Who are we? The NED Foundation is a non-profit organisation established for the purposes of fostering social and personal evolutionary processes within Australia and the world. The foundation's mission is to support social and community activists.

NED Foundation is a Relational Organisation, constantly engaged in Initiatives, Programs, Projects and other Community Building Activities. We use this home page and site to convey what and how we are currently Nurturing in our Evolutionary Development way.

Read More About Who We Are

An Interview with Harry Creamer, SDN Coordinator

Harry (far left) at an SDN retreat with others in 2024.

An Interview with Harry Creamer, SDN Coordinator
18th September 2026
Interviewed by John Saward

John interviewed Harry about the work involved in coordinating the annual Social Developers Network (SDN) retreat. The conversation focused on how planning begins, how venues are assessed, how participants are recruited, and what the work means to Harry personally and professionally.

Work on the annual Social Developers Network retreat starts with finding a suitable venue. We have our favourite places from previous retreats but we also like to find different places to offer the SDN experience to new potential participants. This is what we have done this time, with a visit last week to south-east QLD to reconnoitre two new venues, undertaken by myself and Kath McLachlan. We have decided on the Springbrook Education and Retreat Centre, located in the hills west of the Gold Coast.

Social Cohesion Submission 2026

The NED Foundation (NED), has made a submission to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The emphasis is on social cohesion.

NED Chair Mary Porter AM said:

"The Foundation is alarmed by the growing strain on Australia’s social fabric and its impact on our way of life. There is a need for more awareness, tolerance, and acceptance of different religions, ethnicities and political views, and avoiding the siloing of beliefs so toxic to social cohesion."

NED-SDN Newsletter – April 2026

The latest edition of the combined NED Foundation / Social Developers Network newsletter is now on the SDN website.

In this edition (April 2026):

The annual Social Developers Network retreat was held at the Uralla Community Centre in northern NSW |  What can we best do to support each other? | Farewell John Russell | Projects and funding | NED values | And more

Read it on the SDN Site

John Russell Memorial

John Russell Memorial statement.

The memorial video is shared here with approval of the family.

John Russell was a long-time friend of Ned Iceton, the founder of the NED Foundation. John was instrumental in Ned initiating the Social Developers’ Network (SDN) Workshops back in the early 1970s, and then became an original member of the NED Interim Board, which planned the NED Foundation for many years prior to its ... Read More, and Watch the Video

Remembering Ned Iceton ten years after he died.

June 2025 was the anniversary of the passing of Ned Iceton, our founder. To commemorate this, Harry Creamer, our SDN Coordinator, sourced memories of Ned from our community. He produced a newsletter that went out to 329  people.

Ten years after his passing, the community is warmly remembering Ned Iceton as a man of insight, empathy, and quiet impact. Friends and colleagues recall his generosity, intellectual curiosity, and deep commitment to social justice. 

Ned Iceton at home, 2015
Ned Iceton at home, 2015

From mentoring individuals to supporting environmental and First Nations initiatives, Ned’s legacy lives on in the lives he touched. Many speak of his presence, his thoughtful questions, and his ability to bring out the best in others. 

As one contributor to our June 2025 newsletter wrote, “He called us to be the best of ourselves.” Through story and memory, the values he lived by continue to guide and inspire. 

All of us here very much appreciate the contributors, and the work of Harry in bringing it all together in a magnificent way.

More about the memories of Ned

We feature the work and interests of the Transitions Working Group co-ordinated by Sarah Houseman:

The NED Foundation’s Transitions Initiative

TRY Birthday Group

With 2024 recorded as the hottest year on Earth and 2025 set to be worse, communities are recognising the urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to renewables. The NED Foundation’s Transitions Program is creating an evidence base of innovative community-led responses to energy transitions with the intention of sharing stories of ‘doing transition better’.

Dr Sarah Houseman leads this initiative with extensive expertise in sustainability leadership, education and governance. Read More

Showreel - 2024 Contemporary Restorative Practices Conference Canberra

This Showreel conveys the atmosphere and content of the 2024 Contemporary Restorative Practices Conference in Canberra.

Late in 2024, NED Foundation supported the International Restorative Practice Conference in Canberra.

We are very proud to be part of making that event a success. The team managing the conference has produced this video, and we feel it very much conveys the spirit, ethos, friendship, and dynamic nature of the conference. We hope you enjoy watching it. Thank you.

Restorative Practice in Schools

Restorative Practice in Action at Balaklava High School
Balaklava High School began its restorative journey in 2019.
Restorative Justice in Action in Schools
Fairholme College in Toowoomba has been using restorative practices for 15 years.

Podcast Interviews

”The Social Developers’ Network Podcast,” or simply SDN Podcast, is where personal and social development converge in pursuit of a better world. It is produced by the Ned Foundation, a non-profit, free association of individuals committed to fostering positive change and growth. In our initial episodes, we have the privilege of sitting down with people who have played integral roles in the SDN.

The Social Developers Network (SDN) Podcasts

The podcast series is hosted on YouTube as a Podcast, which means it appears both on YouTube and YouTube Music. YouTube Music allows listeners to use an audio-only option and download episodes, optimising bandwidth and battery life.

View on YouTube | View or listen on YouTube Music

Australian Restorative Mapping

The NED Foundation has long had a strong commitment to an explicit restorative culture in both the way it works as an organisation and also how it relates to those with whom it works.
 
NED seeks to support and nurture restorative practice, and to this end, has established a restorative practice mapping site (link is external).
 
The site provides a platform for both individuals and organisations to represent their restorative engagement, and also to share their stories.
 
The information on the mapping site is provided by the individual or organisation, and their presence on the site is not an endorsement by the NED Foundation.
 
Should you wish to explore the possibility of yourself or your organisation having a presence on the mapping site, please contact Ian De Landelles, by using our contact form
Australian Restorative Mapping Dashboard

Ongoing: Our Stalwart Stabilising 3 Pillars

The NED Foundation Supports Restorative Practice

Restorative City Image

Restorative City Image used with permission of Samantha Asvestas Photography.

The NED Board has an interest in encouraging and supporting the adoption of Restorative Practice in Australia. The founder of NED, Ned Iceton was instrumental in bringing the value of this work to the attention of the NED community.

The board has asked Mary Porter AM, to continue promoting and advancing knowledge of Restorative Practice in Australia and internationally.

NED Foundation Supported Projects

Australia

NED Foundation is looking for people whose values and goals align with ours. If you too have been asking ‘what does the world need now?’ and have come up with an idea for a project that will contribute to the evolution of transformational change, we would love to hear about it.

More Information

The NED Foundation Supports The Social Developers' Network

SDN Logo

What is The Social Developer's Network (SDN)?

The Social Developers' Network is a non-profit, free association of people with a commitment to personal and social development.
Social Developers meet at national and regional workshops, to contribute and share knowledge and experiences.
Between workshops Social Developers keep in touch in person, by phone and mail, and online.

In 1975 two long-standing friends, John Russell from Melbourne and Ned Iceton from Armidale organized a first workshop ...