The background
Community Connections supports people who fall through the gaps of mainstream programs like the NDIS and My Aged Care – helping them build meaningful social connections, expand support networks and foster a sense of belonging.
Grounded in TACSI’s co-design and community development experience, the training moved from testing ideas and value propositions with community members to building momentum through community-led snowball recruitment.
As a result, five Community Connections sites increased their capability and confidence to trial innovative engagement strategies shaped directly by the voices of the people they sought to reach – embedding community ownership and laying the groundwork for deeper, lasting connections.
The opportunity
There was a clear opportunity to engage communities early, inclusively and meaningfully. By introducing co-design concepts and practical skills, community services can better reach people currently falling through the cracks of mainstream delivery. Community Connections continues to shift practice towards preventative, community-driven approaches that build connection and belonging before crisis hits.
Our approach
Five sessions, each building on the last, followed a consistent rhythm: Reflecting on learnings and troubleshooting together, introducing a new skill or insight, and then applying it through hands-on planning for real-world experimentation.
Our impact
Through the training, participants developed practical tools and strategies – from fresh flyers and social media posts to de-jargoned community offers – that made engagement more accessible and inviting.
Participants mapped collaborators across youth groups, lived experience networks, clubs, and online spaces, and designed creative ways to meet people where they are.
By surfacing and testing their own assumptions through small, low-risk experiments, participants built confidence to try new approaches, opening the door to deeper reach, stronger partnerships, and more genuine community-led change.
