By Damian Gorman, Executive Officer, Belgravia Foundation
For decades, local government has invested in aquatic and leisure venues, tourism parks and recreation venues because they improve community health, encourage participation and provide valuable public infrastructure. These outcomes remain vitally important.
However, I believe we are entering a period where an equally important question needs to be asked;
What role can these community assets play in addressing one of the most significant social challenges of our time: loneliness and social isolation?
Around the world, governments, health systems and researchers are increasingly identifying loneliness as a major public health issue. The World Health Organization has recognised social connection as a critical determinant of health, while Australian research shows that persistent loneliness is experienced across every age group and every community.
The impacts are profound. Loneliness is associated with poorer mental health, increased rates of chronic disease, lower levels of physical activity and reduced community participation.
While much of the discussion focuses on healthcare responses, there is a compelling argument that some of the most effective solutions already exist within our communities. These solutions include our aquatic and leisure venues, holiday parks and sport / recreation venues – essentially the community spaces where people come together every day.
Reframing community infrastructure
Traditionally, the success of leisure and recreation venues has been measured through attendance figures, membership growth and participation rates. These indicators remain important, but they tell only part of the story.
Increasingly, local governments are shifting their focus towards broader community outcomes such as health, wellbeing, social connection and inclusion. The question is no longer simply how many people walked through the door. The question is: what changed because they did?
As operators of community venues across Australia and New Zealand, we see firsthand that people rarely visit solely for physical activity.
- A parent joins a learn-to-swim program and develops friendships with other families.
- An older adult attends a zumba class and discovers a network of people who check in on them every week.
- A young person finds belonging through a sports program.
- A visitor to a holiday park forms social connections that continue long after their holiday ends.
What starts as participation often becomes connection, and connection is where many of the most valuable outcomes occur.
Social infrastructure
When discussing community infrastructure, we often think about roads, bridges, sporting pavilions and public buildings. Yet, there is another form of infrastructure that may be even more important.
These are the places that help people build relationships, establish trust, strengthen community identity and develop a sense of belonging. Few community assets are better positioned to provide this than aquatic, leisure and recreation venues as well as holiday parks.
Unlike many government services that engage people only during times of need, our venues are places people visit repeatedly and voluntarily. They provide regular interaction, familiar faces, shared experiences and opportunities for ongoing participation.
In a world where digital connectivity has never been greater, genuine human connection is becoming harder to find. Our venues create something increasingly rare: opportunities for meaningful face-to-face interaction.
As Executive Officer of the Belgravia Foundation, I am fortunate to work alongside councils, community organisations and venue teams that are redefining what success looks like.
The most successful venues are not necessarily those with the highest visitation numbers. They are those that create the strongest community relationships, are trusted community hubs, understand local needs, actively engage with community groups and provide pathways for participation for people who might otherwise be excluded.
Most importantly, they create environments where people feel they belong. This shift requires us to think differently about our role. We are not simply managing venues, we are creating opportunities for healthier, happier and more connected communities.
Why local government has a critical role to play
Councils sit at the centre of community wellbeing. They are uniquely positioned to influence the places, programs and partnerships that shape everyday life.
For local government, addressing loneliness is not a standalone initiative. It connects directly to existing priorities:
- Community health and wellbeing
- Healthy ageing
- Youth engagement
- Mental health
- Disability inclusion
- Social cohesion
- Preventative health investment
- Community resilience
The encouraging reality is that many councils already own and invest in assets capable of delivering these outcomes every day. The opportunity is not necessarily to build something new. The opportunity is to maximise the social impact of what already exists.
Designing connection, not just programs
Research suggests that effective responses to loneliness are rarely created through one-off events or passive participation. Successful initiatives create repeated opportunities for people to engage, develop relationships and feel part of something larger than themselves.
This means intentionally designing programs that encourage connection and creating welcoming environments for new members. It means supporting community engagement activities that sit alongside traditional recreation programming.
It means building partnerships with health providers, community organisations, neighbourhood houses and support services and it means recognising that a simple conversation over coffee after an exercise class can be just as important as the exercise itself.
At Belgravia Foundation, our vision is simple: a future where everyone has the opportunity to participate, belong and thrive. Participation remains the starting point. But participation is not the destination. The destination is healthier people, stronger communities and greater social connection.
For our local government partners, this represents an exciting opportunity. Aquatic, leisure, recreation and tourism venues are no longer simply places where activities occur. They are community platforms capable of improving physical health, supporting mental wellbeing, strengthening social cohesion and reducing loneliness at scale.
In the coming years, I believe the communities that thrive will be those that intentionally invest in both physical infrastructure and social infrastructure. The good news is that we already have many of the assets we need. The challenge before us is to unlock their full potential. Because when people connect, communities flourish and when communities flourish, everyone benefits.
