Our Work | Buneen

YMCA Victoria

Cultural safety across camps and youth programs.

Buneen was engaged to deliver a Cultural Safety Systems review of the YMCA Victoria Camps program, examining how the organisation can strengthen its engagement with local First Nations people by understanding the history that shaped current practice.

Conducted a desktop review of cultural engagement across five campsites, alongside internal and cross-employment practice.
Reviewed the program's artwork, prior engagement, and the curriculum delivered to young people.
Assessed existing relationships with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
Worked across the delivery teams, the internal teams behind them, and management and executive management.
Delivered a full brief and plan to the YMCA Victoria and its delivery partner, Sport and Recreation Victoria.
The engagement is now moving into its action phase.

Bunurong Land Council

On Country with Cultural Heritage Officers and Elders.

Buneen was engaged on an 18-month program of truth-telling and healing with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, supporting members and Elders to reconnect with the organisation following a period of special administration.

Began on Country, meeting with Elders and community members and using the Be BRAVE Feel SAFE method to listen to their priorities.
Focused early work on the cultural heritage unit, rebuilding trusted relationships across the team.
Established an Elders advisory group, the first in 20 years, and supported it to hold three forums.
Created the conditions for honest truth-telling within a trauma-informed practice.
Designed strategic visioning that aligned the priorities of members and Elders with the organisation's capabilities.
Worked closely with the executive team to strengthen management and communication.
Delivered an internal staff truth-telling and healing process that helped bring the organisation back together.
Developed cultural authority processes for the organisation to carry forward.
Concluded in June 2026, leaving the new CEO and board well positioned to progress the recommendations.

Story from the work · Bunurong Land Council

Elders and staff, back in the same room.

“Elders and Bunurong Land Council Staff Session”, drawn on Bunurong Country by Ray Eckermann, 19 November 2025.

By June 2026, Buneen had completed its truth-telling and healing work across the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation. One of the final pieces of that work was with the staff of the organisation: understanding their roles, and how those roles had been shaped by special administration, cultural authority, Elders, members, and structure.

The highlight came at the close of the Elders forum, when staff and Elders sat together: talking, building relationships, and developing a shared understanding of how cultural authority would work moving forward.

On the day, Ray Eckermann was engaged to draw the story as it unfolded. This artwork is that record: the yarn between Elders and staff, held in one image.

Buneen's ability to work across our organisation, through the leadership of Shawn Andrews and the Be BRAVE Feel SAFE method, brought a lot of our members and Elders back together. Some of the key work looked at the whole organisation's operations and worked through our strategic vision, then helped us bring back the Elders group and establish cultural authority. This work was done with incredible listening, truth-telling, and healing.

Terry Atkinson

Chair (2023–2026), Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation

Connecting Home

A staff day building braver, safer teams.

Buneen was engaged to develop a full strategic vision for Connecting Home, from board-level direction through to operational priorities.

Held conversations across the organisation to understand its capability, capacity, and delivery.
Worked with the board to define a clear, high-level strategic vision.
Identified operational priorities and outcomes for the executive team to carry forward.
Defined and embedded cultural principles within the strategic vision, an element often missed at this level.

Victorian Public Sector Commission

Executive coaching on the VPSC panel.

Be BRAVE Feel SAFE was accepted as the methodology and coaching practice for work with the Victorian Public Sector Commission from 2026 to 2029.

Engaged to deliver executive coaching and to support stronger teams and outcomes for people, managers, and staff across the Commission.
The scope reaches both First Nations and non-First Nations participants, reflecting how Be BRAVE Feel SAFE works across both.
Commenced in March 2026, with several executive coaching sessions already delivered.
Developing team-based sessions that support treaty readiness and treaty preparedness by creating brave spaces for honest conversation.