Building community resilience in the Hunter

Plan C is partnering with Hunter Community Alliance to deliver a tailored one-day community disaster resilience workshop for community leaders from across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland.

The workshop will bring people together to explore the risks their communities may face, make sense of an increasingly uncertain climate, and consider practical ways to strengthen preparedness and resilience at household, neighbourhood and organisational levels.

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, we’re working with Hunter Community Alliance to shape the training around the experiences, priorities and needs of participants. The day will combine facilitated conversations, practical planning and collaborative learning, drawing on both Plan C’s experience and the knowledge already held within Hunter communities.

From understanding risk to taking action

The workshop will move through three interconnected areas:

• Sensemaking – exploring the changing disaster and climate context, what participants are concerned about, and how we navigate uncertainty together.

• Risk and preparedness – looking at local risks, including compounding and flow-on impacts, and beginning practical planning for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland.

• Community action – identifying what people can do at different levels, from preparing their own households to strengthening neighbourhood connections and building resilience through their organisations.

Participants will work through practical questions about preparedness and resilience at household, neighbourhood and organisational levels, considering what action they can take within their own communities.

The aim is not simply to give people more information about disasters. It is to create space for people to learn from one another, build confidence and leave with practical ideas they can take back into their households, organisations and communities.

Check out our updates as the project progresses:

Stay tuned…