Ready Macleay is the first Ready Communities initiative. It will take place in the Macleay from January 2024 culminating in Social Impact in the Regions conference in September 2024.

Learn more abut Ready Macleay here.

Ready Macleay's first round of positive Community Conversations will be delivered between 26 February to 2 March 2024. The conversations will cover a range of topics including:

Housing, 530pm-8pm Monday 26 February (Majestic Cinemas, Kempsey): Join us for a screening of RDAMNC's film, Our Spaces and a conversation about sharing space. At this event we will also discuss the billeting program for Social Impact in the Regions and how you can get involved.

Youth Futures, 4pm-530pm, Tuesday 27 February (CUC Macleay Valley): What support do young people of the Macleay need in their school to career transitions? What opportunities exist locally?

CBD Activation, 530pm-730pm, Wednesday 28 February (CUC Macleay Valley): Meet at the Macleay CUC for a conversation about your vision for the Kempsey CBD. We will then walk around the CBD and further explore ideas particularly around filling empty shops.

Creative Industries, 10am-12pm, Thursday 29 February (Kempsey Showground): The middle conference day for Social Impact in the Regions (5 September) will be held in the Kempsey CBD. On this day we want to create a vibrant atmosphere, to fill up the empty shops with colour and interesting things and to make it memorable. Would you like to be involved? Come along and share your ideas.

Agricultural Communities, 4pm-6pm, Thursday 29 February (Kempsey Showground): Agriculture is important industry in the Macleay. We will have two guest speakers at this meeting, Nicole from North Arm Farms, Bowraville and Lorraine Gordon, former CEO of Farming Together and Mid North Coast Cattle farmer. We will explore a range of ways to get more local food on local tables.

The Ready Macleay program is a ten-month engagement process culminating in the 4-6 September Social Impact in the Regions Conference with a 12-month follow-on support. The program is designed to provide clarity and connection, build capability and capacity, focus on key areas of community collaboration, and provide a platform for advocacy and promotion.

Ready Macleay will give the people of the Macleay a variety of opportunities to come together and talk about important community matters and create actions aligned to the key themes housing, youth futures, CBD activation, creative industries and agricultural communities.

Join us to find out at one of the events to find out more, or contact us here

Contact the host of Ready Macleay Community Conversations