Welcome to Tea

with the Queen.

I am very excited

today because, I'm

going to be talking

to Belle Tembe, who

is co founder of

Digital Services Lab.

And for those of you

who've been working

with me for a while,

you would know that

Belle was one of our

very first guests on

Tea with the Queen

some years ago.

And she has built

me the most magical

website that a

girl could ask for.

Welcome, welcome

Belle Tembe to Tea

with the Queen.

Thank you, Em.

I'm so excited to be

here four and a half

plus years later.

Plus.

perfect.

I love it.

I love it.

Well, as you know, we

don't have any guests

on at the moment.

So like, this is

like, whoo, so

excited and I'm

special.

so special and I'm

thrilled to have

you on and we're

not talking about

digital services lab.

So I had to give

you a plug at

the start, right?

We are actually going

to jump straight in and

talk about something

called the Wilderness

Collective, Belle.

What is the

Wilderness Collective?

the Wilderness

Collective is very

close to my heart.

it's an organisation

that I co-founded

here with four other

women in Malakuta.

it is designed

to rejuvenate

our community

through

entrepreneurship,

innovation,

and sustainable

development.

basically what we do,

is we support local

business development.

We promote job

security for the people

of our community.

Um, and doing

all of this in a

collaborative effort.

So, we've established a

hub here at 56 Maurice

Avenue, which I'm in

today talking to you

from, and in that hub,

that's where we aim to

create this inclusive

environment for

people to come along

and, um, be creative

and, um, help their

businesses flourish.

And, essentially, the

hub serves as a bit

of a nucleus for a

variety of activities.

So have a co work space

for one, and that's

where I work from full

time, and we also run

workshops and events.

we hold networking

sessions for people

that are aspiring to

have businesses and

then people that are

on different stages of

their business growth.

Um, and then just

networking for

people who want to

come along and have

a chat, you know.

So basically,

our vision extends

to economic

revitalisation,

and then we're

also committed to

fostering a community

that is resilient

and that can

navigate any future

challenges that we have

with confidence

and cohesion.

And we aim to

boost the local

economy and enhance

social connections.

I love that.

And I do have a

question about

social connections,

but I want to ask,

why did all the co

founders feel that the

Wilderness Collective

was necessary?

I'd love to hear a

little bit of the

backstory about that.

Yeah, great.

That's a great

question.

So basically, , two

of the co founders,

Mary O'Malley and

Meg, who we also,

the co founders span

different generations,

which is kind of cool.

So Meg was like 26.

Mary was older.

Um, and, and,

Mary, if you're

listening.

no, well, we just don't

want to talk about

everybody's age, um,

but basically those

two came together

and identified that

after the black summer

bushfires here in

Mallacoota, there

was a need for, you

know, a central place

where people could

come and gather.

It started off as a

different idea, that we

have now extended into

what the Mallacoota

community is.

community is today.

So those two ladies

passion then bought

in another couple of

ladies, Trisha Hiley

and Paris Brooke,

who you've met.

and then I was the

final one to come

along, , they needed

a fifth co founder,

and I was like,

I love what these

guys are doing!

And came along and,

you know, signed

on the dotted

line, so to speak.

How long ago was

the bushfires bell?

Can you remind me?

Yeah, so that was

over basically the

New Year's Eve of 2019

2020, so, um, just as I

was moving here nearly

five years ago now.

Yes.

I, I mean, I remember

very clearly you

moving, moving

there and the

devastation of it.

And, um, I love what

you're doing because,

connection is my

thing, as you know.

Um, You would

also know there

is this loneliness

epidemic happening

all over the globe.

COVID hasn't helped.

working from home means

people are isolated,

et cetera, et cetera.

I'm just curious,

I feel like it is,

but is it the same

in rural areas?

And how then does the

Wilderness Collective

help with that?

Yeah,

absolutely.

So, look, I think the

loneliness epidemic is

an issue that affects

both urban and

rural areas, And

in rural areas like

Mallacoota, we're

quite geographically

isolated, so that

limits our access to

social and welfare

services that people

might have in the

city, so that's one

kind of an issue.

and then the impacts

of events like Black

Summer bushfires can

contribute to a sense

of profound loneliness

for people, um, who

may have, you know,

lost their homes,

are on their own,

haven't rebuilt, there

can be those kind of

compounding issues.

Um, but, you know,

I'm not an expert.

On, you know, the data.

So I'm, I'm talking out

of school a little bit

with, what I'm saying

today, but I do see

that our town, can be

very united with people

and groups looking

out for each other.

So, of course, like

a town isn't one

heartbeat where

everyone feels or

thinks the same.

But I do think there

is a huge amount

of goodwill in the

Malakuta community.

Um, and I see a

lot of people doing

what they can to

support each other.

and, bringing that

back to the Wilderness

Collective, like we're

not a social welfare

organisation but we

do try and tackle,

or not try and tackle

loneliness, but

we tackle it by

providing this

central place

for people to

come and gather,

both social and

professionally.

So, you know, we offer

those diverse range,

array of events.

Uh, tonight we have a

Friday night wind down.

For example, and anyone

can come to that.

It doesn't matter if

you're in business

or you're a tenant.

and we just want to

create, meaningful

opportunities for

people to interact

face to face here

and foster that

sense of belonging,

which, you know,

for me personally,

I'm a tenant here

and I feel like I

have a community.

I love to come to work,

um, in my own business,

but it's a, it's a

lovely place to be.

I love that you're,

trying to have that

kind of impact.

And I think, yes, the

issues are complex,

And I also think that

every single person

can have an impact

where they choose

to have an impact.

Right?

So the fact that the

five of you have got

together and you're

having this impact is

just freaking amazing.

I love it.

I

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think it's like,

it's worth noting that,

you know, everything

that we're doing,

our initiatives,

uh, specifically

designed to build

strong, supportive

networks and to promote

mental wellbeing

and social cohesion.

So I think I

love that too.

Like I'm all

about that.

Like I love,

uh, networking.

I love hanging out

with new people and

it's nice having a

sense of community

wherever you are.

Yeah, I totally agree.

as you know,

Yeah.

um, you're doing a

lot of work with women

in Mallacoota, and of

course, women are very

close to my heart.

what are the challenges

that they're facing?

Yeah.

I know, I know that

women are close to

your heart and I love

that we are a female

founded organization

We do so much.

Yes,

providing support to

women in Mallacoota.

So it's not

exclusively for women,

but we see women

at a much higher

rate than men

In terms of their

engagement in our

programs, don't have,

you know, any of the

data to kind of back

up why that might be.

Um, but women in

Malakuta, I guess,

face whole bunch

of challenges,

particularly in terms

of accessing career

opportunities, and

professional networks.

and business education.

So if you don't have

all of those three

things, it's really

hard to understand

like what's out there

for you, what your

life could look like

living in Mallacoota.

and that's something

that I've really seen

here more than when

I was living in King

Lake in a small town,

but was also quite

like close to the city.

Um, so I guess the

remote, location

and the limited

diversification of

like jobs means that

there are fewer job

prospects and career

advancements for women.

So, There is often

a bit of payoff or

a sacrifice that people

make to live here,

or a general

acceptance that

you have to take

what you can get

when it comes.

and like an example

of that is that

there's a huge of

our workforce here.

So work here is

seasonal, depending on

tourism, or you have

to accept making less

money for six months of

the year just to stay

in Mallacoota, which

is a pretty bleak,

position to be in.

Yeah,

basically the

devastation, the

devastation caused

by those Black

Summer bushfires,

um, compounded those

issues and The support

systems and community

structures like kind of

came to the forefront

as a bit of an issue.

and that's where I

guess we stepped in

especially for women is

to implement programs

that support women

while also attempting

to build a culture that

is entrepreneurial.

So that it's not about

what you can see on the

main street as a job.

It's not about

casualization of your

work and having to

work three different

jobs during summer so

that you can support

yourself during winter.

you know, it's

about, How do we

support people to

see opportunities?

How do we support

them to have

their own incomes?

even if business

isn't your jam, and

it's definitely not

everyone's, definitely

my jam and your jam.

Um, but you know,

we are also trying

to think here at the

Wilderness Collective

about how Career

opportunities can

be created for women

and how maybe the

Wilderness Collective

could pay it, play

a role in becoming

an employer for

women and offering

services to a broader.

I mean, that's just

something that's in

the, in the pipeline,

but we're definitely

thinking about that.

Like, how do

we create that

independence for women?

it feels a little

bit sad to me that to

be a payoff, right?

And if we can help

them think outside

the square, outside

the box, or think

about innovation

in some other way.

I mean, we've got all

the tech to do all

the things now, right?

And so if we can help

them with that, that

would be amazing.

I feel like maybe

you need a visit from

the Queen, I'm just

Oh, I would

be so great.

Yes.

And that's a part of

the thing as well.

Like, bringing people

like yourself who

are just so amazing

and have so much

experience in, creating

opportunities for other

people and bringing

people together.

And then also, like,

you're so good at

creating excitement.

around women, but

that's what people

need to be encouraged.

They're like,

Oh, this is,

this isn't just

something that

I have to do,

this is something

that I'm excited to do

to build up

my confidence.

And yeah, so Melakuta

needs Emma McQueen.

All right, Emma

McLean's on its way.

You've heard

it here first.

So then what's next

for the Wilderness

Collective?

You just gave me a

little hint there, but

what else is happening?

And what, is the hope

and the vision for

you five founders?

Go fund,

the next significant

milestone for us really

is to purchase the

building that we're

currently leasing.

So.

Essentially,

account?

Come on.

there is, hey, I'm

getting to that.

I'll get to it.

Hang on.

There's, I've got

a call to action at

the end of this, Em.

but we basically

have this once in a

lifetime opportunity

to secure this building

on the main street

and to activate our

central hub forever.

we have until

December this year

to make it happen.

And, um, just the

legacy that this could

be for this town is,

it's so exciting,

but it's also, like,

it's a beacon for

entrepreneurship

and personal

growth for people

in our community.

Like it really can,

there's so many

good things in our

community already.

And this is one where

it's like, let's not

depend on tourism or

the seafood industry

for our livelihoods.

Let's make, like,

an amazing, um,

space where you

can build business.

Like we have a lot of

space here, so people

could literally come

in here and be like, I

want to do this retail

thing, or I want to

do this business here.

And we're like,

well, we have the

bricks and mortar

to facilitate that.

And, um, we want to

be able to remove

basically paying a

lease and constantly

having to be at risk

of having to move on.

Because we've invested

in this building,

considerable volunteer

hours, putting the

fit out together.

Like, it's

beautiful in here.

So I want you to come

to Mallacoota M just

to see this building.

I

think that you would

really like it.

I'm coming.

We did talk about

meeting halfway, but

I think I'm going

to have to come.

Yeah, yeah.

We'll meet, we'll

meet you halfway.

We'll do all

the things.

Um, but yeah, basically

by removing that need

to continuously pay

that lease means that

we can continue this

vision for decades

and pass it on to the

younger generations,

you know, as they come

up or whoever else

is passionate about

what we're doing.

and then we, we plan

on expanding our

current offerings.

So.

more specialized

training, mentorship,

and support for local

entrepreneurs, and

then also to have

initiatives such as

incubators, like micro

business incubators.

So it doesn't

have to be big

business thinking.

It can be tiny business

thinking where your

income is reaching

a much better level

than what it is today.

So yeah, it's

really exciting.

can I do my little

call to action

Of course you can.

I mean, I want to know

how much she's building

of this size costs.

That's what I'm

curious about.

Yeah, well, look, all

I can say is that's

confidential, but

we, when I said, but

when I said it's a

once in a lifetime

opportunity, we really

feel like, um, the

building that we're

in with the, there's

an expansive backyard.

Um, we've got the

spaces inside the

expansive backyard.

So that's where it is.

There aren't other

buildings like that.

this is a smaller town.

So the real

estate is finite.

yeah, it's

very exciting.

And basically, if

anyone is listening,

um, today, we

need as much help

as we can get.

Um, so we have just

started stage three

of our fundraising

efforts, um, for

the year, and we're

calling for business

sponsorships and

partnerships and for

donors, big and small.

So everything counts.

Um, and what we achieve

in Mallacoota is It's

something that we hope

to share far and wide

in other small towns

throughout Australia.

So investing in us

isn't just investing

in Mallacoota,

if that wasn't

enough.

You know, it.

can have that ripple

effect, and we're

already talking

to so many other

communities, um, about

what we're doing and

learning from other

communities who have

done similar things.

So it's very exciting.

So do we need to put

it in the show notes

so that people can

actually GoFundMe

and find out a

little bit more?

Well, that

would be great.

We actually have it

all running through

the Wilderness

Collective website,

which is

wildernesscollective.

org.

au.

And yes, it would be

great to put that in

the show notes too,

Well, Tea with the

Queen audience, you

have heard it here.

If you want to support

the next generation,

the current generation,

you have a ripple

effect in small towns.

Here's a chance

to do it, right?

Like, here is your

chance to do it.

Put your money where

your mouth is, I say.

Absolutely.

And put your feet

where your mouth is

and come to Mallacoota.

going to have

to do that.

I am going to

have to do that.

thank you so

much, Bill.

It's been so lovely

having you on the

podcast again.

Uh, you're one of

my favorite guests,

which is why you've

got another spot.

Are you lucky?

And, um, I just

wish the Wilderness

Collective All the luck

because, you know, we

need these services

in our small towns

and our rural areas

to help build community

and make sure

people connect.

And I can see that

if we get the first

one right, then the

ripple effect is

going to be massive.

Well done you.

Thank you so much.

And I love, by the

way, that you are doing

a National Thriving

Women Program this

year as well for all

the people that are in

the, in the areas that

are too far to travel.

I know we need

to, we need to,

include our rural

sisters, don't we?

We, we really

need to help them.

So

Absolutely.

I think it's a

great opportunity.

Thank you, my friend.

It was lovely to

have you on Tea

with the Queen.

You heard it

here first, Emma

McQueen goes to

Mallacoota and the

Wilderness Collective

needs your help.

Thank you so much.