Nicole's breakout forum summary

What off-line or other engagement tools can you use to compliment your online presence?

Facilitated and summarised by Nicole Vaughan.

Thank you all for your in valuable contributions in todays forum topic around what offline or other engagement ideas you could consider to promote inclusiveness and compliment your online presence.

We talked about lots of wonderful ideas in this forum:

• Doing mail outs and thinking in a creative way - included in food hampers, including children's activities or colouring in in them or a light hearted touch. Partnering with a local print business who may be struggling in return for inclusion of logo and recognition in the mail out
• Building capacity via digital mentors
• Utilising print packs for children and school work
• Promoting hot lines and phone numbers for people to call and engage
• Having traditional owners online to provide support - engage with them in video calls prior.
• Utilising essential service points and perhaps collaborating with likes of Centrelink, schools, supermarkets
• Tap into and take the lead on existing community led initiatives like green and red card. A woman delivered 200 letters to people in the streets around her house. Inside was a green card and a red card. The idea is that you put a green card in your front window (that you can see from the street) if you are ok. You put the red card up if you need help. Local people walking around can look and see. If they see a red card they could knock on the door and see if the person is ok. She also included her phone number for anyone who needs someone to get them supplies!
• Using Places tool is a great way to get community thoughts. I love the idea of using the mapping tool to showcase community spirit like the chalk art, teddy bears in windows, street concerts etc.
• Also love the use of Ideas tool for people to share creative outlets for ''çhecking in'' - what resources people are using, how are they checking on neighbours. Council could also take a shared approach in helping each other by creating a ''check in'' neighbourhood form for people to offer assistance and people to ask for assistance via EHQ Survey form in a safe environment rather than broader social media groups
• Getting community ideas for a post Corona Virus event and gathering ideas for celebration and togetherness when restrictions are lifted
• Building a directory of information and services in EngagementHQ as a central hub for community
• Using 'reply paid postcards' many times to get people involved.Its even better if you can 'hand deliver' them, but a quick and easy way for people to give feedback on a particular topic.If you set it up with a 'tear off part' that is already postage paid, you can include the instructions and basic project info on the other part that they keep.I have found this to be a cheap and easy tool to use