Community Guardians: leading a nationwide shift in community engagement

When hundreds of volunteers come together to get their hands dirty and plant trees for the community it’s an amazing achievement, but what happens after that?

It’s crucial that those efforts are sustained in the long run – that’s why Citycare Group is working with Sam Johnson and the Student Volunteer Army Foundation to launch a new scheme aimed at meaningful, sustainable community impact across the country.

The Community Guardians scheme will link thousands of community members nationwide to a safe operational delivery model (through Citycare) to ensure that local community volunteer projects are not just delivered, but sustained for years to come.

Johnson explains: “There are already a huge number of people already doing great work in the community – we’ve simply realised there’s a gap we can fill, in terms of bringing the aspirations of community groups and local government together and of supporting volunteer leads or guardians to ensure the the projects have longevity beyond that initial day of action.

"Our aim is simply to enable and facilitate the safe delivery of more local community action projects nationwide and to better support the many true guardians of our community."

Under the Community Guardians scheme there are two types of community volunteers:

• those happy to be regularly involved in one-off, local community projects, bringing along their friends or family to enjoy that feeling of giving back to their community
• and those people who might already be active leaders in their communities - community guardians - who are keen to play a lead role in ongoing community care

Citycare Group CEO, Onno Mulder, says the magic of Community Guardians lies in the nationwide shift towards more active engagement with local communities.

“Instead of traditional sponsorships where corporates hand out cash, this is an entirely new concept. It’s all about facilitating true community partnerships.

"Our vision is Better people. Better places. Better communities. And this scheme sits right in the sweet spot of delivering that vision. Our customers and partners are also able to use this model locally, regionally or nationally to work alongside their respective communities so it's a win-win all round."

"... a country where everyone is earning, learning, caring or volunteering because that's the basis of strong communities." Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister.

To get involved head to www.communityguardians.co.nz