Ready Macleay is the pilot Ready Communities initiative hosted by Kempsey, NSW as we lead into this year’s Social Impact in the Regions conference 4-6 September.
 The program was designed by Kerry Grace and Dr. Chad Renando in response to their decades of experience in regional Australian communities and identification of opportunities that sit at the intersection of community and economic development.
And that’s not all, Ready Communities prepares the host community for the upcoming Social Impact in the Regions conference ensuring the event is deeply embedded in the local community.
In the following vodcast learn about the progress of the Ready Macleay initiative in Kempsey now seven months in, how it’s contributing to Social Impact in the Regions 2024 and what regional communities can expect when they engage in positive conversations designed to leverage existing resources and move into action.
 More about Ready Communities here
Don’t forget to grab your conference tickets here
A summary of key points follows
Key points:
Ready Communities update
- Ready Communities was designed to ensure Social Impact in the Regions creates more impacts than just tourism in the host community
- The program guides communities in positive and action oriented conversations
- Regional communities have consultation fatigue. Ready Communities can rise above this by hosting ongoing conversations and plugging in questions from a range of stakeholders (rather than having the same conversation again and again)
- When conference delegates come into town we also invite them to get involved in and support the local (host) community
- Conference delegates want practical impact and to make a difference. We aim to leverage this via the Ready Communities program.
- Ready Macleay works in partnership with local organisations particularly the backbone entity, Learning the Macleay
- Spoiler alert: the Ready Communities (Ready Macleay) program has enabled many exciting opportunities that will be enjoyed by conference delegates including: a Dunghutti art exhibition throughout the CBD; the creation of a pop-up conference venue; inclusion of a range of local performing artists throughout the program and local produce throughout the event
- We have identified a range of local initiatives and opportunities that will be showcased throughout Social Impact in the Regions
- Ready Communities provides scaffolding around the processes however we are designed to disappear. Capability and capacity development throughout the program is critical to this.
Social Impact in the Regions update:
- We are showcasing 50 different speakers across 3 days.
- Each day can be a stand-alone experience however we urge delegates to find a way to attend all 3 days.
- More on the program and speakers here
- The three days each have a different theme: Day 1 – investing in regional impact; Day 2 – empowering regional voices; Day 3 – understanding regional challenges
- And then… the #SIITR24 Dunghutti Express
At the end of the episode there’s a discount code.
See you soon !
