Community Circles Australia – Supporting People to do what really matters to them

A Community Circle brings people together to help someone to live a more connected life, Community Circles support people to do what matters to them.

They are about finding out what is important to the person, and thinking together about how to turn that purpose into meaningful action.

It is also a way to help people self direct their lives through supporting their decision making, ensuring choice and control. The person and their circle get to know what makes the person happy, what’s getting in the way of living well, explore their current connections in their communities and help create new ones.

People often offer to help out others in need but don’t know where to start. A Community Circle generally consists of known contacts- friends, family, neighbours, who come together to help someone in need.

Community Circles also create support groups, for those experiencing social isolation. Typically the support groups are created from local need, and are run by a Volunteer Community Facilitator.

Not all work needs to be done manually by the Connectors. The Community Circles App is an easy way to help support the collaboration, allowing people both within the local area, and family and friends who may be remote, to see what volunteer support and activities is available within any given area.

The App helps keep tasks and activities on track, with an easy view calendar, for everyone helping out: paid and unpaid support. The reminders helps people remain accountable for turning up, for doing what they agreed to do and provides peace of mind with an easy daily check-in function.

If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. Circles are completely flexible, they are co-produced with the person, so they decide who’s in the circle and its purpose. People can explore all sorts of things together; from spending more time with friends, family and neighbours, exploring their interests, reconnecting with the community, or even seeking ideas for getting a job or volunteering to start contributing back to their community.

Each LGA has a Community Connector, who then trains and mentors Circle Facilitators. Facilitators are volunteers that run circles. Training is available for Facilitators to train them on working with other volunteers and people needing support, to discover what really matters to them, and to understand and focus on the purpose of the Circle. Circles are for anyone who has a need- providing more connection and a sense of belonging to their community to help improve their safety and wellbeing – Older people, people with disability, mental health challenges or carers to provide more support in their critical function. Facilitators more often than not will be a close family member or friend to the person needing support.

We encourage all people to be part of the ‘2 hour club’ – by contributing their assets and people skills to assist someone for 2 hours a month- a great way to build you own skill sets and social capital whilst becoming part of the Community Circles movement.

Become a Facilitator - Brochure Become a Member - Brochure Need a Community Circle - Brochure

Be Involved

We all want to live in the place we call home with the people and things that we love, in communities where we look out for one another, doing things that matter to us
#socialcarefuture

Community Circles help people to be happier, healthier, and more connected with the support of those around them

What can people achieve through a Community Circle?

People have used Circles for lots of different reasons, in lots of different settings. Here are just a few examples of how Community Circles has helped people:

Mario’s Circle supports him to stay well and connected to his community. He is caring for his wife Amelia who has dementia. Mario needs more help between paid services to stay well himself and his daughter Bella also needs support to help her parents remain living together at home. The Community Circle means Mario gets a break, he can still go bushwalking, bowling and do the bookkeeping at the club whilst Amelia has companionship at home, goes for a walk, visits with a neighbour for a knit and natter or cooks with a friend. It also means that Bella isn’t as worried about her parents as she knows they have neighbours and friends around them supporting them intentionally to thrive at home.

Leila’s circle and her NDIS package help her to live alone for the first time. The Circle’s purpose is to support her to improve her mental health by feeling more connected and less lonely. She wants to meet other young people, join a “Glee’ choir, get some help with her TAFE course and learn to cook Greek food. She also wants to have more people in her life who are not with her
just because they are paid to be there. Leila is now cooking for volunteer groups through the local council with a neighbour, she is picked up by a new friend to go to a fun choir. Leila has a social life now, is accessing support at TAFE and is helping to organise a street party for Christmas with a neighbourhood committee.

Community Circles work in lots of different ways, with a range of purposeful partners. The whole community is welcome to join us.

If you would like to join us:

hear more about Circles: we can come and speak to your team or a
community group
become a Circle Member so we can match your interests to someone
needing a circle
find out how to start a circle we can assist you and share our resources

Justine Perkins: [email protected]

John Perkins: [email protected]

Rose Shaw: [email protected]

Kim Bercherand: [email protected]