Empowering Neighbours, Building Community
The Minor Works Program is a grassroots initiative that supports neighbours to turn their ideas into collaborative projects: strengthening connections, building resilience, and creating meaningful change in the process.
At Neighbourhood, we believe that everyone in our community deserves to feel valued and included. By fostering spaces where people can connect, share skills, and take action together, the Minor Works Program encourages a culture of empowerment and collective responsibility.
Where major works build infrastructure for community, Minor Works build neighbourhood connection, agency, and culture – putting the tools for change directly in the hands of our community. The Minor Works Program aims to create a neighbourhood where everyone has a voice and the opportunity to contribute to the collective good.
What is the Minor Works Program
The Minor Works Program provides a supportive framework for people to participate in that turns individual ideas into collaborative projects. At the core of the Program are different opportunities for people to:
- Share their ideas with others in informal and welcoming environments
- Work collaboratively with other locals to turn their ideas into projects
- Learn new skills in the process
- Create lasting change for themselves, others and our community as a whole
The program currently consists of two main elements: Soup Night and Project Guidance. Soup Night is a bi-monthly informal community event designed to share ideas and to inspire people to take their idea to the next level or get involved in someone else’s. Project Guidance is a step-by-step process facilitated by volunteer Project Guides, taking people on a discovery journey of developing their idea, getting other people on board, creating a project plan, executing that plan and celebrating the result and their learning.
But the Minor Works is not just about projects, it is about people: building connections and turning those into social capital, creating opportunities for skill-building and teamwork, and fostering a culture where everyone feels they are valued and has something to contribute.
Whether you have an idea or want to be part of making one happen, you are invited to get involved. The Minor Works Program recognises that every voice matters, and that every idea has the potential to make an impact.
The Minor Works Program itself is being developed in conjunction with the ideas and projects that it supports. What that means is that the Program is not fixed, instead it is flexible and adapting to the needs of the projects that are part of it. In practice, this means th
Soup Night: it all starts over a bowl of soup
Join us for an evening of connection, conversation, and community building at our bi-monthly Soup Night at QT – Neighbourhood Node! Also known as “a potluck for ideas”, Soup Night is designed to bring great ideas to the table.
Together with new and old neighbours, we will spark discussions about community ideas, skills, and interests. Whether you have a project in mind, a skill to offer, or just want to connect, Soup Night is the perfect place to start.
Minor Works Program Portal
The Minor Works Program Portal is an online space where people can share where the ideas and projects that are floating around in our Neighbourhood are at in their trajectory from idea to projects to real life things. It has a public space where you can see what projects are part of the Minor Works Program, what they are about, and how you can get involved if you want to. There is also a private space for project team members to communicate, share resources and keep track of what they are working on.
The Portal will help you see where each idea is at, whether it is just starting out, being planned, in action, or already completed and celebrated. You can explore projects at every stage – to follow along, find inspiration, or maybe even get involved in bringing an idea to life!
