WEST KEMPSEY COMMUNITY HUB

West Kempsey Community Hub

Ngarra Bulaakan Barri

(listening together place)

Community Housing Ltd & Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd have been asking tenants in the West Kempsey estate area, “What do you want to happen in your neighbourhood?” for a number of years.

The resounding answer has always included another community centre. spoke about the one that was here a long time ago & how good it was for the community. There were stories about youth mowing lawns for mob; how there were programs residents enjoyed; & things for kids to do. Basically, it was a place for Elders & all ages to meet, play & work together on all sorts of things going on in their community & a place for celebrations.

This is why Community Housing wanted to assist West Kempsey residents & sought suitable grants to fund the type of infrastructure to create a new centre. This took a while; it was literally 3^rd time lucky with grant applications until we were successful winning funds from the Office of Responsible Gambling.

To bring another community centre back to you, CHL joined forces with Kempsey Neighbourhood Centre who operate 2 other successful community centres in Kempsey.  Community Housing & Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd, want to thank the community for waiting patiently until we won the funds, completed renovations to the existing building & then for the support you have all shown to get this Hub operating so effectively already in a short time.

It has been an exciting time seeing the Hub begin to grow – from our wonderful mural by a local artist to  the first groups and programs, to people ‘dropping in’ to check us out and to give ideas and suggestions and to make this place truly a community centre.

So far, we have had kids activities in the holidays, canoe building with Uncle Joh Kelly, a women’s group, playgroup, food help, a breakfast barbecue, free dinners on a Monday night and a number of other exciting activities. KNC is grateful to Community Housing for the opportunity to engage with such a wonderful initiative. Steve, Rebekah, Gemma and the CHL team have worked incredibly hard to make this a reality and KNC is looking forward to a long-term partnership and to the ongoing growth of Ngarra Bulaakan Barri.

The Hub has become the hoped for meeting place for community with services including after school activities, a drug and alcohol counsellor (funded through Aboriginal Community Housing Ltd), Tiddas, a group for young Aboriginal Women, visits by Centrelink and Community Legal and many more activities.