News

The awards are well-known around the world. They have given their tick of approval for architecture, product design and graphic design for decades, but the Social Impact category is relatively new.

Our years of work with Western NSW communities, inspired VFFF to find a way to support local communities to develop their own responses to local issues.

In 2017, we started talking with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) about how to provide more meaningful and ‘sticky’ professional development that would build capacity for innovation and doing in the regions, and ultimately reduce reliance on outsiders and consultants.

TACSI’s idea was to work with regional connectors in Lachlan Shire, Bourke and Dubbo to pioneer an approach to regional capability building that could be adapted and applied in other areas.

The connectors' work is not for the faint hearted – often working solo, having to win hearts and minds and inspire people to behave differently. We hoped that ‘knitting’ together our place-based efforts would bring mutual support for these regional champions. This has been an unmitigated success with a high sense of teamwork and camaraderie built.

Over the last 18 months, on top of all their community work, the connectors and TACSI have built the RIN (curriculum, tools, coaching, peer exchange) – which in time we hope will benefit many other communities. Its next iteration will be in South Australia in a 10 year project funded by the Fay Fuller Foundation to support a mental health-focused place-based initiative across six sites.