1. Talk to them
2. have a cuppa (and talk)
3. Ask a community maven i.e. a hairdresser, checkout operator, mechanic to get the word about
4. Engage an Elder or older person
5. Free health checks
6. Free hugs
7. host a community conversation
8. Start a walking group
9. Visit a local hobby group and create a community project (e.g. community quilt)
10. Speak at a local service group meeting (CWA / Lions / Rotary)
11. GO TO BINGO
12. Join, follow Facebook groups
13. Get into the school
14. Newsletters – every and any newsletter. If there’s not one, start one
15. Host an afternoon tea / breakfast (sans sausages)
16. sport, sport sport – ESPECIALLY Saturday morning sport
17. Visit a pub
18. Local playgroup
19. Find your local Tuppaware representative – they know everyone
20. Ask a local delivery driver who is who – and if they can distribute information for you
21. Visit a health clinic, leave fliers in the waiting room
22. Walk through supermarkets and linger in the aisles (trying NOT to look creepy by being careful what you linger next to).
23. Set up a card table in the main street
24. Host a stree party (note, this is very much in sausage sizzle territory but you have the right to resist)
25. Setup a community market
26. Create an event – a festival, fete
27. Run a workshop about something the community cares about
28. Conduct a ‘get to know you’ event
29. Speed dating for the community (in a getting to know you kind of way)
30. Conduct a survey and share the results in your swanky newsletter
31. launch a competition
32. install seating in the main thoroughfares in your community give people a place to congregate
33. put a garden in your FRONT yard
34. Setup a verge garden
35. have a garage sale
36. Setup a compliments / praise box and install it in local shops
37. use your community noticeboard and if you don’t have one, make one
38. do a letterbox drop – you’ll be surprised who you’ll meet along the way as you do your deliveries
39. Go to church
40. Visit your Chamber of Commerce
41. Visit a local attraction (i.e. museum) and meet the volunteers
42. Attend community meetings
43. Setup a living books project
44. Host a sports day – local Olympics
45. invite a celebrity to town or even better recognise your own local heroes
46. Host a clean up day
47. Run a fundraiser for something
48. Set a community challenge – something to work towards and aspire to
49. Be curious about your community
50. Install a public art piece
51. Change something in the public landscape and wait for comments and questions
52 Pick an issue – any issue and open it for public discussion
53. Tidy and spruce up a park or public thoroughfare. invite others to take part
54. Hang about (again, trying not to look creepy)
55. Tell people who you are wanting to connect with and why
56. Ask them what matters, what REALLY matters and what would they like to do about it?
let’s build the list… How do you engage community?