On Christmas Eve 2010 Guyra Neighbourhood Centre Inc. received the welcome news that many years of lobbying and a long tender application to NSW Community Services had been successful. Increased funding ends the battle to have adequate funds to properly service this district. A very swift plan of action fell into place in January and we undertook a new recruitment procedure, secured larger premises and began some necessary renovations.
This new venture, “the hub at guyra” funded by a Community Builders Grant as a Community Hub ensures the future of the Centre.
After our official unveiling next Monday, May 23 we will begin our new Community Hub program under the direction of Ms Bett Gleeson as Coordinator.
A Community Hub is a place where individual members of the Guyra Community can come for information about and referral to services. Bett can put together a package of information that is specific to your needs, she can contact other service providers on your behalf and organise appointments.
Secondly, a Community Hub provides a place for community groups and service agencies to meet in a friendly and supported locality. We can hold meetings of up to 20 people and we invite all Guyra groups to discuss meeting needs with our staff.
The hub’s community of locality is the Guyra Local Government Area and soon we will be providing programs to Tingha. Discussions are underway to ensure that these activities are appropriate and provide the maximum benefit to that region.
In Guyra we are ready to auspice any support groups that are considered necessary, provided that we can find a suitable facilitator. Already we have a Carer’s Group meeting monthly at the hub.
The youth in Guyra will be a major focus of our activities. Young people need a meeting place staffed by supportive mentors. The hub will soon address this need by providing a drop-in time after school and a recreation program on Friday evenings. Two flashy new computers, a Wii Console gaming machine, comfy cushions and bean bags and fast internet are already installed in a special youth space.
We are committed to help generate a better relationship with all agencies working in Guyra. We are ready to share information and help in any way that we can. We don’t want to duplicate services but that is what we all risk if we don’t all work together and share information, for this reason we meet regularly with local service providers to exchange information about our collective programs to ensure that agencies are responding to the needs of the community and to provide a support network for community workers.
For almost four years Guyra Aboriginal Healthlink worker, Nellie Blair has shared our premises and this month we welcome Anne Chaffey from Guyra Family Support Service who will occupy another of our small offices.
The hub is a community space and we invite all members of the community to share it with us. The renovation work still has a little way to go before it is complete but in the meantime we have tried to make it a comfortable and friendly place for use by everyone.
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