Facing such a multi-layered and overwhelming social issue, the group chose to focus on what they could do to make action feel more tangible in the community.

The project, headlined by a homelessness forum in November, is a key part of the Future Shapers experience this year in what was formerly known as experiential program Leadership Ballarat and Western Region.

Future Shaper Fiona Murphy said in looking at homelessness as a community issue, her group found there were plenty of people wanting to help make change but many were unsure how or uncertain their money would stay in Ballarat.

Ms Murphy said those working on homelessness, often needed more direction for the right help.

"We want to be able to connect people together on the real issue, educate people and break down the stigma," Ms Murphy said.

"Help can be in so many ways: it could be in offering a bus, like the Soup Bus; or it could be in space to set up a homeless shelter; a lot of services are missing out on getting grants and they need people who can write grants."

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The forum aims to better connect individuals and service providers to address issues of homelessness and find ways to offer greater support to the city's homeless and needy populations.

The event has the backing of Committee for Ballarat, Compassionate Ballarat and The Ballarat Foundation.

Ms Murphy said motivation behind the forum was from Ballarat Soup Bus' story, the idea that Soup Bus founder Craig Schepis needed a bus and someone who had a bus heard about this.

Soup Bus operations have since expanded to two buses, with a third on the way, and community partnerships both for storage and sites.

Future Shapers' sub-groups are also exploring potential for social enterprise and a health bus, making check-ups more accessible to the city's homeless population.

To deliver on tangible community projects has become a stronger focus of the refreshed Future Shapers program.

Like LBWR, Future Shapers offers emerging leaders from a broad cross-section of the community a deeper understanding of the region's big issues and personal development on leadership.

About one-third of program days are participant-led on ideas or topics.

Ms Murphy was part of the syndicate to lead a program day on homelessness and housing. Most have adopted this as their group project.

"It challenged out preconceived ideas of homelessness. It could happen to us - we could lose our jobs and especially with the rental market so hard to get into," Ms Murphy said.

"We also realise the little things do make a difference."

Committee for Ballarat leadership program lead Ellen Jackson said Future Shapers group projects were all aligned to Central Highlands regional priorities and had to deliver on aspects by November.

Ms Jackson said all projects could take on "bigger lives" after Future Shapers 2021, whether this be next year's participants picking up on threads or stakeholders acting on these foundations.

Other projects are focusing on renewable energy and interculturalism.

"I'm excited by what they've come up with. You can see their own strengths and passions coming through in the topics they're choosing," Ms Jackson said.

"Each group has really picked up issues and run with action and a little guidance. We're creating the conditions for success to do this."

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Meanwhile, the program's highly-anticipated parliament house trip will again adopt a modified and COVID-friendly format.

Future Shapers travelled to Canberra for a national regional leadership summit earlier this year, instead of meeting with political leaders.

The Ballarat program will again partner with sister programs to offer an online forum with federal political leaders, including Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, later this month.

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