Building a Wilderness Workspace
WHY – THE NEED
ACRE works with and alongside communities who are looking for a new future. We call this process community-led rejuvenation.
We are excited to see signs of new life emerging in Mallacoota – a coastal community in Victoria impacted by bushfire and long term impacts of industry change.
HOW – THE APPROACH
As a starting point, members of the Mallacoota community initiated Wilderness Workspace as a catalyst for change.
This co-working, lifelong learning and innovation start-up aims to build a thriving, sustainable community through rural entrepreneurship. A response to the devastation of the Black Summer bushfires, the project is voluntarily led by a group of talented and energetic East Gippsland women. Through leveraging digital connectivity, the group aims is to create lives fully lived in Mallacoota, where young people do not have to leave to find meaningful work and families can stay together without being forced out through lack of opportunity.
THE IMPACT
In 2019 ACRE was invited to guide and support members of the Mallacoota community who wanted to build networks, know-how and knowledge needed to build a thriving new economy.
In December 2021 the Mallacoota community secured $75K initial seed funding from the East Gippsland Community Foundation to commence development the Wilderness Workspace, and $30K from East Gippsland Shire.
ACRE continues to share expertise in rural entrepreneurship, combined with learning and development programs from Social Enterprise Academy – ACRE’s global learning and development partner.
Moving into 2022, ACRE is providing guidance for the Wilderness Workspace to establish firm foundations, especially for governance and project implementation. We will also utilise our Thrive framework to work with the community to map and benchmark existing entrepreneurial assets and resources.
WHERE
Mallacoota, East Gippsland – Victoria
(source: https://www.wildernessworkspace.biz/).”
The Wilderness Workspace – Mallacoota,Victoria