For over 20 years, Barnardos has worked in Bundaleer — Wollongong’s most disadvantaged suburb — where cycles of poverty, addiction, and unsafe living conditions have taken deep root. When a flood destroyed their already run-down community centre, programs were cancelled and morale suffered. Despite limited funding, Barnardos staff remained determined to rebuild dignity, safety, and belonging for Bundy residents. They needed evidence of the community’s real needs and aspirations to unlock funding and drive meaningful, community-led change.
We partnered with Barnardos to co-design a multi-channel ethnographic research project that placed Bundaleer residents at the heart of the inquiry. Instead of relying on traditional consultation methods, we trained Barnardos staff in ethical, relational research techniques to build trust and collect authentic insights. Community members could share stories in their own way—through conversations, anonymous feedback, or online follow-ups. A story harvest workshop with service providers captured frontline perspectives, creating a shared understanding of Bundy’s challenges and hopes.
Our research amplified the voices of Bundaleer residents—the true experts in their own lives. The insights gathered shaped a detailed report identifying clear trends, needs, risks, and opportunities for change. Barnardos gained a deeper understanding of what life in Bundy is really like, and what it could become with the right investment and planning. The report became a powerful advocacy tool—helping secure funding and guiding the redevelopment of the community centre and services to restore dignity, connection, and hope.
“From our side, the consultation and final report have been incredibly valuable. You and your team really took the time tomeet the community where they’re at. Your ethnographic approach, spending time on the ground, listening deeply, and being responsive to community voices, helped people feel heard and respected in a way that more traditional consultation methods often miss. That approach built trust and gave us insights that were both authentic and actionable.
The report has been a turning point for us. Internally, it helped staff and partners better understand the lived reality of families here, and it’s become a reference point for planning our programs and prioritising resources. Externally, it has been instrumental in our advocacy. When we raised the need for long-overdue upgrades to the Bundaleer Community Centre, having robust evidence from your consultation gave weight to our request. We’re now seeing that advocacy gain traction, and I don’t think we could have made the same case without your work.
More broadly, the project has strengthened our ability to both address immediate community needs and to speak with evidence about the structural changes required to improve wellbeing here. It’s been a rare opportunity for this community to have its voice heard clearly, and that’s had a lasting impact.
I’m more than happy for you to use this as a testimonial, and we’d love to stay in touch about future opportunities to collaborate.”
Melissa Andrews, Program Manager, Barnardos
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