Community Centres stand tall in Victoria

Community Houses at Laverton, Mt Evelyn & Yarraville are 2006 winners

1. Laverton Community House, to the west of Melbourne, has won two Dept of Justice ‘Working in Partnership’ Awards for their work with adult offenders:

• Educational Program – in recognition of their positive contribution in the development of life skills for offenders/prisoners.
• The Commissioner’s Partnership Award went to the Community Cafe Program in recognition of the outstanding partnership between a prison or CSS location and a community agency.

Congrats to Centre Manager, Michael Pernar, and all involved!

2. Mt Evelyn’s Morrison House, in Melbourne’s outer east, has also earned congratulations for winning the Leader Community Newspaper’s Business Awards Community Services Category.

The House was nominated by someone ‘unknown’ and they passed a ‘secret visit test’ to win. Jan Simmons CEO, says “more important (than winning the award) is the recognition that Community Houses provide excellent community services in a mainstream forum. Fringe dwellers no more!”

Congrats to all at Morrison House!

3. Yarraville Community Centre has won a long battle to keep operating out of the historic building they have occupied for many years. The building owned by the State Government, but managed by the City of Maribyrnong, is in urgent need of major works.

The only offer made by Council was to relocate. This offer was rejected and the Centre went to work on a campaign to save the centre.

They have been successful with the Council now pledging full support and the Premier announcing his government would fund the necessary works.

Well done to Chris McCall, Centrer Manager and all the others who have been ‘tireless’ in their quest!

• All this good news has come from the November ’06 edition of the Association of Neighbourhood Houses & Learning Centre News.