THE Valley Hub, a new website all about the Nambucca Valley, is set to launch in June.

The website will feature business and services directories, a shared events calendar, a Community Assets Register and also share stories on local people, e-news, podcasts and a blog.

The Valley Hub Project Manager Penny Coulter said, “We are excited to facilitate the development of this exceptional resource for the Nambucca Valley community.

“Initial conversations with those impacted by recent natural disasters and local businesses and services recovering from the pandemic have already demonstrated the value such a platform will bring to the valley, including increased local expenditure, local jobs and skills development, environmental innovation, and opportunities for meaningful community connection.”

The website is a community-led initiative that started in 2019, when the Nambucca Valley was one of five areas identified by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) as a potential candidate for the Investing in Rural Community Futures Program (IRCF).

Each of the five communities was offered the opportunity to apply for a Start Up Grant of $60,000.

To apply for the grant, the Nambucca Valley Maarla Marlaangga – Hand in Hand Steering and Advisory Committee was formed, with representatives of local not-for-profit organisations applying via an Expression of Interest process.

Local organisation Lifetime Connect was selected to manage the IRCF Start Up grant.

The Steering and Advisory Committee set out to bring together organisations within the Nambucca Valley across generations, interests, cultures, and localities in an inclusive, respectful, socially responsible, and cohesive way.

Through discussions with people and organisations throughout the valley the need for a Community Map was identified.

The Advisory Committee applied for the Start Up Grant to develop the Community Map and were successful.

The Community Map concept evolved into a website and The Valley Hub was born.

To top it off, the Nambucca Valley was selected for the five-year IRCF program.

A scoping document was created, and local project manager Ali Buckley was engaged to steer the development of the website, working closely with local graphic designer Stephanie Kay, of On The Farm, who developed the branding.

Bowraville Innovative Social Enterprise Precinct (BISEP) members were integral to the IRCF grant application process and sat on the Maarla Marlaangga – Hand in Hand Steering and Advisory Committee.

While developing the concept of the Community Map as a website, BISEP recognised the need for extension to the project and applied for the NSW Government’s Bushfire Local Economic Relief fund and were subsequently approved.

BISEP is a Bowraville based non-hierarchical NFP tasked with promoting community wellbeing through purposeful employment and community partnerships.

Creating links to industry and expertise, BISEP has partnered with Aboriginal NFP, Miimi Aboriginal Corporation, to support social enterprise development, and are working towards assisting NFP`s in developing and implementing governance, creating opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration, and promoting initiatives that regenerate economic and sociocultural health.

BISEP has been working alongside community stakeholders and the Maarla Marlaangga Hand in Hand committee to continue supporting and expanding the vision.

This includes the expansion of the initial design concept, accessibility features and future-proofing capacity.

Additionally, through secure funding, BISEP have facilitated the development of a concurring mentorship program aimed at engaging ten local youth in aspects of the project including content production, web maintenance, podcast and media production, business, and community development.

The Valley Hub is currently in its final stages of development with plans in place for a public launch by the end of June 2022.

Over the coming weeks the project team will commence reaching out to local services and businesses to register for The Valley Hub.