With the very real and devasting impact of natural hazards and disasters front of mind this High-Risk Weather Season, Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) reflects on five years of driving community-led disaster and economic resilience for empowered solutions from the bottom up.
Putting communities in the driver's seat, building local capacity, and forging lasting relationships, this work has featured 175 community projects delivered across 16 disaster affected and prone local government areas in regional and remote Australia.
While ABV as international development organisation has traditionally delivered inclusive economic and sustainable development across 34 countries in the Asia-Pacific, CEO Liz Mackinlay reflects that January 2020 marked a distinct shift for the organisation to deliver services in its own backyard.
“We were watching the catastrophic impact of the Black Summer fires devastate communities across the East Coast; impacting our volunteers, our Australian-based team, and bringing out country to standstill as homes, livelihoods, habitats and lives were taken,” ABV CEO Liz Mackinlay says.
“We had communities hurting in our own backyard, and ABV had the skills to help. Lending our hand at a time of significant national disaster was simply a no brainer.”
Liz Mackinlay, ABV CEO
ABV's CEO and Program Director drove from Sydney to the heavily fire-affected town of Cobargo in New South Wales to see where and how ABV and its volunteers could be of help.
“We approached the community’s members with sensitivity and humility – after all, they were both the first responders and the long term recovery agents of change – so we wanted to make sure we grounded our offer of support in their priorities. Our deep relationships with the impacted community groups and leaders in the region allowed us to then co-design our services to support community-led organisation to build back better,” Liz says.
Since then, ABV’s team of community development professionals and skilled business volunteers have channelled over $6m in diverse funding and in-kind support to further community-led initiatives across disaster-affected and prone communities along the Eastern Seaboard.
As ABV engaged with communities across regional Australia, a clear message came through. Facing industry transitions, youth migration, workforce shortages and growing isolation, people wanted more than disaster recovery — they wanted to build stronger, more self-sustaining futures.
Through a strengths-based, community-led approach, ABV is working alongside local leaders who are determined to shape their own futures — helping them turn challenges into opportunities.
In Braidwood, ABV supported the development of a Tourism Roadmap to revitalise local industries and strengthen visitor appeal. In Orbost, we worked alongside community members to design an organisation structure that gives locals a unified voice in shaping the future of their town — based on their own priorities and aspirations.
“Communities told us they didn’t just want to recover from disasters — they wanted to build stronger, fairer local economies and a deeper sense of connection,” Liz says. “That’s what resilience truly looks like.”
As programs continue to expand to Victoria and Queensland, with a view to partnerships across all States and Territories, ABV’s evolving focus connects disaster preparedness with long-term economic resilience and social cohesion — helping communities anticipate change, adapt to new realities and thrive together.
ABV remains committed to walking alongside communities, ensuring local knowledge drives local futures.
Earlier this month, local leaders, volunteers, and community groups came together at the Orbost Arts Centre for the second workshop in a series focused on strengthening connections and collaboration across the Orbost and District area.
The workshop, Building Orbost and District Together: Place-based Leadership & Governance, brought together 16 passionate locals to explore what kind of leadership and teamwork can best support the region’s future. Through hands-on activities and lively discussion, participants created a shared purpose statement and seven guiding principles to help shape how the community works together.
One of the key outcomes from the day was the formation of a new core working group. This team will meet regularly over the next six weeks to turn workshop ideas into real actions. ABV Volunteer, Bruce Levett, will be acting as “a critical friend” and governance support for the community as they work through the next steps. Their goal: to support community-led projects and strengthen connections between local groups and organisations.
Participants also identified several important roles that a future “umbrella” group or network could play, including:
These ideas will contribute to the development of a proposed Community Connector Network (final name to be confirmed) — a flexible, action-oriented model that values local knowledge, supports innovation, and strengthens collaboration. It is designed to increase visibility across existing community organisations, while also creating space for smaller interest-based groups to emerge and focus on initiatives that also deliver social, economic and environmental benefits for the region.
"The energy and ideas in the room were inspiring. Now we’re turning that momentum into action by focusing on communications – the foundation for stronger collaboration across Orbost."
— Natascha Wernick, Program Facilitator Community Development, Australian Business Volunteers.
“This is all about finding better ways of working together as a community for collective impact.” – Liz Mitchell, Chair Future of Orbost & District project Government Group.
The energy and commitment shown at the workshop highlight Orbost and District’s readiness to move from ideas to action. With a shared purpose, strong principles, and a growing network of local champions, the community is well on its way to creating a more connected and resilient future—one that celebrates local strengths and makes space for everyone to be part of the journey.
The initiative has been supported through a partnership between the members of the Governance Group of Future of Orbost & District project and Australian Business Volunteers.
Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) are supporting these events as a part of the Resilient Regions program, funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.
The Future of Orbost & District (FoOD) project is a response to the impacts of the end of native timber harvesting in Victoria’s state forests, and the need to transition the local economy. The project is delivered by the Orbost and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is overseen by a community-led governance group.
Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Joint Committee on Harmful Algal Blooms in South Australia, offering insight into how community-led disaster and economic resilience can play a central role in addressing the ongoing environmental and economic impacts of harmful algal blooms in the state.
Read ABV’s submission in full.
For more than 40 years, ABV has empowered communities across Australia, Asia, and the Pacific, to strengthen local economies, and build adaptive and sustainable communities. Drawing on our experience working alongside small businesses, First Nations leaders, and community groups, ABV’s submission highlights that community-led programs to strengthen resilient local economies today are essential to reducing the long-term effects of natural hazards like algal blooms tomorrow.
At the heart of our input is ABV’s Disaster and Economic Resilience Framework — an evidence-based approach that equips communities to lead their own preparedness, planning, and adaptation. Through facilitated cross-sector workshops, volunteer mentoring, and partnership brokering across corporate, government and philanthropic sectors, ABV unlocks the power of local knowledge, hyper-local solutions, and networks for sustainable impact.
Since the Black Summer bushfires, ABV has delivered over 175 community-led resilience projects across 16 disaster-affected local government areas, with tangible outcomes ranging from small business regeneration in Mallacoota and Orbost to tourism renewal in Braidwood and a co-designed cultural burning collaboration with Bateman’s Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council. These examples demonstrate how community-driven action builds local capacity to manage disruption, build critical networks, and preserve economic continuity.
In our submission, ABV urges the Committee to invest in community-led strategies that protect local industries—such as aquaculture, tourism, and small business economies. ABV recommends the committee consider:
As outlined in the Colvin Review (2024) and Glasser Review (2023), investment in prevention and resilience yields strong returns, with community-led models delivering a 13:1 economic benefit. These approaches not only reduce disaster impacts but also support mental health, housing stability, and social cohesion in affected regions.
At ABV, we’re committed to walking alongside communities—before, during, and after crises—to ensure they have the skills, relationships, and pathways to recover and thrive.
For more information about ABV’s submission or to partner in building resilient local economies, contact us.
Drawing on five years of working with disaster-affected communities in regional and remote Australia, Australian Business Volunteers has released its evidence-based framework to ensure that communities are better prepared to withstand future disaster risks and climate induced hazards.
With over some 175 projects now delivered in some 17 local government areas, we know just how important it is that communities are supported to be connected, empowered, and in the driver's seat to plan their collective resilience and preparedness in the face of adversity, CEO Liz Mackinlay said.
“Whether it’s local services, businesses, community groups, the local government, or the local Aboriginal organisations, each of these are critical actors in preparedness and resilience more broadly in our regional and remote communities."
“They often already know what’s needed, have incredible ideas of what will make the difference, and importantly, have a remarkable amount that they can do right now to withstand adversity tomorrow.”
“Our job at ABV is to walk alongside them today, create avenues for them to come together, offer skills and support to augment their efforts, and advocate for them as a collective to get there. This evidence-based resilience framework is exactly how we do that.”
The three-pronged framework comes off the back of community-led reflections and learnings about what works in ABV’s unique programs in community-led economic and disaster resilience work on the East Coast, integrating its longstanding frameworks for inclusive and sustainable development across the Pacific.
“This is a tailored model that draws on the five frameworks that our international development team deploy in delivering programs for inclusive and sustainable development internationally, and have done so for 44 years,” Liz adds.
“Whether it’s our trauma informed framework, world-class volunteering framework, place-based planning, business continuity frameworks or the international disaster preparedness and response frameworks, this latest approach provides a relatively simple way forward for the hard work of community-led resilience in Australia that ABV has a unique contribution to make.”
Starting with meeting communities where they are at, the framework prioritises unlocking place-based resilience networks followed by practically supporting communities through partnership building, skills provision, and integration of best practice volunteering.
ABV Chief Operations Officer Jess Lees says this fills an important gap that disaster-prone communities are facing. “The Colvin review of Commonwealth disaster funding found that 92% of funding is locked in emergency response and recovery work,” Jess says.
“This is expensive and complex work, but with extreme weather events projected to significantly increase in Australia, it’s important that we’re doing all that we can to equip communities to withstand them well before the flames are high."
“This is moving beyond the immediate needs and doing the long hard work of connecting communities and leading their own resilience. We know this makes all the difference and look forward to working with communities and the other important actors in the sector to now deploy this framework and continue to revisit it with the learnings we make.”
Find out more about ABV’s Economic and Disaster Resilience framework, and how we can support you and your community lead economic and disaster resilience.
Local leaders, business owners and community members came together on August 21st for the Building Orbost and District Together – Place-based Leadership and Governance Workshop, the culmination of a three-part webinar series exploring community-led approaches to resilience and prosperity.
Hosted in partnership between the Future of Orbost & District (FoOD) project and Australian Business Volunteers (ABV), the workshop asked a key question: What kind of governance and leadership is required to support community prosperity and place-based development into the future?
The session builds on FoOD’s work supporting the district’s transition following the cessation of native timber harvesting and the community’s ongoing recovery from bushfires. Drawing on lessons from case studies across regional Australia, participants explored principles of collaboration, accountability, inclusivity, and innovation to inform the design of a new local governance model.
Key outcomes from the workshop included recognition of the need for change in community leadership and decision-making, identification of three core challenges—volunteer fatigue, fragmented governance, and the absence of a unified community voice to government—and agreement on draft guiding principles such as shared vision, transparency, inclusivity, and power sharing. All 15 attendees committed to forming a working group, establishing ongoing communication, and reconvening for a follow-up workshop to design a prototype for a new structure.
Liz Mitchell, Chair of FoOD Governance, acknowledged the diversity of groups within the local community and the importance of presenting a strong, unified voice on community needs and expectations. She noted that leadership roles often fall to the same few individuals, as many community members do not always feel confident, empowered, or equipped to step into such positions. “The workshop provided an opportunity for us to a do deep into the specific problems we are trying to solve and there was strong consensus that we must continue to find ways to ensure the whole community feels heard, respected, and actively involved in shaping our shared future.”
Participants also voiced their optimism about the future, with one noting: “(We) Really got to the nut of the issues, generated deeper conversations, created hope as well as inspiration and connection.”
This initiative marks a significant step towards creating a more resilient, connected, and future-focused Orbost and District—one where local voices shape decisions and drive collective action. But this is just the beginning. Planning has already started for the next round of workshops, which will delve deeper into the design of the new governance group.
The Future of Orbost & District project is a response to the impacts of the end of native timber harvesting in Victoria’s state forests, and the need to transition the local economy. The purpose of the project is to build on to Orbost and District’s existing strengths and leverage opportunities for supporting positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The project is delivered by the Orbost and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is overseen by a community-led governance group.
Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) is an international development agency with a mission to uplift businesses and communities through sustainable economic growth. The ABV Resilient Regions program is supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments and is a collaboration with Deakin University.
Download the full Workshop report:
Twenty-seven small business owners in Mallacoota and Orbost walked away from a recent series of Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) workshops feeling more confident, capable, and connected after participating in four practical sessions focused on business growth and resilience.
Held over two evenings in each town, the workshops attracted a diverse mix of local business owners, sole traders, and entrepreneurs. Delivered in partnership with The Wilderness Collective in Mallacoota and the Future of Orbost and District project in Orbost, the free events combined expert-led learning with shared meals, helping to foster both professional and community connections.
The sessions were facilitated by Geoff Hodgens, an ABV Skilled Volunteer, whose interactive style and sharp sense of humour helped bring traditionally dry business topics to life. With decades of experience advising small and medium-sized enterprises across Australia, Geoff offered participants not only practical tools but also the confidence to take their next business steps.
“After completing these workshops, I feel confident about the next steps I need to take to move forward with my business,” shared one participant. “The knowledge I’ve gained here removed roadblocks I couldn’t get through on my own.”
Another participant added, “This was a fabulous opportunity to learn a great deal of very helpful information in a short space of time.”
Each workshop covered key areas of business including planning for growth, attracting customers, improving operations, and financial management. Every participant reported an increased understanding of the topics and improved confidence in applying what they’d learned. ABV’s custom-designed workbooks and facilitator guides were particularly well-received, providing tools that could be immediately applied to real-world challenges.
Participants now have the opportunity to take their learning even further, with follow-up mentoring available through ABV’s Resilient Regions program. The workshops are part of ABV’s ongoing commitment to supporting resilient, thriving communities, and were proudly supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments.
Be a voice in our workshop series to design to the next chapter of our district’s place-based leadership and governance
Local leaders across Orbost and district are being invited to take part in an exciting community-led initiative aimed at further shaping the district’s collaborative structures and decision-making approaches — looking beyond current forest industry transition to support long-term resilience and prosperity. The initiative is a partnership between the Future of Orbost & District project and Australian Business Volunteers (ABV)
The initiative brings together locals, community groups, and key stakeholders to shape an enhanced approach to local decision-making and on-the ground action. The aim is to strengthen place-based leadership and governance practices that reflect community values, while improving how the district advocates for its priorities and mobilises investment and collective effort.
Building on the foundations laid through the forestry transition focus of the Future of Orbost & District project and the bushfire recovery work of the Orbost Recovery and Transition Committee, this next phase seeks to ensure a sustained, long-term focus on the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of the region. A new place-based model will continue to drive the projects, pilots and activities that are building on the district’s strengths in agriculture and nature-based tourism.
“This is a chance for people across the community to come together and help guide what comes next for Orbost and District,” said Liz Mitchell, Chair of the Future of Orbost and District governance group. “It’s about making sure local voices are heard, respected and empowered.”
People from all backgrounds, including business, farming, education, youth, the arts, volunteering, and beyond, are encouraged to get involved, share ideas, and contribute to creating strong local leadership and governance models.
Ms Mitchell said the workshop series recognises that community-led action is already happening — but also that greater alignment, coordination, and support are needed to unlock deeper change and sustain momentum. “Participants will explore how together we can continue to strengthen our local leadership capacity, connect across silos, and shape governance and leadership principles that reflects the uniqueness of this region to drive more collective action. Authentic place-based approaches are gaining global and national momentum and there is a lot to learn from what other communities are doing, and this will be a focus of webinars ahead of the workshop.”
Participant involvement will comprise of three online lunchtime webinars which explore successful case studies from rural Australia followed by a face-to-face community workshop held in Orbost. Participants will need to commit to the three online sessions to prepare for meaningful input at the in-person event. The webinars will be recorded so people can watch at their leisure.
Workshop Schedule
Building Orbost and District Together: Collective Leadership & Governance Workshop Series
• July 15 –Webinar 1 – Place-based case studies from across Australia – hear, learn, and be inspired by what others are doing | 12:00–1:00 pm
• July 22 –Webinar 2 - Place-based case studies from across Australia - hear, learn, and be inspired by what others are doing | 12:00–1:00 pm
• July 29 –Webinar 3 - Place-based case studies from across Australia - hear, learn, and be inspired by what others are doing | 12:00–1:00 pm
• August 21 – What’s next for governance and leadership in Orbost and district in person Workshop – building on from our strengths and drawing on the learnings of others | 8:45 am–1:00 pm
The Future of Orbost & District project is a response to the impacts of the end of native timber harvesting in Victoria’s state forests, and the need to transition the local economy. The purpose of the project is to build on to Orbost and District’s existing strengths and leverage opportunities for supporting positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The project is delivered by the Orbost and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is overseen by a community-led governance group.
Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) is an international development agency with a mission to uplift businesses and communities through sustainable economic growth. The ABV Resilient Regions program is supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments and is a collaboration with Deakin University.
If you would like to be involved, please contact Dr Nicola Watts at project@orbost.com.au.
Appointed to support Australian Business Volunteers’ Resilient Regions economic disaster resilience program with the fire-affected East Gippsland community of Buchan late last year.
Mike Sewell, who has been extremely generious with his time and expertise, says he’s in for the long haul.
“One of the first things I do when I get involved in a project is getting an understanding of what is happening, and what is needed,” the Victorian local, and business and banking professional says. This respectful approach is so important as it builds trust with communities to support effective and collaborative projects that strengthens economic and disaster resilience.
“I initially attended a Town Hall meeting with all key groups in the community, where there were some 30 initiatives on the go, and no shortage of enthusiasm and ideas,” Mike adds.
“As an outsider, I can ask, what are the most important things to focus on right now? What are the priorities, and how can we develop a strategic plan that reflects that.”
While supporting the Buchan Gelatipy and District Renewal Association to drive place-based solutions to build back better following the devastating impact of the 2019/2020 bushfires, this work with fire-affected communities is nothing new to Mike.
Since 2009, Mike supported accounting accreditation organisation CPA Australia to establish and conduct proactive engagement with bushfire affected communities across Victoria.
“The Tuesday after the Black Saturday fires, we worked to support communities to reconstruct and put some of the pieces back together,” Mike explains in his then role as President of CPA Victoria.
Within two to three weeks, Mike was supporting this significant accreditation and member organisation to conduct town halls with partners and guide on measures to restore business reporting, backups and make critical business decisions going forward.
“Business might be faceless at the big end of town, but at the small end of town where I operate, that’s not faceless,” Mike explains describing the hard conversations he had with local business owners navigating the loss of livelihood and when to draw the line at putting people’s wages on personal credit cards.
“It’s hard not to get emotionally engaged when you do this work. Everything was burnt and with the devastation that fires cause, it’s common for people to just close-up shop altogether and move on with their lives.”
The community spirit and local determination in the small town of Buchan to generate new sources of income and revitalise the economic landscape, is something to behold, Mike says.
“There is so much that the town can achieve. One hour off the main highway on route to Lakes Entrance, there’s a lot that Buchan can offer as a tourist destination.”
Noting the First Nations people’s connection to Country, prehistoric megafauna and environmental sites, historic trade-route from the Snowy Mountains during settlement, Mike details notable historic attractions that the community seeks to celebrate and engage key players like Museum Victoria in.
“My role is filling in the dots, and providing a sounding board to local groups on what they want to achieve so that everyone wins.”
Growing up in regional Victoria and Alice Springs, and with a long career of supporting the development of successful local businesses, this work is something close to Mike’s heart and comes naturally.
“Unless there’s a bit of heart in it, you won’t look for the best answer,” Mike says. “I’m still active and working, and at some point I won't be. My feeling is, while you can share your skills, do.”
It might be three to four hours of someone’s time, but he says that can make all the difference.
“I might have two left hands, but I know how money works, I know how to grow successful businesses, and I can help coordinate a large group of people for general agreement.”
ABV is pleased to support communities like Buchan through the Resilient Regions program implemented in collaboration with local government, community groups and organisations, to help Victoria’s Gippsland region prepare for future severe weather events.
The Resilient Regions program is supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments.
The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires were a catastrophic event with devastating impact across regional communities. Burning up to 19 million hectares, destroying thousands of homes, and impacting nearly three billion animals, the impact of these fires can still be felt today.
Communities like those in Gippsland, have worked tirelessly through recovery to rebuild homes, livelihoods and habitats. One such community is Buchan, a small town in East Gippsland with a population of 200 people. Despite its size, the town boasts over 35 incorporated associations and groups, reflecting the local communities’ rich interconnectedness and dedication to place.
The volunteerism and commitment of the local community is utterly infectious, says local community worker Susan Freeman. “Their commitment and passion to build back after the fires and support one another has been amazing.”
In the wake of the bushfires, the Buchan community formed an association to support community-led recovery efforts. Working originally with the East Gippsland Shire Council, Susan deepened her knowledge of local disaster recovery efforts and learnt about the various community recovery committees established to help drive this.
“Each of the impacted Gippsland communities had a Place Manager who I provided support to, and Buchan was one of them,” Susan says. “The determination among the communities and Place Managers was incredible. I had never seen anything like it before.”
Since joining the Buchan Gelantipy and District Renewal Association, Susan has supported the delivery of valuable community-centred projects ranging from bricks and mortar through to wellbeing related programs with local outreach. This has included supporting community organisations to progress the redevelopment of the Buchan Recreation Reserve, as well as the construction of the new netball and tennis courts, upgrades to community halls, and the installation of an accessible canoe launch.
It also included repairing and improving two important local halls and establishing a community bus to support the Neighbourhood House, Bush Nursing Centres, Primary School and sporting clubs, to stay active and participate in local life.
“Our work extends beyond physical infrastructure, and with the support of the council and the Gippsland Community Foundation, we’ve organised movie nights, family fun days, barbecues, and Christmas parties to nurture and keep our community together.”
Susan says the Buchan community still has a long way to go, however navigating bureaucracy and funding requirements has made this process more complicated. “The competitive nature of grant rounds and the mismatch between funding availability and community readiness have posed significant hurdles for us.
“The promised government funding wasn’t made easily available to us once we were coordinated and ready to use it. It’s also inherently difficult for us to secure grants that fund administrative wages like myself, and now time is running out. I am looking for any grant available that might be able to help fund this role.
Susan says the funding and support outside of Government grants has been instrumental to their community’s work, with the Australian Business Volunteers offering strategic support and efficient avenues to navigate community-led solutions.
“We couldn’t have achieved what we have for our community without the funding support of non-government bodies such as the Gippsland Community Foundation, Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal and capacity building support from the Australian Business Volunteers.
“I hope that government funding models can be adjusted to better reflect community-led resilience and recovery efforts going forward.”
ABV is pleased to support community leaders like Susan through the Victoria Resilient Regions program implemented in collaboration with Deakin University to help Victoria’s Gippsland region prepare for future severe weather events.
The Resilient Regions program is supported by the Australian and Victorian Governments.
Paris Brooke, Co-founder & CEO of Wilderness Collective
Moving to the coastal town of Mallacoota with her family in 2019, Wilderness Collective CEO and Co-Founder, Paris Brooke, never expected to lay-down lasting roots in the community, let alone be one of five women dedicated to transforming the town’s local economy.
“As a family we were looking for a different experience,” Paris says. “We always loved Mallacoota and thought we would go there for a [school] term, but it absolutely turned our lives upside down. “
Just months after Paris and her family moved to the far eastern town of regional Victoria, Mallacoota was faced by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020, devastating homes, community services, livelihoods and natural habitats alike.
“We had friends assuming we would get up and go, but it actually made us more resolute to be here, and to be even more part of the community than we were before,” Paris says.
“There was a need for volunteers to do various jobs. Two of the co-founders of the Wilderness Collective were part of the subcommittee for economic business recovery.
Mallacoota had lost a key employer, and small businesses couldn’t find appropriate, affordable spaces to operate from. We kept talking from there, and we are now still going strong with a clear vision and plan of what’s needed for the long term economic rejuvenation of the town.”
Paris joined four local women spanning three generations to establish what is now known as the Wilderness Collective, a locally-led charitable organisation committed to the sustainability and community growth of Mallacoota.
“We got grants underway, found ourselves a temporary space to work from, and now 2.5 years later are looking at purchasing a main street building for our community’s lasting benefit. Our co-founders are all volunteers, and either run their own businesses or work locally. Importantly, we all have a deep connection to this town.”
The Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) has supported Paris and the Wilderness Collective as a community-led initiative driving sustainable economic development for the region. “When I first came across ABV, I thought ‘fantastic, this is exactly what we need’.”
“They’ve supported us with everything from financial projections, social media strategy, grant writing, and excitedly, an avenue to engage expert business volunteers for skills development. It’s provided us with the breadth and diversity that we’ve needed.”
With the support of many organisations, including the Australian Business Volunteers, the Collective now has a coworking innovation hub to foster local entrepreneurship and enterprise programs designed to reskill the local workforce.
“We offer a social enterprise school program for young people to learn what it takes to run a business, with the profits going back to a charity of choice,” Paris adds.
“We have seen too many young people and young families leave because they don’t have the diversity of work opportunities to choose from. We’re looking to change this by providing small businesses with the space to test, change and make something new.
“It’s been the hardest thing I have ever done and the best thing.”
Drawing on the support of committed women driving the organisation forward, Paris says the key to her energy and impact has been surrounding herself with like-minded women.
“At a time of trauma for the town, our peer support network and empathy is what enabled us to know what our community is going through and meet them where they are at.
“For our community-led work, we don’t apply a cookie-cutter approach but listen deeply and respond to the great nuances that exist.”
For other women working to trailblaze and have the community impact that she is having, Paris says that starting is the best way forward.
“There isn’t the luxury of time. It’s important to not overthink something but to be mindful of your instincts and move forward on those and just start.”
Find out more about the Wilderness Collective and how you can get involved: https://wildernesscollective.org.au/
