Palliative Care Victoria is pleased to share recent progress from the Nurturing Compassionate States SA & Victoria project, funded through the Wicking Trust’s Bring Death Back into Life – Developing Solutions Program.
This collaborative initiative, bringing together Palliative Care SA, Palliative Care Victoria, Carers SA, Carers Victoria and Flinders University, aims to develop a practical, scalable model for embedding a Compassionate Communities approach across organisations, services and community groups throughout South Australia and Victoria.
Grounded in the 2024 Bern Declaration on Public Health Palliative Care, the project recognises that care at end of life is not solely the responsibility of health systems, but a shared community responsibility. By strengthening partnerships between formal services and informal networks, the Compassionate State approach seeks to build death literacy, reduce social isolation, and ensure that no one faces serious illness, dying, caregiving or grief alone.
A key focus of the project is supporting organisations to embed compassion as part of their culture, equipping staff, volunteers and leadership with the awareness, confidence and practical tools to better support one another, as well as the communities they serve. By fostering compassionate organisational cultures, we strengthen the foundations for more connected, responsive and resilient communities.
As part of the co-design phase, we recently held a rich and insightful conversation with members of the Good2Go Project collective. This grassroots group, based in regional Victoria, is known for its innovative, community-led approach to normalising conversations around death, dying and future planning.
Bianca Hurle (front) with Good2Go Project collective members
Eight members of the collective generously shared their perspectives, grounded in lived experience and community engagement. The discussion explored key questions that are central to the project’s next phase, including:
- What makes a Compassionate Communities action plan meaningful and practical?
- Who should lead and champion this work within organisations and communities?
- What are the priority areas for action across systems, relationships and neighbourhoods?
- What barriers might impact implementation—and what would make it easier?
Participants also reflected on how organisations might engage with a future Compassionate State framework highlighting the importance of flexibility, recognition, and ongoing support. Ideas such as staged levels of commitment, opportunities to pause or re-engage, and visible acknowledgment of participation (e.g. certificates, public listings, or storytelling) were strongly supported.
Importantly, the conversation reinforced that compassionate communities are already in action across Victoria and South Australia. The role of this project is not to start from scratch, but to connect, strengthen and amplify existing efforts—creating a shared structure that enables collective impact.
Insights from this and other co-design sessions will directly inform the development of a Compassionate State Action Framework, supporting organisations and communities to take practical, meaningful steps toward embedding compassion in everyday practice.
We extend our sincere thanks to the Good2Go collective for their generosity, insight and leadership in this space.
Call to action
We invite organisations, community groups and services across Victoria and South Australia to be part of the co-design journey. If you are interested in contributing your insights or learning more about how to get involved, please contact Palliative Care Victoria or the project team to join the conversation and help shape a more compassionate future for all.
Article written by:
Bianca Hurle
Project Consultant
Nurturing Compassionate States SA & Victoria
Palliative Care Victoria
email: info@pallcarevic.asn.au
phone: 03 9662 9644