Three years ago, the Northern Rivers faced unprecedented flooding. Today, we are honoured to share that Social Futures has been announced as a finalist in two categories for the 2025 NSW Resilient Australia Awards. Our Recovery Connect program was recognised in the Community Category, while Resilient Kids earned recognition in Mental Health and Wellbeing. The Resilient Kids program is funded by Healthy North Coast through a grant provided by the Australian Government. Our Recovery Connect program is jointly funded under the Commonwealth–State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Three years ago, the Northern Rivers faced unprecedented flooding.
Today, we are honoured to share that Social Futures has been announced as a finalist in two categories for the 2025 NSW Resilient Australia Awards. Our Recovery Connect program was recognised in the Community Category, while Resilient Kids earned recognition in Mental Health and Wellbeing. The Resilient Kids program is funded by Healthy North Coast through a grant provided by the Australian Government. Our Recovery Connect program is jointly funded under the Commonwealth–State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
“This acknowledges the extraordinary work the teams did to help our communities recover from one of the worst natural disasters of our region,” said Tony Davies, CEO of Social Futures.
But this isn’t really a story about awards. It’s about what happens when you trust disaster-affected communities to design their own path forward.
When the 2022 floods devastated Northern NSW, traditional disaster response models weren’t enough. We needed something different—something that put community voices at the heart.
Recovery Connect emerged from this need. Over the last two years, we’ve supported 867 flood-affected households through 18,718 occasions of service. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
What makes Recovery Connect unique is its unwavering focus on community empowerment as a disaster response.
Recovery Connect has extended its service duration with initial funding for two years now projected through June 2026 due to its achievements and ongoing community demand.
This program is jointly funded under the Commonwealth–State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Resilient Kids tells a similar story of community leadership. Designed collaboratively with young people, families, and local services, this program has already reached 7,482 young people and 679 caregivers across the Northern Rivers.
What sets Resilient Kids apart? Young people weren’t just recipients of services—they were co-designers, decision-makers, and leaders. From surfboard shaping to ceramics, from LGBTIQSB+ social groups to traditional therapy approaches, the program reflects what young people told us they needed.
Through our $1 million Youth Participation Grant Fund, we empowered eight local organisations to deliver youth-informed, community-run wellbeing initiatives.
The Resilient Kids program is funded by Healthy North Coast through a grant provided by the Australian Government.
As we prepare for the NSW Resilient Australia Awards ceremony on Thursday, 11 September 2025 at NSW Parliament House, our organisation is reflecting on what these nominations really represent.
They’re recognition that disaster preparedness and recovery must evolve. That communities aren’t just recipients of aid—they’re the architects of their own resilience. That innovation happens when you create space for local expertise and lived experience to flourish.
Both Recovery Connect and Resilient Kids align with national frameworks while proving that scalable solutions can emerge from community-centered approaches. They demonstrate that with the right partnerships and flexible design, recovery programs can be timely, culturally safe, and deeply impactful.
As the Resilient Australia Awards highlight disaster recovery and preparedness program design and delivery, Social Futures will continue to support disaster-affected communities. We understand that what really matters is that disaster recovery programs continue to evolve, scale, and inspire similar approaches across Australia.
Climate change isn’t going anywhere. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. The question isn’t whether communities will face future disasters—it’s whether we’ll be ready with models that truly work
Social Futures acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
