Stanwell Park Community Forum was created six years ago to establish cooperation and build community connections in the neighbourhood. The private Facebook group now has nearly 3500 members.
“It's an easy place for people to do simple things,” said Grant Drinkwater, admin and founder of Stanwell Park Community Forum.
“Tell their neighbours that something happened or warn people about something they think is happening – lost dogs, lost car keys, rings, basic stuff like that.”
Grant has lived in the Illawarra for 25 years. Previously, he worked for Qantas as an international customer service manager; today his day job is as the admin manager at Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea.
Running the community forum is a volunteer role that takes nearly 10 hours a week to ensure its smooth operation.
“Some weeks are busier than others as far as what's going on,” Grant said.
In the week before my interview with Grant, discussions within the group had revolved around diverse topics. Members exchanged tips for local walking tracks and national parks and debated contentious issues, such as proposed changes to the Railway Crescent and Lawrence Hargrave Drive intersection, and the proposed offshore wind farms.
Grant is also the admin of a group called the Coalition Against Offshore Wind (CAOW), but within the Stanwell Park Community Forum he abstains from personal opinions, while acknowledging his participation in CAOW events.
“I try my best to stay out of it because, as an admin, I try to be neutral in these things as best I can,” Grant said.
“I would post that if there was a meeting, or if there was a rally.
“But, in general, I wouldn't comment on people's posts about it.”
For Grant, running Stanwell Park Community Forum is a chance to give back to the community and provide people with a space to voice their opinions respectfully.
“I think the best thing that can happen in communities is allowing people to be able to discuss the things that are of concern to them,” Grant said.
“Everyone should be able to raise their point and people should be able to talk about it.”
One of the most memorable moments since he created the group in 2017 centres on the heartwarming tale of a lost dog named Sparky.
“They lost their little dog,” Grant said, “and it's always lying on the road, it used to sleep on the road, so people had thought that maybe it got killed.”
About a week later, someone found Sparky.
“Somehow it ended up way over on the other side of Stanwell Park in the bush,” Grant said.
“I suppose some of the best things are just people getting reunited with their lost things.”
Stories like these give Grant a profound sense of achievement because the Stanwell Park Community Forum provides a place where people can not only discuss issues, but help each other.
He'd like all residents to know that the forum is there for them to share.
“I think for the community, just to let people know that there's someone there to help when they need it.”
If you live in the Stanwell Park area and would like to join the forum, follow this link.