Community foundations key part of $6m project to address loneliness in older Australians
The Ageing Well Impact Community, stewarded by Community Foundations Australia (CFAus) comprising 12 community philanthropy organisations across the country, has joined others from the social welfare, community and philanthropic sectors in a major initiative called Weaving Connections to help older Australians experience greater connection, participation and belonging.
Launched in July 2026 and funded by the JO and JR Wicking Trust, managed by Equity Trustees, Weaving Connections is a three-year, $6 million investment in community-led action that recognizes that some of the most effective responses to loneliness and social isolation already exist within communities. However, these are often overlooked in broader policy and funding approaches, and would have much greater impact with better resourcing and a networked approach.
Community foundations in the Ageing Well Impact Community have received resource transfers from the Wicking Trust to explore and launch initiatives in their communities. The foundations involved are Aarnja Limited (Aarnja), Fremantle Foundation, Mparntwe/Alice Springs Community Foundation, Spinifex Foundation SA, Foundation SA, Stand Like Stone Foundation, The Ballarat Foundation, Greater Shepparton Foundation, Inner North Community Foundation, Southside Community Foundation, Rainbow Giving Australia and Australian Communities Foundation.
Read the media release on the Weaving Connections announcement.
The Wicking Trust wanted to play a field catalysing role by convening a group of trusted organisations working in communities to collaborate, share learnings and create greater impact. The Ageing Well Impact Community will be working with national partners that include the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA), Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), Ending Loneliness Together, Relationships Australia and Council of the Ageing (COTA) Australia. CFAus is convening the network.
Mari De Liseo, Impact Communities Lead at CFAus, said: “Weaving Connections treats community knowledge as equal to research evidence and professional expertise, creating a model where solutions are developed with communities, not just delivered to them.
“This is an opportunity to make known what the diverse and intersecting community priorities around ageing well actually are – and put them front and centre at the national level. The Ageing Well Impact Community will play a critical role by testing ideas on the ground and sharing what works.”
Announcing the project in Loneliness Awareness Week, Susie Meagher, Grant Program and Social Impact Manager at Equity Trustees, said: “The idea is to get the funding out to organizations that have deep community roots – to those people who know where it needs to go.”
There will be a particular focus on valuing and applying First Nations cultural knowledge and ways of thinking and doing to the group’s work, along with considering the health and wellbeing disparities that persist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Government and health agencies define ’older’ Indigenous Australians as starting at age 50, compared to age 65 for non-Indigenous Australians. This difference reflects a lower overall life expectancy and a higher rate of chronic illness occurring at a much earlier age in Indigenous communities.
Cherie Heslington (pictured below) CEO of Aarnja, a Regional Peak Kimberly Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, called Weaving Connections a “trailblazing program”.
“Ageing well for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comes with layers of complexity that many non-Aboriginal Australians never have to navigate. Experiences of racism, cultural disconnection, financial insecurity and intergenerational trauma all influence well-being.
“For many Aboriginal people, the conversation isn’t simply about ageing well. It’s about how we move people from surviving to thriving. When families are focused on just making it through the day, future planning on ageing well is the last thing they’re worrying about. That’s how we’re grounding our approach.
“This trailblazing project gives us an opportunity to explore what ageing well looks like through a cultural lens and in a way that reflects the true lived reality of our communities,” she said.
She highlighted the greater impact that will come from taking a networked, national approach. “What excites me most about the Ageing Well Impact Community is the opportunity for genuine learning and exchange. There is a shared commitment across the partners to listen, learn and challenge each other respectfully.
“Through that cross-pollination of ideas, we have an opportunity to really create something that is stronger, more inclusive and impactful for everyone,” said Cherie.
Loneliness and social isolation can have significant impacts on older people’s health and wellbeing, including increased risks of depression, heart disease and early death. Lonely older adults have a 58% higher risk of developing dementia compared to less lonely peers.
Social isolation (the objective lack of social contact) and loneliness (the subjective feeling of disconnection), both require responses that are relationship-based, trusted, and grounded in communities. Through the program, older Australians will be supported to age with dignity, inclusion, choice, and meaningful social connection.
Priority areas identified through early community conversations include increasing consistent in-person support for older people, creating accessible opportunities for older people to participate in volunteering and intergenerational engagement, strengthening hubs and meeting places, and supporting people to remain connected in their communities via vital infrastructure such as housing and transport.
Georgia Mathews, Co-CEO of CFAus, said: “This is the first time that the network of community foundations has entered into a highly trusting, multi-year learning partnership with national expert organisations to promote ageing well in their communities.
“We’re excited to work with others to explore what it takes to shift conditions at a national level, and experiences at a community level, to ensure all Australians feel well-connected and have a sense of belonging as they age.”