That was one of the key messages that came out of last Friday’s ‘Revitalise’ workshop held at Karuah RSL.

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The event, hosted by Port Stephens Council and the Karuah Progress Association (KPA), drew together representatives of seven councils and a number of community groups to learn about revitalising town centres, social spaces and natural habitats through a reimagined approach to volunteering and community engagement.

“People are in search of a way to contribute,” said Kendell Terrell, Town Team General Manager of Partnerships and Impact.

“When you give them permission to act, you unlock enormous potential.”

The Town Team movement is a non-profit social enterprise that inspires and enables action by changemakers in local communities and governments.

There are more than 150 local Town Teams in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Poland, each with their own unique success story.

However there was something special about the work of the Karuah Progress Association that drew the eye of the Town Team executive.

“Hearing about local people in Karuah making a difference is why we had to come here and see it,” said Terrell.

Workshop participants were treated to a tour of the riverside and main street of Karuah, learning about opportunities for revitalisation and seeing first-hand the improvements the KPA and its small band of passionate and committed volunteers have achieved in recent years, including the median strip planting along Tarean Road and the al-fresco dining area, planter boxes and ‘little library’ book nook outside the Anglican Church and town butchers and bakery.

“By working together with members from our community and volunteers from Karuah Progress, we have created a very special space that we can all use, share and connect in,” said Lisa Floyd, owner of the Riverside Motel and leader of the main street beautification projects.

“The Parklet area and Tarean Road Verge were identified for their ability to uplift, inspire and create a positive change,” she said.

“It’s exciting to hear that the Revitalise participants are inspired and impressed by the efforts and the end result we achieved.”

Jo Taranto, MC of the event and founder of social enterprise consultancy Good for the Hood, said the kind of activation and engagement seen in Karuah is why she is excited about the role grassroots solutions play in strengthening the connection of communities.

“We’re really passionate about the role of active citizens in making places more connected and vibrant,” she said.

It was in her workshop session that Taranto spoke about the importance of building trust for change, highlighting how stories create more authentic and personal connections among community members.

Central to this message was the idea that communities are not just lines on a map or static spaces, but places of history, culture and connection.

Nowhere was this more evident than at the Welcome to Country event hosted by the Karuah Public School to open the workshop.

Featuring performances by the local Aboriginal dance troupe and songs sung in English, the local Gathang language and AUSLAN, the Welcome to Country was warmly offered by the school’s Junior AECG representative.

But it was School Principal Toni Lyle who particularly moved the group of workshop participants with her story of the history of Karuah Public School and the people who paved the way for the vibrant, inclusive and proud legacy the school is now creating.

“It makes me proud to live and work here,” said Chris Fraser, General Manager of Karuah RSL, who donated the use of their auditorium for the event.

“It’s testament to how a small group of determined and committed people can band together to create important and lasting change.

“These are the community activities and initiatives that Karuah RSL are proud to support.”

It’s this same sentiment at the heart of the Town Team movement.

“Everyone can make a contribution – either in a small or big way – to creating the change we want to see in the world,” said Dean Cracknell, Co-Founder of the Town Team Movement.

“Every action is important.”

President of the Karuah Progress Association, Breanna Landwehr, agrees.

“Anyone can do this work and there are dozens of other Karuah groups making their mark on our town.

“From our sports and rec teams offering social connections and increasing economic impact, to our amazing Oyster and Timber Festival committee who dedicate an entire year to a single event.

“We are stronger together for all the volunteers past and present that make our town thrive.”

By Kylie KAYE