RESILIENT Communities, an OzGREEN program, has now ‘graduated’ its first cohort of community groups along the Coffs Coast, having run throughout 2022.

OzGREEN’s unique program is based on 30 years experience and fosters the transition from feelings of sadness, helplessness and overwhelm into purposeful action.

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“Together the groups create a vision for the future they are striving for and innovate action plans to bring their vision to fruition,” said Resilient Communities Project Coordinator Kathleen Hannah.

To be relevant to the group’s needs, participants in the program discuss local issues and strive to develop change locally.

Jodie Nancarrow, Volunteer Community Facilitator (VCF) for the Orara Valley group told News Of The Area, “It was interesting when the question was asked at our last session what participants got out of the program and the two things that came up time and time again was community and connection.

“We have made some great friendships from this program that will be lasting and the power of people coming together can make for change and positive outcomes.

“We are meeting up again early in 2023 to see what we can actually do and what can be realistically achieved.”

Resilience is basically defined as having the ability to bounce back from a setback.

To adapt to change and to move forward in the face of adversity.

On the Coffs Coast, communities have faced challenges including drought, fire, Covid, floods and the increased cost of living.

“Having some self-sufficiency in the tool kit is really going to help our local communities,” said Jodie.

“Whether it be a community garden, natural disaster preparedness or how to make your dollars go further by growing your own food, budgeting, cooking healthy food from scratch, it is something we all need to think about.

“Not only think but do.”

Jodie joined up as a way to give back to her community and to meet other like-minded people.

With the Resilient Communities’ program topics all relevant to where Jodie lives in the Orara Valley, she felt like it was a good time to get involved.

Also selected as a VCF in the group was regenerative farmer from Upper Orara, Stephen Thompson.

“Stephen and I got to meet and learn from local legend and co-founder of OzGREEN Sue Lennox.

Sue was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022, recognised for her passion for environmental sustainability and she was also 2020 Senior Australian of the Year for NSW.

“In the VCF workshop, we learnt about strategic questioning: focus, vision, change, action and we learned to really listen with intent.

“We were assigned a local coordinator, Ruby Tavener, and with a few more skills under our belts we headed off to see how we could help realise issues for improved resilience in the Orara Valley.

“From its inception we have averaged around ten local participants for each monthly face-to-face session, meeting at Coramba Hall, which went for two hours every time.

“We also had monthly Zoom meetings with the other groups.”

The five key topics presented were fire and ecosystems, water, energy, economy, food and health.

“There was a nice energy in the room for all of our collaborations and we believe the participants got some food for thought, came through with some wonderful ideas and some great connections were made.

“In our last session we voted on what was most important to each individual and we now have a core group of projects we would like to see eventuate over the next twelve to eighteen months.

“We believe other community members will get involved in the future when we confirm which projects will go ahead,” said Jodie.

By Andrea FERRARI