Being part of an engaged, connected community gives us an important sense of belonging, provides support and security, and contributes to our well-being. And while we all know this, many of us lead busy lives or are isolated, and that sense of community can disappear.
That is why the Town Team Movement is an active social movement that we can all support. It enables local communities and governments to connect, organize and act to renew the fabric of their neighborhoods and create better places.
And the best part? Anyone can start a Town Team!
The Narembeen Town Team
Narembeen is a close-knit community town in the heart of the Wheatbelt. When locals noticed areas of the city needing some TLC, the ladies brought In 2021, five local Narembeen ladies formed the Narembeen Town Team with the goal of bringing about positive change in their community.
“It doesn’t take much to get a group of people together to make a positive change and difference in your community,” said Vanessa.
“We found some big projects that we knew we could do something about instead of looking at them and saying, ‘That’s someone else’s problem.'”
They hoped that actively trying to change and engage the community would create a ripple effect and make more people proud of the city they live in.
Projects in the making
The Town Team sought to unite the Narembeen community and surrounding regional towns by bringing Main Street to life with a lively street festival. A roaring success, the festival saw over 250 locals enjoying various activities from bouncy castles, obstacle courses, face painting, live entertainment, local food vendors, and a “Paint Storm”.
“It’s a good way to bring everyone together and show what we stand for,” said Vanessa.
Camera IconThe street festival of Narembeen. Credit: delivered.
Leading up to the main event, the team had a few projects.
“We have completed the renovation of the Barlow store, an old high street store that was full of old newspapers; it was one of the things that many community members complained about,” said Hannah Bald, Narembeen Town Team member.
As a farming communityup, thecommunityt would be important visually o educate tourists traveling through their homly.
“The secohomeoject was the mural in Churchill Street,”
“We have a great grain discovery center, and we thought if people saw it on the outside, the different types of grains that we grow here would attract them,” Hannah said.
Camera icons Churchill Street mural. Credit: ./Delivered.
“It’s a good way to bring everyone together and show what we stand for,” said Vanessa.
How financing plays a major role
Funding can help bring communities to life and better connect their neighborhoods.
RAC has been Town Team Movement’s primary partner since 2018, providing up to $80,000 in funding each year to support community placemaking projects. Since the introduction of the RAC Connecting Communities Fund, they have helped more than 40 individual Town Team projects in metropolitan and regional WA.
“RAC’s funding is over 50 percent to realize these projects, so the cost of the mural is pretty much covered,” Hannah said.
“I don’t think it would have happened without the support of RAC.”
Hannah and Vanessa said they are already noticing a shift in mentality in the community.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback,” said Vanessa.
“The mural had reached more than 15,000 on Facebook overnight,” Hannah said.
“It just shows that you don’t have to be a professional. Any improvement can make a huge difference.”
Community and connections are important, and RAC wants to help locals bring liveliness back to their city or suburb and take pride in where they live, work, and play. Visit the website for more information.
