Wellbeing and resilience
Wellbeing and resilience
Supporting connected, healthy and resilient communities
Our health and wellbeing are shaped by more than the health care we receive. Feeling connected, having strong support networks and being part of a community can all help us stay well and respond when challenges arise.
Healthy North Coast works with communities, health services and local organisations to strengthen wellbeing and resilience across the North Coast. This includes supporting community connection, improving access to wellbeing and mental health support, preparing for and recovering from disasters, and investing in locally led initiatives.
Building community wellbeing
Connection to family, friends, culture, community and place can help people feel supported and create a greater sense of belonging. Strong local networks can also help communities respond and recover when they experience disasters, emergenciesor other challenges.
We work with local organisations and communities to strengthen these connections and support approaches that reflect the needs and strengths of different places across our region.
Find support in your community
Across the North Coast, a range of programs and services can help you stay healthy, connected and supported.
Explore local opportunities through Healthy Towns, or use Local Connector to find wellbeing, social and community services near you.
Healthy Towns
Healthy Towns is currently working with communities in Wauchope and Murwillumbah to help people live and age well, with the program set to expand to more towns across the North Coast. It brings local people and organisations together to connect residents with activities, services and supports that strengthen health, wellbeing and social connection.
Local Connector
Local Connector is a free tool for people aged 45 and over. It helps you find local services, activities, events and community groups that suit you, so you can keep doing the things you enjoy and stay connected to community life.
Preparing for and recovering from disasters
Floods, bushfires and other emergencies can have immediate and longer-term impacts on individuals, families and whole communities.
Preparing for these events, knowing where to find support and staying connected can help communities respond and recover.
Healthy North Coast works with health services, community organisations and other partners before, during and after disasters to help protect the health and wellbeing of North Coast communities.
Community Wellbeing and Resilience program
Healthy North Coast’s Community Wellbeing and Resilience Program invests in community-led, place-based initiatives that strengthen social connection, improve wellbeing and build communities’ capacity to respond and adapt to future challenges.
Since 2022, Healthy North Coast has commissioned 26 Community Wellbeing and Resilience grants, representing $6.3 million in investment across the region.
The program builds on local knowledge and strengths, supporting communities and organisations to develop solutions that work for their people and their place.
Wellbeing and resilience in action
Across the North Coast, local organisations are delivering initiatives that bring people together, strengthen support networks and build skills and confidence within communities.
Current initiatives include programs supporting intergenerational connection, Aboriginal health and wellbeing, community-led disaster resilience, mental health and social and emotional wellbeing.
Supporting children and young people
Children and young people can experience the effects of disasters and major community events differently.
Healthy North Coast supports initiatives that strengthen the mental health, social and emotional wellbeing and resilience of children and young people, including programs developed in response to the 2022 Northern Rivers floods.
This includes the Resilient Kids Program, which supports children and young people to recover from the impacts of disaster and build skills and connections that support their wellbeing into the future.
What helps communities become more resilient?
Resilience is not only about responding when something goes wrong. It is also about building strong foundations before challenges occur.
For Healthy North Coast, this means supporting strong social connections and a sense of belonging, building local knowledge and skills, strengthening partnerships between organisations and communities, supporting culturally safe and locally appropriate approaches, and helping communities have a voice in the decisions that affect them.
Our approach is community-led, place-based and strengths-based, recognising that communities understand their own needs, experiences and strengths.
