ORARA Valley residents will participate in a workshop to further develop their community hub project following the completion of a successful local survey.

The workshop will be on Sunday, 10 September 2023 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Nana Glen Hall.

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This next phase will be a brainstorming session to develop the actions to bring this idea to life.

With funding from the Foundation of Rural and Regional Renewal and the Yulgilbar Foundation, HeartStart

Glenreagh is heading up the focus group comprising community leaders and representatives from the Orara Valley who are driving the project.

Faye Neil, from HeartStart Glenreagh told News Of The Area, “We’ve had a wonderful response to our postcard survey with responses from all over the Orara Valley.

“This has given us insights into what the community would like to see at a hub and what is important about where it would be located.

“We know there is broad support for the idea but we are now looking at how we can better use our existing facilities (such as halls) and the possibility of a mobile service that moves around communities.”

The feedback from the postcard survey highlighted that the community wants a hub to be in a central and safe place which is easily accessible.

Depending on where people live in the Orara Valley, most people will drive from five to 30 minutes to use a hub.

Most people want something close to their village.

The consultation highlighted that there are already many great grassroots initiatives underway across the Orara Valley.

The key to success is building on these existing strengths and finding ways to deliver the services that meet the community’s needs.

This includes: health and medical related services, community and social services, entertainment and events, emergency and disaster services, support for businesses and specific facilities such as a community garden or a youth space.

The postcard survey feedback was shared with the community at the Glenreagh Timber Festival on Saturday, 29 July 2023.

When the different models were shown to community members, there was a preference to create a networked hub model that uses existing facilities to build community connectedness and resilience.

The action-oriented group welcomes community members across the Orara Valley to be part of this exciting initiative.

They can register their interest in the workshop by contacting Emma Broomfield, Locale Consulting on 0421 180 881 and/or emma@localeconsulting.com.

Finger food will be provided at the workshop and a kids corner will be available for those with young ones in tow.

By Andrea FERRARI