Opening Doors Inner East & Outer East

2021 Update

In June 2021, Latrobe Community Health Service (LCHS) made the difficult decision to discontinue the delivery of The Opening Doors Community Leadership Program. LCHS wished to thank Alex Mills for his many years of passionately coordinating the program, as well as the hundreds of community leaders who have graduated from the program, and continue to work towards greater social inclusion in their communities on a daily basis.

A working group of program stakeholders and alumni was formed in July 2021 and are currently exploring future opportunities for the program model. Existing program graduates continue to meet regularly – hosting ongoing alumni events and providing support to each other in their ongoing leadership journeys.

From all of those involved in Opening Doors since its launch in 2009, we would like to extend our warmest thanks and gratitude to all who have supported the program over the past 12 years. Those involved in the working group look forward to keeping partners and supporters updated on future developments and opportunities as they emerge.

You can still keep up-to-date with the work of Opening Doors graduates via the program’s Facebook page:

Facebook: Opening Doors

Program Background

Opening Doors is a community leadership program for people who are passionate about making a difference in Melbourne's Inner and Outer Eastern Regions.

Opening Doors commenced in 2009 in the Inner East and expanded to the Outer East in 2019. The program works with people from all ages, backgrounds and abilities to reduce social isolation and work towards a more socially inclusive society.

The program supports participants to develop grass roots projects which celebrate the strengths and passions of their community. With a network of more than 250 community leaders working to foster inclusion and community connection, the program has connected an estimated 100,000 people with their communities in new and positive ways.

The impact of Opening Doors was explored in a recently published chapter in the book Sustaining Social Inclusion by Beth R. Crisp and Ann Taket. It highlighted the program as a highly effective model for Sustaining Social Inclusion, both in a local and global context.

Thank you to the team at Opening Doors who have generously shared this book chapter with The Well community .

Book Chapter: Opening Doors: Creating and sustaining community leadership for promoting social inclusion