10 years of impact: First 5 Forever in Cherbourg

10 years of First 5 Forever. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Martina Jacobs, a true champion of early childhood, and her important and rewarding work with First 5 Forever. 

Martina is a proud Wakka Wakka and Urandali woman, with connections to the Gangulu and Kooma peoples. Here Martina shares her joys, insights and experiences working with First 5 Forever in her role as Coordinator of the Winifred Fisher Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC) with Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council.

How long have you worked with First 5 Forever? 

I began working with the First 5 Forever program in September 2016, so it’s been nearly 10 years of continuous involvement. 

Our First 5 Forever sessions are held every Wednesday morning from 9-11 am, with up to 5 families attending regularly. During the colder months, sessions tend to start later due to low attendance in the early morning chill. 

Our programming is flexible and responsive to the weather, so we adapt between indoor and outdoor activities. After storytime, families often move outdoors to enjoy free play, morning tea and structured group activities. We aim to create a playgroup environment using our undercover area and playground equipment. 

Larger play and literacy items are stored in our onsite shipping container, which serves as secure storage for the IKC’s resources.

Tell us about the opportunities you provide for families 

One moment that truly stood out was when we brought in farm animals to the program. The children’s faces lit up with excitement, and it wasn’t just our regular families, it was parents and children from across the community came to participate. The joy and curiosity sparked by that experience was unforgettable. 

We’ve also taken the children and families on excursions such as: 

• A trip to Gympie for a ride on the historic steam train, which was a unique and memorable experience for many of the families.
• A visit to Underwater World in Mooloolaba, allowing the children to explore marine life in an engaging, hands-on way. 

These experiences have been possible thanks to strong support from our Council management, particularly Edwina Stewart, who actively sources funding opportunities to ensure these valuable learning journeys can happen. 

Every year in May we host Under 8s Day, welcoming schools from as far as Kingaroy and Murgon and of course Cherbourg State School to join in a day of celebration, play and early learning. 

It’s a major community event where we proudly bring together local families, children, and schools. Importantly, we also partner with other community services and organisations who support early years development. These services actively participate by running fun and educational activities for children, ranging from arts and crafts to sensory play and interactive learning stations. 

This collaboration strengthens our community connections and helps families become more familiar with the services available to them, while children benefit from diverse and engaging learning opportunities.

Do you have a special memory?  

One of my favourite moments was a cooking activity with families. We made cupcakes from scratch. The children helped with mixing the batter, pouring it into cupcake trays, and even making the icing. They took great pride in decorating their own cupcakes. 

We also made Arrowroot biscuit faces, using coloured icing. We linked this activity to identifying colours, particularly using State of Origin colours to make it fun and relatable. 

These activities were simple and engaging, yet so powerful. They showed families how easy it is to bring learning into everyday home life. They supported children’s: 

• Listening skills
• Ability to follow instructions
• Creativity
• Gross and fine motor development. 

 
What do you love most about the program? 

The experiences we make possible through First 5 forever and our partnerships bring families together, build confidence in parents and caregivers, and reinforce how play-based learning lays strong foundations for early development. 

Looking ahead, we're excited about a new horizontal garden project being introduced at the IKC. This initiative, supported by a Brisbane-based group, will offer families a hands-on learning opportunity focused on gardening, sustainability and community growth. 

The futures of Cherbourg’s babies and young children is being shaped every day by the opportunities for play and discovery that First 5 Forever makes possible through the collective passion and innovation of IKC staff and their partners.