We encourage Local Drug Action Teams (LDATs) to link with and/or build on existing activity approaches that have been shown to work.
Existing activities may have an alcohol and other drug focus, or possibly a different overall focus such as preventing gambling harm, or enhancing mental wellbeing. Be prepared to look outside the alcohol and other drug sector for possible approaches; for example, activities that share a focus on strengthening communities to improve other health and social outcomes.
A limited number of existing activities are listed below. You may also find other activities through local health services, peak bodies and by drawing on local knowledge and networks you have access to.
Existing strong and connected community activities in Australia:
Delivered by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation , the Good Sports Program works with local sporting clubs across Australia to provide a safe and inclusive environment, where everyone can get involved. The activity has run for nearly two decades and is proven to reduce harm and positively influence health behaviours, as well as strengthen club membership and boost participation.
Established 25 years ago, Big hART engages disadvantaged communities around Australia in art.
Community Hubs provides a welcoming place for migrant women and their children to learn about the Australian education system. With strong evaluation to support the effectiveness of the program, Community Hubs focuses on engagement, English, early-years and vocational pathways.
A national organisation that uses sport and art to improve the lives of people experiencing complex disadvantage.
If you have found some existing activities that could be incorporated, it is useful to seek out further information to find out if it is relevant.
You might want to consider the following questions (some answers may be available online, others you may have to seek directly from the organisation):
Due to the limited number of existing activities available and the need for tailored approaches, many Local Drug Action Teams will work with partners to develop and deliver a targeted activity in their community. Review the paragraph below d. Determine resources required and Map your steps for insight into what is required when developing new approaches.
Setting objectives for your Community Action Plan activity is an important part of the planning process. It is recommended that LDATs use the Community Hub page Set your objectives to think about using the SMART process.
Some example objectives for actions relating to ‘Strong and Connected Communities’ are provided below. You can develop your own objectives by engaging with your community to determine needs, although you may find these a useful starting point.
Over the next six months, work with (xx number) key partners of the (xx name) community to:
Strong partnerships are critical to your success in preventing alcohol and other drug-related harms in the community. LDATs should work with a varietyof different community partners to deliver ‘Strong and Connected Community’-related actions. These could include arts organisations, sporting clubs, local councils, and other organisations that work directly with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s priority target groups.
Partners can support your action in many ways, including delivering your activities, promoting activities, recruiting participants, financial support, and much more.
Your specific approach to building strong and connected communities may influence the type of individuals, networks and organisations that your group partners with.
Partners may include:
Useful resources: Working with community partners.
All alcohol and other drug activities need to be adequately resourced. Below is a list of the types of resources that community organisations need to build strong and connected communities. This is not an exhaustive list, and LDATs should be mindful that the resources required will be influenced by the Community Action Plan activity being undertaken by your group:
While you are planning your activity, it is important to consider measures of success for your activity. Determine how you will evaluate the success of your activity, linking your evaluation measures to your objectives (see Measuring your success).