MARCH 2020 | WWW.BEFRIEND.ORG.AU | CONSULTING@BEFRIEND.ORG.AU

COMMUNITYCONNECTIONSResponse & Regeneration Possibilities

Events of recent days and weeks have

led to an unprecedented groundswell

of initiative, creativity and action in

support of community connection.

Citizens are leading the way and many

community organisations are

struggling to keep up. 

This resource of ideas and initiatives

has been designed to stimulate

inspiration of the possibilities of

community-led action, whilst helping

Organisations to think about the roles

they need to play to support

connection in this new world. Our

hope is to shift communities beyond

‘response’ to ‘regeneration,’

acknowledging the realities of the

current situation but leveraging the

groundswell of action to pioneer new

possibilities for connected

communities.

Our hope is toshiftcommunitiesbeyondRESPONSE

SUPPORTINGCONNECTION INTHIS NEWWORLD

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toREGENERATION

Citizens are creative, practical, hands-on, action-

focused and free to act on their motivations. We

believe it is the role of Organisations to stand

behind this. We encourage Organisations to look to

the principles of Asset-Based Community

Development to shape their approach, asking these

guiding questions (adapted from the work of Cormac

Russell) in this particular order to help determine

their role in a way that doesn’t unintentionally

undermine a community’s capacity.

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What do communities need Organisations to do for

them? What’s needed that’s beyond the

community’s capacity to heal itself?

Start with Community Leadership

Support Community Action

Step up to fill what's needed

What are the strengths and leadership in the

community that are guiding the way? What action

has already sprung up that we could get behind?

Support Community Action - What do communities

require help with? What support or resources could

help fill the gaps, add value and amplify

community-led efforts?

Three guidingQUESTIONS

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Digitalsolutions

supportingCONNECTION

Online social groups, activities, shows

& events

Mutual Aid groups

Social video conferencing

Downloadable activity packs, books &

stories

Online gaming, quizzes

Online mental health / peer support

groups

Online courses & social learning

experiences

Home yoga, pilates, dance, meditation

& group exercise sessions via

videoconferencing

Virtual tours of libraries, museums,

galleries

Charity craft-making initiatives

Artist, musician, comedy & performer

livestreams

Health worker support initiatives

Virtual run clubs, book clubs,

playgroups, couch choirs & more

Neighbour-to-neighbour letterbox

drop greeting/assistance cards

Neighbourhood Happy Hour Driveway

Sundowners

Local discovery trails (Bear hunt,

Rainbow trail, Unity lights)

Photographic street series

Green space use (w physical

distancing)

Local place-making triggering

messages of hope and connection

Local signage & window displays

NB: The appropriateness of some

neighbourhood solutions may vary

dependent on the physical distancing

requirements of the context

'Old school'solutions forsupportingCONNECTION

NeighbourhoodsolutionssupportingCONNECTION

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Neighbourhood phone groups

Phone tree networks

Penpal / letter-writing networks

Postcard pals

Card-making chains

How might a Community Organisationactivate, amplify and supportSOLUTIONS?

Phone or web-based conversations with community leaders and residents to ‘meet

people where they’re at’ and explore possibilities

Social media canvassing to understand local support needs and local action groups

Supporting new local action initiatives and local leaders

Phone/mail-based outreach and identification of at-risk individuals and families

Connecting the dots between community-led action, available services and at-risk

individuals

Understanding needs & possibilities for pre-existing clubs, groups & associations

Networking pre-existing club networks with each other on digital platforms

Links to tutorials, how-to guides, resources, key

sites

Sharing stories of action, connection & hope

Sharing tech-learning support options

Offering online training

Flexible funding and grants

Developing locally-focused, contextually relevant

resources

Collating & distributing resource / activity packs to

families

Connected Communities campaign development &

communications

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Outreach & stakeholder networking

Information & resource provision

Physicaldistancing

doesn’t have tomean

SOCIALISOLATION

Phone-based tech support

Coordinating volunteer phone-based tech

support

Funding / coordinating digital access &

resources

Leading an initiative

Recruiting & mobilising resident volunteers

Coordinating action

Developing & distributing resource packs &

guides

Managing communications

Designing, developing & displaying signage

Contributing to local discovery trails /

symbol placement

Green-space maintenance and creative,

safe activation

Promoting spaces for independent exercise

If your Organisation needs a ‘thinking partner’ to facilitate the planning of your

community connection response and regeneration effort, contact the consultants at

Befriend for support.

Now, more thanever, is a time

forCONNECTION

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Active digital participation support

Coordinating action

Place-making

WWW.BEFRIEND.ORG.AU | CONSULTING@BEFRIEND.ORG.AU