarily. The smaller boomerangs represent the Directors’ agendas. So, every three months or every so often SUFY may have an AGM, or a RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) meeting and they have an agenda, so that’s what the small boomerangs represent.
In listening to SUFY speak their story, they’ve told me that they do home visits. They don’t just bring clients into their office; they do home visits. We did a dreaming trail from the camp of SUFY leading up to people’s homes. And that’s what those symbols (black circles) represent—it represents that dreaming.
After I heard the second story of SUFY, I could feel their personality in their workplace, so when I started painting, I started painting on happiness and I started painting with the colours that would stand out,
so we did mojos, and we also did very important ‘ear’ symbols. They may look like water symbols but that’s where I got it from—I got the ear symbol from the water symbol. And that is when they are listening to their clients, that’s what that is all about. Their caring, loving hearts, very concerned with their clients.
Then we move further out to what we understand as being a sacred symbol, and that’s the 4 symbols (blue semi-circles on the outside edges) representing the whole corroboree grounds, basically I’ve put in there a little bit more office work, but it’s more based around the RAP program where the Indigenous art peoples also have input. But not just their input, but they also receive the help and support from SUFY.”
Our Business
SUFY is an independent individual social advocacy organisation for people with disability including children and young people on Yuggera, Turrbal (Brisbane) and Gubbi Gubbi (Moreton Bay) lands, including clan groups that occupy the surrounding area. SUFY provides a combination of individual advocacy, NDIS appeals advocacy and systems advocacy, that is consultative and collaborative with each individual. Where appropriate, SUFY has an office located in West End, Meanjin/Brisbane, and we also provide flexible working arrangements for staff to work from home. Our work is often done in people’s homes as relationship building and meeting people in their community is a vital part of advocacy.
Individual advocacy provided by SUFY includes supporting people with disability including children and young people to voice concerns, access information, resolve issues or identify support options. Self-advocacy underpins the essence of SUFY’s work, as we enable individuals to gain confidence, understand information and then act on their own behalf. We stand beside and with vulnerable people with disability so they can feel confident that their voice is heard. Our advocacy work with them is often long term, creating positive, real, and sustainable differences to each person’s well-being over time. Systems advocacy includes working towards long term social change to make sure legislation, policies and practices support the rights and interests of people with disability including children and young people. NDIS Appeals advocacy can assist people with disability, including children and young people who have been affected by a decision made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), by providing support through the appeals process. This work is informed by the principles and elements of social advocacy.
SUFY is a community based, not-for-profit incorporated association funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services and Queensland Government Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services. SUFY is governed by a Management Committee, with most committee members having disability and lived experience. Stewardship of an advocacy organisation is somewhat like the Traditional Owner’s concept of stewardship of the land. Management Committee members as people in governance roles at SUFY are the protectors of the knowledge and spirit of the organisation so that the past is understood and honoured, the present is well grounded, and the future has a solid base to continue to do advocacy. One of our founding members, Uncle Willie Prince, is a well-respected member of the disability community.
As SUFY is an organisation that provides services to people with disability, we encourage people with disability to apply for advertised positions. Our 23 staff members are made up of highly skilled and passionate individuals: with almost 50% being people with disability and over 50% having lived experience or caring responsibilities for people with disability. Through our RAP journey it was highlighted that SUFY needed to increase the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our organisation to become a more culturally safe and inclusive organisation. A targeted recruitment was undertaken, and we have been successful in employing two First Nations staff members.
Contact Details for Public Enquiries About Our RAP
Name: Kelly Beckitt
Position: Manager
Phone: (07) 3255 1244
Email: sufy@sufy.org.au
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