The long-term vision for the Community Connector for Resilience (cc4r) was to strengthen community disaster and climate change resilience through connection. Climate change, extreme weather events and social economic impacts have led to increased complexity, instability, and uncertainty in lives across the globe.
With this goal in mind, Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, and Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) came together to develop an independent, collaboratively governed entity that could support equitable and genuinely community-led resilience. Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation took on the leadership role in this strategic opportunity with EMV, FRRR, and VCOSS as key advocates.
The Community Connector for Resilience (cc4r) was a cross-sector collaborative of organisations and a website of curated resources, designed to create a simple way for people and communities to build disaster resilience and climate change knowledge through sharing of information resources and inspiration throughout Victoria, Australia.
Closing of the Community Connector for Resilience (cc4r)
In June 2025, the Community Connector for Resilience (cc4r) made a tough decision to come to a close. Given the dedicated time and energy of those that brought the Connector to life, this decision was not made lightly.
The landscape of networks focused on connecting communities and community organisations had grown significantly since cc4r was first imagined. Ultimately, it was felt that there was already enough ‘noise’ in the system that maintaining another widely focused climate or disaster resilience network was no longer needed.
Over the lifespan of cc4r, the network created a vibrant community that:
- Connected >300 people through virtual and in-person events
- Developed an online resource hub covering >20 topic areas
- Created a social media presence bringing relevant topics and valuable insights to the fore
- Supported the VCOSS Collaboration for Disaster Resilience Project that researched lessons from disaster resilience collaborations between the community sector, government and emergency management agencies in Victoria, and identify actions to strengthen collaboration. The report showcases six case studies of collaborations across a diversity of geographies, emergencies, and project aims
- Supported the FRRR: Community Resilience Resources Project. This project consolidated learnings and formalised the DR:FR program framework and processes into a range of resources for communities, available in written and video formats. These are provided as open-access resources on the FRRR website and via the cc4r resource hub. They inform, support, and encourage interested communities to lead their own resilience-building journey, either on their own or through light-touch facilitation.
We’re deeply grateful for those that joined cc4r on this journey, helping make this community a vibrant and engaging place. We hope the flow on from cc4r creates space for new, impactful ways of supporting resilient communities.
The Connector may have wrapped up but be sure to stay connected with cc4r’s cornerstone partners. Subscribe to stay in the loop of their good work: