Changemakers and leaders from several IRCF communities attended the Social Impact in the Regions (SIITR) conference in Grafton from 2-5 September. Participants once again left energised and equipped with practical tools, fresh insights and a strengthened network to drive meaningful change in their communities.
Through immersive sessions and collaborative workshops, delegates deepened their understanding of place-based impact. The event fostered new partnerships between NFP leaders, social entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers. The collective momentum generated promises to ripple across regional Australia, amplifying social impact where it’s needed most.
FRRR’s presence was strong at the event too, with FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton hosting the opening session, which was focussed on the impact of place-based work on the system and supporting an important conversation about the systems, power and possibility in communities. Meanwhile, a group of young people supported by FRRR hosted the final day and shared their perspectives of building readiness in community through clarity, connection, capability, collaboration and advocacy.
With generous grant funding through the Snow Foundation, FRRR was again able to support community members to attend, with the opportunity being highly valued. One delegate shared, “The SIITR conference was a connection of hearts, minds and purpose. It was inspiring and empowering and I can’t wait to put the thoughts into action.” Another delegate said, “It was an overall extremely welcoming, safe and inclusive environment throughout the conference – filled with laughter, new connections, shared ideas and knowledge.”
Supporting changemakers and community leaders to attend conferences such as SIITR provides an opportunity to empower individuals to return to their communities and activate their idea, hone in on a passion for purpose and impact regional communities broadly.
UPDATE: Reflections on SIITR, two months on
As it’s now a couple of months since the event, we asked some of the FRRR staff and participants to reflect on what they got out of taking time out to attend the event. Here is a snapshot of what they shared.
“The positive energy that I felt from attending this conference is a serious antidote to burnout! It has left me feeling revitalised for the work I do. It really supports me to stay focussed on the beneficiaries of our service while also reminding me to look for new and creative ways we can build our sustainability.”
Alice Lans
“How do you take a 3-day conference to the next level? Add a 20-hour road trip with five Shoalhaven leaders! Ours was packed with singing, trivia, missed turns, plenty of laughs — and just as many deep conversations. By the time we arrived, we’d already started the work of connecting, sharing, and dreaming big for regional impact. The conference only amplified it, reminding us that we’re not alone in this place-based journey and that together, we’re part of something much bigger, with so many levels of the system and ecosystem mingling to support regional communities.”
Monique Carson
“The connections made and conversations had were some of the most valuable I’ll ever experience. Being listened and responded to as a youth worker is a rare thing, and is something I felt in spades.”
Adamh Clear
“The best thing about the SITTR conference was being able to connect with so many passionate likeminded people. We often operate in silos in the regions so it was great to connect and build on ideas”
Jemma Hart
“Conferences such as these are more than just a learning experience, they empower you to build deeper networks, reconnect with professionals focused on place based work and provide a feeling of connection in the work that we do every day in community. Having a conference that is focused on regional experiences confirms that the capacity is in the regions already. We just need to give ourselves permission to activate that capability.”
Carolyn Ardler
Keep your eyes open for early bird registrations for next year’s conference, which will be at another regional location that’s yet to be revealed.