From Risk to Readiness: A community resilience workshop

There's a super El Nino summer on the way, and with it the risk of extreme heat. When any disaster strikes a strong, prepared civil society makes a huge difference to how a community - and those most vulnerable within it - fare both short and long term. With that in mind we are getting prepared. Come to our Community Resilience Day - From Risk to Readiness.

A day of connection, honest conversation, and practical planning for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland.

9:00 – 9:30 | Welcome & Introductions We'll start with an Acknowledgement of Country and a short introduction to Plan C, followed by a chance to meet the people around you and share what you're hoping to get out of the day.

9:30 – 10:30 | Making Sense of Where We're At In small mixed groups — drawing together different geographies, organisations, ages and backgrounds — we'll talk through what's on our minds when it comes to the climate challenges ahead, with a short briefing on the polycrisis and the latest climate forecasting. This is a space to think and feel it through together, not just talk about the facts.

10:30 – 10:45 | Break A pause to sit with what's come up before moving into planning mode.

10:45 – 12:15 | Understanding the Risks Working in local groups for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland, we'll map out the risks each area faces from climate disasters — including the flow-on effects and compounding impacts — and build a risk picture specific to your place.

12:15 – 1:00 | Lunch

1:00 – 3:30 | Turning Understanding into Action The afternoon is about practical planning at three levels — your household, your neighbourhood, and your organisation. We'll work through what stronger preparation looks like across areas like:

• Staying or leaving in a disaster

• Disaster preparedness

• Communication security

• Energy security

• Food and water security

• Caring for the vulnerable

• Building community

You'll start at the household level, then choose to focus on neighbourhood or organisational planning with others working on the same scale — including people you may not know well yet. There'll be a break partway through to grab a cuppa and jot down any questions or reflections, and the session finishes with group feedback and open discussion.

3:30 – 4:00 | Closing & Where to From Here We'll bring the day together and talk about next steps.