Profile: Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre

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Tell us about the Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre. What do you do?

The neighbourhood centre provides support and opportunities for individuals and families to contribute to the community and improve social outcomes. The centre also caters for the needs of those who may face multiple barriers, which may lead to social exclusion.

In our neighbourhood centre there are local people creating together:

  • Breakfast clubs
  • Volunteer gardening services
  • Soft entry points to adult learning through to Cert IV and diploma level vocational training courses provided in partnership with registered training organisations
  • Play groups
  • Community sheds
  • Exercise programs and walking groups
  • Parenting programs
  • Community gardens
  • Information and referral onto local support services
  • Eating with Friends groups for older people and people with disabilities,
  • Literacy programs
  • Community events and festivals
  • Learner driver mentor programs
  • No Interest Loan Service (NILS) loans agencies
  • Community enterprise
  • First response to crisis issues such as family violence, homelessness,
  • Pride raising events
  • Festivals in our communities

This is just a small snapshot of the work that happens every day in the neighbourhood centre.

 

How does your organisation operate? How does someone who lives in the City of Clarence go about accessing your services?

We are a grassroots incorporated organisation run by local volunteer management committee and already rely on the goodwill of kind-hearted community members to deliver much needed services to our socially disadvantaged at a grassroots level. We support independence and health prevention in an ageing population; and decrease social isolation and associated mental health conditions; we increase a sense of connectedness to a larger community circle; increase capacity to access employment and training opportunities for all ages and cultural backgrounds; and increase capacity to access sporting, cultural and volunteer activities. We encourage all people to get involved in their community and are always happy to have people from the broader community come and get involved, just give us a call or drop in.

 

If you could give one health and wellbeing tip, what would it be?

Get daily activity organised even if it is just walking the block.

 

How can we improve health and wellbeing in our city?

Having people connected and engaged in their communities, that’s the core, the heart of what we do here in the neighbourhood centre.

 

Finally, where is the Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre located and what is your contact phone number and email address?

Risdon Vale Neighbourhood Centre, first building on the left as you come into the shopping centre, 28 Sugarloaf Road, Risdon Vale 7016

Phone: 62435752, Email: rvnc@bigpond.com