Community resilience workshops with Jean Renouf from Plan C, Northern Rivers
Jean Renouf presents a workshop on community resilience in Springwood, NSW
THE NEED
Burnout and fatigue for those working in the community sector is a long standing employment and health issue, especially given that many regional communities have faced back to back disasters over the past few years in the form of bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. These disasters have also worsened other underlying issues for communities such as housing shortages, health professional shortages, social isolation and financial stress which have only added to the pressures put on those working in the community sector.
THE PROJECT
Jean Renouf presents a community workshop in Bilpin
This project aimed to give those working and volunteering in the community sector in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Southern Highland regions an opportunity to take time out from their daily work, connect with each other, share stories and most importantly, take a breather in order to reset and recharge.
To assist with this, Resilient Villages invited Dr Jean Renouf, the founder and Chair of the Northern Rivers based community organisation Plan C, to come and facilitate a series of workshops on the subject of building community resilience. Given that the Northern Rivers region has faced an unprecedented series of disasters in the past few years RV felt there was much we could learn from the experiences of these communities.
About Jean Renouf and Plan C
Dr Jean Renouf is the founder and Chair of the community resilience-building charity Plan C, the CEO of Safer Future, an online platform that helps individuals prepare for future crises from a place of deep peace, a lecturer at Southern Cross University, and a firefighter with Fire and Rescue NSW. He is the recipient of the Australian National Emergency Medal and an NSW Premier Citation for his work during the 2019-2020 bushfires. Before this, Dr Renouf spent 15 years working as an international aid worker in war zones and natural disasters, including Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Congo, Haiti, Iraq, North Korea, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and more. He has published several academic and non-academic papers, all focusing on catastrophic disruptions and ways forward. Dr Renouf is also an avid mindfulness practitioner, nature-lover and dad of two young boys. All of this informs his interest in climate action, community regeneration, resilience, and deep peace.
Plan C (“Our plan is the community”) is a community organisation with a mission to build the resilience and regenerative capacities of Northern Rivers communities in the face of future disasters and crises. It is currently involved in projects including the establishment of a network of 300+ Community Carers and Responders in the region, as well as the organisation of the monthly public event “Facing Up: How do we live in the midst of the ecological and climate crises?”.
Dr Jean Renouf with workshop attendees in the Hawkesbury region
KEY INFORMATION
Full day workshops were held at:
Buxton, Southern Highlands on 17 August, 2023
Springwood, Blue Mountains on 18 August, 2023
Blackheath, Blue Mountains on 19 August, 2023
Bilpin on 9 November, 2023
Wilberforce, Hawkesbury region on 10 November, 2023
Blackheath, Blue Mountains on 11 November, 2023
STAKEHOLDERS
Habitat for Humanity Australia Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre
Hawkesbury City Council Resilient Blue Mountains
Plan C Safer Futures
Resilient Villages
FUNDERS
Resilient Villages Habitat for Humanity Australia