*Guests enjoy lunch at the Launceston Community Christmas, one of the marquee events on the City Mission calendar*

This is the first article in a feature series exploring City Mission’s Community Development work and the many ways it is helping strengthen communities across Launceston’s northern suburbs.

In future editions, we will take a closer look at initiatives including SnagChat and Community Champions, and how they are creating connection, belonging and hope in practical, meaningful ways.

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Across Launceston’s northern suburbs, City Mission is walking alongside local people to build connection, hope and pride in the places they call home.

‍Through Project North, this work is helping people feel more connected, more welcome and more able to play a part in shaping their own community. It is not about City Mission coming in with all the answers. It is about listening, building trust, working in partnership and supporting the strength that already exists in local neighbourhoods.

‍City Mission is committed to working collaboratively with the people and organisations who know and care deeply about these communities, including the City of Launceston, schools, community centres, churches, other not-for-profits, community groups and local residents.

‍Because strong communities are not built from the outside. They grow when people feel known, valued and included.

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Walking Alongside the Community

‍City Mission’s Community Development team works closely with residents, families, community groups and partners to understand what matters to people and what would help their community thrive.

Sometimes that means creating opportunities for people to come together. Sometimes it means supporting a local idea. Sometimes it means connecting with schools, churches, community centres or other services to help strengthen what is already happening. Sometimes it is simply being present, listening well and helping people feel that their voice matters.

‍For Operations Manager Community Development, Ray Green, this work begins with recognising the strength already within the community.

‍“There is so much strength in these communities,” Ray says.

‍“Our role is to come alongside people, listen well and help create opportunities for that strength to grow. We know that happens best when we work together with residents and the many partners who are already investing in these communities.”

‍That approach is central to Project North. Rather than focusing only on needs or challenges, the work is also about seeing possibility, celebrating local pride and helping people build stronger connections with one another.

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Where Community Comes Alive

‍The impact of Community Development can often be seen in simple, everyday moments.

‍It might be a conversation between neighbours, a family attending a local activity for the first time, someone sharing an idea for their street or suburb, or a child feeling that their community is a place where they belong.

‍These moments matter. They help reduce isolation, build confidence, strengthen relationships and remind people that they are not alone.

‍Ray says some of the most meaningful change starts when people feel known and welcome.

‍“Sometimes the biggest change starts with people feeling known and welcome.”

“When neighbours start talking, sharing ideas and looking out for each other, that is when you see community come alive.”

‍That sense of community is strengthened when organisations work together rather than in isolation. Through Project North, City Mission works alongside local partners to help create opportunities for connection that are practical, welcoming and shaped by local knowledge.

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A Story of Connection and Change

‍One of the clearest ways to understand the impact of Community Development is through the stories of local people and families who have become more connected, confident and supported through this work.

‍Recently, participants in the Community Champions program took part in Create Your Story, a capacity-building workshop facilitated by Penny Terry from Healthy Tasmania. The program ran over five weekly sessions, with a core group of ten participants developing skills in storytelling, videography and podcasting.

‍Across the sessions, participants were supported to explore their ideas, build confidence and work through the process of creating their own content - from early concept development through to a finished piece.

‍For participant Rosa, the experience was not just about learning new skills. It was also about being encouraged, supported and respected as she stepped outside her comfort zone at her own pace.

‍“Penny encouraged people to speak to the camera, which was a bit nerve-wracking for me. One week I felt a bit off, so I declined, and I really appreciated that choosing not to participate was respected. I know that to grow, we must step outside our comfort zones, but people were allowed to do that at their own pace,” Rosa says.

‍As part of the program, Rosa created a video sharing her passion for recycling and encouraging others to connect with their local Recycle Rewards Depot. Her story highlights how Community Development can help people build confidence, share their voice and contribute to conversations that matter in their community.

‍Click the link below to view the video Rosa produced:

https://share.descript.com/view/kTEA1WyK2Jn

Ray says stories like this show the true value of the work.

‍“The real impact is often seen in someone’s confidence growing, or in the way they start to feel more connected to the people around them.”

‍“That is why this work matters. It helps people feel like they belong, and from there, so much more becomes possible.”

*Participants in the Create Your Story Workshop explore their creative skills*

‍Building Pride and Belonging

‍Community gatherings and events also play an important role in this work.

‍City Mission’s Christmas celebrations in the northern suburbs are one example of how the Community Development team helps create spaces where people can come together in a positive, welcoming and inclusive way.

‍For many families, these events offer more than a day of enjoyment. They create connection, build trust and help people feel proud of the community they are part of.

‍They also show the power of partnership. Events and community activities are strongest when local organisations, schools, churches, community groups, volunteers and residents work together to create something that feels genuinely welcoming and locally owned.

‍“The Christmas events are a great example of what can happen when people come together,” Ray says.

‍“They create a positive feeling in the community. But what matters most is what happens afterwards - the relationships, the conversations and the confidence people build to stay involved.”

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Backing Local People to Lead

‍A key part of the next stage of this work is City Mission’s Community Champions program.

‍The program is designed to support local people to step forward, share their ideas and play an active role in shaping their community. ‍

At its heart, Community Champions is about backing the people who already care deeply about where they live. It recognises that lasting change happens when local people are supported to lead, contribute and create ideas that make sense for their own community.

‍This local leadership is strengthened by collaboration. City Mission’s role is not to replace what others are doing, but to help connect people, support local ideas and work with partners to build stronger, more connected communities.

‍“When local people are supported to lead, the impact goes much further,” Ray says.

‍“They know their community. They know what matters. Our role is to walk alongside them, encourage them and help create the conditions for their ideas to grow.”

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Transforming Lives and Communities

‍City Mission’s Community Development work reflects the organisation’s broader purpose of transforming lives and communities.

‍In Launceston’s northern suburbs, that transformation is happening through connection, trust, pride and local leadership. It is happening when people feel less isolated, when families feel welcome, when residents feel heard, when neighbours begin to look out for one another, and when local people are supported to lead change from within.

‍This is the kind of work that creates lasting impact. It may not always be measured only in numbers, but it can be seen and felt in the strength of relationships, the growth of confidence and the pride people take in the places they call home.

‍Through Project North, Community Champions and the everyday work of the Community Development team, City Mission is helping build stronger, more connected communities across Launceston’s north.

‍And we are doing this in partnership with the local people, organisations, groups, churches and services who share the same hope for these communities.

‍Because real transformation happens when we work together.