The Greater Warrnambool Good Karma Network was set up by four south-west residents as part of the Leadership Great South Coast.

Jerram Wurlod, Catherine Fitzgerald, Mandy Cohen and Dominique Conheady started the Facebook group in July and have so far welcomed nearly 300 members.

Mr Wurlod said the Good Karma Network was different to normal community noticeboards and buy swap and sell groups.

"The main difference is the emphasis on people asking for help," he said.

"It's about providing a safe space while also offering help without expecting anything in return."

One user last week invited families struggling to keep entertained in lockdown to his farm in Simpson to pat a calf or hold a baby chicken.

Another offered a free Wii gaming console and close to 30 games for "a deserving family who doesn't have a game console and has children that could really use some entertainment during lockdown".

"That generosity is something that really defines the network from other groups," Mr Wurlod said.

"As well as an emphasis on positive interactions. It's not a place to make complaints."

Mr Wurlod said he hoped the network would support the community through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

"People are probably spending more time online and unfortunately social media can be pretty negative sometimes," he said.

"We believed it made sense to bring a positive, safe group to the area. It's also a good space for people to interact with other locals without actually coming into contact."

The Good Karma Network was first created by Amy Churchouse in Kensington, north-west of Melbourne, in 2016.

There are now more than 40 suburb-specific online communities in Victoria, mainly in Melbourne's north and west.

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