Case Study: Neighbourhood Care Network achieves rapid, high-response volunteer communication during a crisis with Sinch MessageMedia

Connecting a neighbourhood network in a crisis

Neighbourhood Care Network (NCN), a volunteer network set up by Bellingen Shire Council during the COVID-19 pandemic, faced a critical communications gap: their database had no messaging capability, email proved slow and unreliable (average 8.4% response) and one‑to‑one phone calls were too time‑consuming. To reach hundreds of volunteers and coordinators quickly and simply, they engaged Sinch MessageMedia to explore SMS as an alternative channel.

Sinch MessageMedia provided a free non‑profit COVID‑19 SMS package with same‑day setup, hands‑on support and access to its SMS platform. The first broadcast to 504 registrants yielded a 90% response rate; passive call‑outs saw responses jump to 26% within an hour (a 17.6% increase vs email), and active appeals achieved about 50% engagement (45% overall, 36% within 1 hour, 17% within 10 minutes). Sinch MessageMedia’s SMS solution delivered faster, more reliable and cost‑effective outreach that enabled NCN to coordinate volunteers and maintain community support during the crisis.

Neighbourhood Care Network

Kerry Pearse

Coordinator