2022 has been a big year for Our Town
The six Our Town communities have spent 2022 sharing stories about the diversity of their towns, testing and learning about their ideas, and continuing to form the foundations of trust, team forming and governance that underpin their work over 10 years.
Shaped with regional communities for regional communities, Our Town aims to build the capabilities of regional towns in South Australia to develop community-based responses to mental health and wellbeing with an eye to scaling what works, and influencing regional policy.
The initiative gives towns and regions the power and opportunity to define what’s best for their community, so that they can reclaim their mental wellbeing.
L-R: Maree, Maria, Shane, Wilfred, Sean and Julie sit in deep conversation
Joke and Shane connect over coffee
Our Town Cummins
This year, Cummins has had a strong focus on youth and peer connection.
They have started the first LGBTQI network on the Eyre Peninsula, offered eCPR training to their community, opened an inclusive youth space and hosted tough conversations around alcohol – all while prototyping peer support models.
Our Town Kimba
Our Town Kimba has focused on facilitating and supporting connections across their community. They’ve hosted a number of safe connection spaces and a youth group, and are busy scoping and testing their idea to launch the ‘Greatvine’, a more personal community directory. They also have a strong focus on connecting with the Barngarla people and weaving reconciliation across their town.
Our Town Berri
Our Town Berri has formed a powerful range of partnerships across their town, each closely aligned to their Insights. They’ve launched a volunteering program with Volunteering SA engaging hundreds of local school kids. They have tested a Nunga Driving program with incredible early impact on local Aboriginal teens. Berri has also trialled a story and history telling project, working across schools and many community groups including local Aboriginal groups.
Our Town Mid Murray
The Mid Murray Our Town team has had a focus on a Blue Tree’s initiative, as well as prototyping a micro-granting process where the community both pitched and voted on ideas to fund that enhanced connection. They’re working closely with local schools and Council to activate change and test their insights.
Our Town Ceduna/Far West
Our Town Ceduna/Far West has been exploring how they connect across divides through a range of mechanisms- gardening, the inaugural Indigenous Round in the AFL and netball and trialling a series of participatory grants for community ideas. They’ve also been offering Mental Health First Aid training with an Aboriginal lens across their community.
Our Town Kangaroo Island
Our Town Our Island Kangaroo Island had a pause on their work on Our Town in the wake of the bushfires, but this year have listened closely to their community to develop a series of deep insights on the culture change they want to see on the Island. They’ve also been thoughtfully working on how to set themselves up as an entity, and are on the cusp of expanding their team.
