Bringing Community to Life

The Art of Uncovering the Hidden Gems in our Neighbourhoods

With International Social Explorer, Cormac Russell

Join us for this rare one-day, face-to-face workshop to rediscover the power of local community.

Professional care and services can play a vital role in our lives, but true belonging is something we build together with friends and neighbours. It blossoms right outside our front doors in those simple, everyday interactions. Yet, despite being surrounded by these opportunities for connection, many of us still feel deeply isolated. This is especially true for people with disabilities and others who are too often pushed to the margins of community life.

What if we paused to look at things differently? Instead of looking at what’s "wrong" or relying solely on formal services, what if we started revealing and celebrating the incredible strengths already sitting right in our neighbourhoods?

Every street is rich with hidden potential—unique gifts, talents, and passions waiting to be brought to light. This workshop will introduce you to Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), a community-driven approach that moves us away from being passive clients of a system and empowers us to become active citizens of our neighbourhoods.

By shifting from formal services to natural connections, you will learn to:

• Reveal local assets: Move your focus from deficits and service gaps to the abundant strengths, gifts, and talents already present in your neighbourhood.

• Cultivate everyday belonging: Weave meaningful, reliable relationships with your neighbours to create a natural, network of mutual support.

• Take grassroots action: Harness the power of simple neighbourliness to build a safer, healthier, and more vibrant community from the ground up.

Through examples from around the world, you will discover that neighbourliness is a powerful force for change. Upon completion, you will be equipped to apply the principles and practices of ABCD in your own life and community.

Who is this event for?

This workshop is for anyone who believes in the power of a connected neighbourhood.

It holds interest for people with disabilities and others who might be marginalised, their families, and their allies who want to look beyond formal systems toward real, everyday inclusion. It is also designed for passionate community members, neighbours, and professionals eager to learn how to cultivate natural networks of support.

About the speaker

Cormac Russell is a veteran practitioner of Asset-Based Community Development from County Limerick, Ireland. For more than thirty years he has been fascinated by how people and places weave together to find common purpose. Like a three-legged stool, the themes of people, place, and purpose have grounded and defined his life and work.

Through his work in the early 1990s, Cormac realised the limits of institutional and care interventions, especially well-intended ones. In 1996, Cormac established Nurture Development, dedicated to discovering meaningful ways to build communities from the inside out, with a real welcome for the stranger at the edge. He has authored several books including a book with John McKnight titled "The Connected Community".

Ticket Information

Ticket pricing starts at AUD $20 +GST.

Fully subsidised tickets are available for people with disabilities and families if the cost is difficult at this time.

Registrations are only available online. Read ticket terms and conditions and refund policy before booking your ticket. 

Registrations close on 5 August, 2026.  

Accessibility

We aim to ensure that people have equal access to our events. If you need alternative formats or other reasonable adjustments at this event, please provide details when you register your booking online.

For further information please phone 03 9739 8333 or email info@belongingmatters.org