How does Community Development work at the City of Armadale?
What is Community Development?
Community Development involves ways of working which empower people to make changes in their community on issues that affect them. It means bringing people together to work on solutions that will benefit their community (Community Development Toolkit, Kylie Eastley Consultancy) An enthusiastic and committed Community Development team work to empower communities to meet their aspirations and respond to areas of concern. The City’s approach to community development comprises four steps:
Ask residents what they like about their suburb, what they’d like to see and what areas are of concern to identify
Research what projects/services work well in similar communities – known as ‘good practice’ examples
Identify the City’s role in a potential action plan
Explore possible projects/services with the community and local groups/organisations and invite them to be part of resulting action plans
Identifying Social Priorities for the City
Since 2019 the Community Development team has asked residents across the City to tell us what they love about their suburb and what their concerns are. Staff also collate available data for each suburb from sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), and crime statistics from the WA Police, as well as district level data from sources such the Department of Communities and the Department of Health. Local services and organisations working within the community also share their knowledge of what is happening for our residents. Identifying social priorities means hearing from community members about the most important issues people are experiencing in their area of residence. This is underpinned by a place-focused approach, determining the social priorities for each locality as a single, Citywide strategy may not meet the needs of people in different suburbs. The City’s Community Development team can work with the community to build on their strengths and address the main concerns. These engagement activities, under the banner ‘Growing our Community’, were conducted in 2019 and 2021, and again between January and March 2023.
2023 - 2026 Social Priorities
The City of Armadale conducted the Growing our Community resident survey to help inform Social Priorities for the financial years 2023/2024 – 2025/2026. Between 1 February and 31 March 2023, 1,421 residents of the City of Armadale participated in the survey that asked:
What do you love about your suburb?
What do you think is the biggest social issue in your suburb?
The responses helped identify the best aspects of living in each suburb and social issues of greatest concern to residents living in those suburbs.The City combined these survey results with information received from local staff of community and government support services and local Census data, police crime statistics and the results of the Australian Early Development Census, to identify to social priorities for the City for the next three years. The following four priority areas have been identified:
Neighbourhood and Community Connections in the suburbs of Harrisdale, Haynes and Piara Waters:
building social connections between residents through community capacity building activities such as Town Teams, Residents Associations, community barbeques, and informal contact groups and activities. This also includes supporting groups of specific interest such as the Multicultural Advisory Group and activities for isolated older people.
Access to Essential Supports for people living in the suburbs of Armadale:
supporting residents access health and welfare services through information sharing and promotion, including for residents experiencing homelessness, food security and other financial crises.
Home and Community Safety for residents of all suburbs:
working with community groups and the WA Police on projects that prevent and respond to crimes in the home and community, including child safety, and Family and Domestic Violence, through community education and resourcing.
Children, Young People & Families living in the suburbs of Armadale, Brookdale, Camillo, Harrisdale and Piara Waters:
supporting organisations that work with families and young people, providing parent education on important topics, and supporting activities for families to connect with others. This also includes supporting the Armadale Youth Advisory Council.
You can download the Growing our Community Social Priorities Review 2023 below:
Identifying the City's role in the response
Having identified what social issues the Community Development team can address, the Community Development team researches what programs and activities are already being delivered in the City, as well as what has been successful here and in other similar communities. Good practice examples are then considered for how they might work here in the City and what would be needed for them to succeed.
What the City can do as an organisation can be broadly categorised as follows:
Advocacy: To advocate to the state and federal government the need for services, resources and facilities. Please see the Advocacy Priorities Strategy 2022 – 2030 for more information.
Coordination of services: Working with local service networks and specific stakeholder groups including community groups to work collectively to make positive change.
Contracting services: Negotiating with not-for-profit and private service providers to deliver services and programs via a Social Priorities Service Agreement.
Capacity building: Assisting groups with information and links to other organisations and funding sources, delivering that City’s Community Grants program and providing training to staff and volunteers of community services and groups.
Service Agreements
The City of Armadale has contracted a number of community organisations and local businesses to provide services to address the City’s Social Priorities in identified suburbs in 2024/25. The following overview summarises the contracted services. See our What's On page for activity dates.
Social Priority of Access to Essential Supports
360 Health and Community - Street Doctor: Street Doctor is a free healthcare clinic to vulnerable people and people at risk of or experiencing homelessness within the City of Armadale. Minimum services provided through the clinic includes:
GP consultations addressing physical, mental, sexual health, and general health concerns
Development and management of GP care plans for chronic conditions
Administration of immunisations
Comprehensive health assessments
Minor wound and cut care
Conducting blood tests
Pregnancy testing and associated support
Support from a non-dispensing pharmacist
Referrals to specialist services
Connection to allied health services such as dieticians, exercise physiologists, and counsellors
Clinics will operate every Tuesday from 9:00am until 1:00pm, on a fortnightly rotational basis between two locations:
Amazing Grace Life Centre - 6 Aragon Court, Armadale
Champion Centre - 76 Champion Drive, Seville Grove
AMURT Australia - Food Parcel Distribution: AMURT is a monthly food distribution service supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged residents. Volunteers assemble up to 300 food parcels tailored to the specific needs and dietary restrictions of each recipient. For individuals who are immobile, unwell, or unable to visit the distribution location, volunteers deliver the food parcels to their homes. Food is distributed from agreed locations in the suburbs of Armadale and Kelmscott. See https://www.facebook.com/amurtwa for information or to volunteer.
Street Aid Social Project - Project Home (Homeless Support Program): This project comprises free Homeless Support Mobile Hubs to vulnerable people and people at risk of or experiencing homelessness within the City of Armadale. Homeless Support Mobile Hubs Service include:
Material support (clothing, food, hygiene packs)
Information and referral services
Immediate first aid support
Basic services (for example, showers)
Pet food assistance
24-hour response for urgent needs
The service operates weekly for two hours on a rotational basis between locations in Kelmscott, Armadale CBD, Armadale South, and Champion Lakes/Camillo. An extended service will operate bimonthly on a Saturday between 12:00pm and 4:00pm.
See https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552905293389 for details and to volunteer or donate.
See our Hardship Support Services page for more information on supporting people experiencing hardship.
Social Priority of Children, Young People & Families
Culture Care WA - School Holiday Engagement Program: Opportunities for young people aged 9 to 16 years who live in, or go to school in, the City of Armadale to form social connections outside of school as well as connecting young people and their families to the new Piara Waters Library. Culture Care will deliver five low-cost school holiday workshops and one full day drop-in session across the December / January 2025 and April 2025 school holidays.Activities to be confirmed but may include coding, martial arts, K-pop dance, Artificial Intelligence, drama, archery, fencing, and art & craft. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077503804301
Karlup Wheels in Motion Indigenous Corporation (KWIMIC) - Good Vibes on Rides: Young people can enjoy healthy and social activities focused around developing bike skills. Held at John Dunn Challenge Park over four Saturdays throughout the year. For young people of all genders, races, cultures, sexualities, abilities and backgrounds. See https://www.facebook.com/karlupwheelsinmotion
Reclink Australia - Street Games: Fun for young people who may who find it difficult to participate in organised sport, Street Games promote social inclusion through sport and recreation. Sessions will run after school during Term 4 of 2024 and Terms 1 and 2 of 2025, and some sessions will run in the 2025 January and April school holidays at Gwynne Park and Bob Blackburn Reserve. https://www.facebook.com/ReclinkAustraliaWA
Sparks Coffee - Coffee and Hospitality: Three-hour Coffee and Hospitality sessions on Saturday afternoons for high school students looking for their first jobs, and young adults looking to get into the workforce in the hospitality sector, who would experience cost barriers participating in similar opportunities. Participation is primarily targeted at residents of Armadale, Brookdale and Camillo from low-income households. Sessions will be held at: Bean Thru Café, Jull Street, Armadale, from September 2024 to June 2025. https://www.facebook.com/sparkscoffee/
See Children and Families and Young People for more information for families, children and young people.
Social Priority of Home and Community Safety
Armadale Neighbourhood Watch - Community Safety Activities: Facilitation of neighbourhood Meet and Greet events, attend community events and present information to other community groups and residents on various subjects related to home safety and security. https://www.facebook.com/Neighburhoodwatcharmadale/
Constable Care Foundation - Forum Theatre: A school and community-based program that allows young people aged 9-17 years to identify and explore social issues they are currently experiencing through the development of scenarios as either short film or live theatre performances. It then uses these scenarios to discuss the issues, trial strategies and find solutions to problems in a safe and supported process that involves their peers and the wider community.
Culture Care WA - Community Safety Workshops: A series of eight community safety education workshops for the CaLD community living in the City of Armadale. Topics include food safety, public transport safety, road safety and water safety, plus two self-defence training sessions. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077503804301
Safe4Kids - Protective Education Program: Safe4Kids will deliver their comprehensive child abuse prevention education program to children, childcare educators, parents and carers at five selected Early Learning and Care Centres in Kelmscott, Hilbert, Haynes and Brookdale.
See Security, safety and crime prevention for more ways to improve and promote community safety.
Social Priority of Neighbourhood and Community Connections
AMURT Australia - Community Yoga/Mindfulness & Cuppa Sessions and Art & Craft Sessions: Fun activities in Piara Waters and Harrisdale between January and June 2025 that build community connections for people and reduce social isolation. This program is targeted to seniors, people with disability and their carers, and those accessing AMURT’s food relief programs. Activities include 12 facilitated yoga, mindfulness and wellness sessions, and six facilitated art and craft classes. The sessions include refreshments to allow time for participants to chat and connect with other participants. https://www.facebook.com/amurtwa
Culture Care WA - Connect, Learn and Play: Fun and educational workshops in Harrisdale, Piara Waters and Haynes that promote healthy living and reduce social isolation for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Workshops include fitness and dance, cooking, Tai Chi, English learning and digital learning. All classes include a culturally appropriate lunch and language support.https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077503804301
DMN Solutions - DevHub CoLab: A social coding club: Primarily targeting individuals aged 12-40 and/or unemployed or underemployed residing in Haynes and/or Hilbert, this program will establish an inclusive and supportive community for individuals and enthusiasts who are interested in coding and programming. Project participants will experience positive social interactions through teamwork, engagement through constructive activities, and mentorship through connection with positive and supportive mentors. The sessions will also provide tutorials covering various coding competitions and challenges such as Hackathon and Coding Challenges. https://events.humanitix.com/devhub-colab-a-social-coding-club
Grow Cook Eat WA - The Food and Friends Project:This program brings people together, giving participants the skills, confidence and knowledge to grow their own food, learn about healthy eating, reduce their food waste and cook a range of healthy meals. The program includes a series of six facilitated Food and Friends workshops at the Armadale Community and Family Centre in Term 4 2024, and a series of six facilitated Food and Friends workshops at Kelmscott Community Garden commencing 6 March 2025. https://www.facebook.com/GrowcookeatWA
Multicultural Communities Council of WA - Common Ground:Fun activities and information stalls that build community connections and reduce social isolation. This program is targeted to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people living in the areas of Harrisdale, Piara Waters and Haynes. The program includes:
six information stalls at different community hubs and/or shopping staffed by at least two bilingual staff members providing information to residents and referrals to relevant service providers as required.
six facilitated art and craft classes suitable for all ages providing an informal environment for people to socialise and focus on mindfulness-based art activities.
six facilitated knitting/crochet classes suitable for beginners to experienced crafters, with the goal of creating pieces to be donated to people in need, allowing those participating to learn a new skill and increase their sense of community.
six facilitated Tai Chi classes, increasing participants’ muscle control, stability, balance and flexibility with the intent to reduce the risk of falls among older adults and providing an opportunity for community connection and development of local friendships.
https://www.facebook.com/mccwa.org.au
See Growing our Neighbourhoods and Cultural Diversity for more ways to connect with your community.
