Bringing people together for community events in regional towns is a normal part of everyday life.

Whether it be over a sporting event, theatre, Bendigo’s Easter Festival, community forums or anything in between, they’re important in forging new relationships and networks.

But there’s more beneath the surface, they have a unifying function which brings towns together.

Earlier this month the Central Goldfields Shire held On The Upside, a community forum in Maryborough where residents were able to unify and voice their concerns about a spate of recent crimes within the town which had left many people concerned for their safety.

The forum included a range of guest speakers who discussed elements of the town including crime and justice, health and education.

Forums of this nature may not be able to instantly provide a remedy to a town’s concerns, but they form the building blocks for the future and create a sense of resilience.

Castlemaine is in the lead-up to the Billy Cart Challenge, from the outside it may just appear to be a bunch of racers rolling at top speed down hills for a thrill.

However, the event will unify the town and raise awareness about mental health and raise the profile of the Aboriginal support service, Nalderun.

Both adults and children  will celebrate the town’s residents and their passion for supporting each other.

The same events may come and go every year, such as the Bendigo Easter Festival, but the theme of it is sometimes irrelevant, it is about connecting with your community to build a better future.

The residents of Bendigo and beyond always flock to the historic Sunday Easter parade, an event which year in, year out creates a truly memorable atmosphere that is hard to forget.

Next time you see an event which may seem uninteresting on the surface, go along, the point is to connect with other people, a process that will build stronger communities for the future.

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