MCRN is the peak organisation for the Community Services sector in the Blue Mountains. Our goal is to lead and support a sustainable community sector in the Blue Mountains.
MCRN delivers the following services:
Central Information Hub - MCRN delivers Community Services news to the sector through this Website, Twitter , Facebook and a weekly e-Bulletin.
Interagency Groups - MCRN convenes and coordinates the Blue Mountains Community Interagency (BMCI), Resilience and Preparedness Group , Homelessness Prevention & Early (HOPE) Intervention Interagency , Mountains Multicultural Interagency (MMI) and Mental Health & Wellbeing Interagency.
Advocacy on equity and social justice issues a - MCRN works on behalf of organisations, community groups and individuals, advocating in the public sphere.
Representation - MCRN represents the local community sector on various forums including Stronger Families Alliance (SFA), Community Care Forum, the Coalition Against Violence and Abuse (CAVA), and the Neighbourhood Centre Manager’s group. We are also represented on the Local Community Sector Association (LCSA) Regional Representative Council and we are a member of both Stronger Voice for Greater Western Sydney and the Sector Development Group - ensuring that the voice of our community sector is heard beyond the Mountains.
Support and Training - We offer a variety of support services and training to our members, including governance support and development for member organisations.
Auspicing of Unfunded Groups - we support unfunded and/or unincorporated community groups and social justice campaigns and auspice a range of local action groups including the Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters (BMETS) Project, Trek for Timor, Pink Mountains , BM Interfaith and the Blue Mountains Trade Union Council’s Politics in the Pub.
Support for Diversity - MCRN actively supports community development initiatives that celebrate diversity within our community through partnerships and collaboration with local indigenous and multicultural communities and organisations. MCRN is committed to promoting reconciliation and celebrating cultural diversity and participates in annual events such as NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, Harmony Day and Refugee Week. We work together with local services and other stakeholders to raise awareness and highlight the importance of National and State wide initiatives such as Mental Health Month, Neighbourhood Centre Week, International Women’s Day, White Ribbon Day, and International Day Against Homophobia.
Our Vision is a socially just, empowered, inclusive, connected and resilient community in the Blue Mountains
MCRN will lead and support a sustainable community sector in the Blue Mountains.
We will do this by:
At MCRN, community is key to everything we do: we live and work in the Mountains; and we firmly believe in the capacity and strength of our residents. Ensuring that our community is an integral part of the conversation is central to retaining the unique character of the Blue Mountains; and to the sustainability, social capital and economic future of our community.
MCRN is a voice for our community, and for all those in the sector who are working with the challenges facing our residents; fighting for equity and social justice; and building social cohesion, capacity and inclusiveness.
Blue Mountains residents are telling us clearly that they highly value living in our unique settlements (27 villages and towns) along the 100km ‘ribbon development’ that is the Blue Mountains LGA. They value safety; they want a sense of belonging and are keen to connect with their neighbours; and they are concerned about building the best possible future for our children and young people. They value the amenity of living within a World Heritage National Park, and are keen to interact more with the natural environment.
Our community want us, the community sector, to do the best we can to ensure these aspirations are met.
Our community also appreciates that the Mountains’ environment poses risks of natural hazards (damaging winds, snow, hail and fire). The Blue Mountains is the most bushfire-prone populated part of the planet; the best climate science predications are that extreme weather events will only become more frequent and more severe in coming years, as a consequence of climate change. Our community looks to us to lead the way in helping them build awareness and the capacity to be more prepared for such events, to help in their recovery following such an emergency, and to build resilience to bounce-back after an emergency or other life challenge.