By Paul Dunlop
NEIGHBOURHOOD houses – the ‘heart’ of Pakenham and many other local towns – are under threat.
A funding crisis is said to have jeopardised the future provision of adult education and other vital community services.
Staff at neighbourhood houses and learning centres said the programs they provide may not continue under current funding levels.
Centres at Pakenham, Beaconsfield, Emerald, Lang Lang, Cockatoo, Bunyip and Upper Beaconsfield are joining a statewide push to lobby for further State Government support.
They say the centres help thousands of people learn new skills and develop a sense of community in the fast-growing region and urgently need more support.
Pakenham Living and Learning in Cardinia (LLINC) coordinator Judith Brown said staff faced some very tough decisions if the situation did not improve.
“The demands on what we are doing are increasing every day,” Ms Brown said.
“We don’t want to stop doing what we’re doing, but it is just not sustainable.”
Centres in the Cardinia network each receive about 15 or fewer hours of coordination funding per week but are operating for up to 50 or more hours each week.
Upper Beaconsfield Community Centre president Liz Grigg said that after 22 years of successful operation, the vital town facility was at a crossroads.
“Neighbourhood houses are the heart of towns such as Upper Beaconsfield.
“They do a great job in the community and have increased their level and range of services over the past five to 10 years as communities have grown,” Mrs Grigg said.
“However, there has been no extra funding provided to do this job.
“The cost of providing these services has been covered by in-house fundraising, longer unpaid hours and the goodwill of local volunteers.
“The Upper Beaconsfield community centre is open for 35 hours a week during the day and for about 15 hours for night classes.
“Yet we receive only 14 hours of coordination funding per week.
“This is insufficient to continue running the house given the increasing costs, compliance requirements and needs within our community.”
Centres provide computer training and internet access, adult literacy and training programs, art and cultural studies and youth programs and services.
The campaign for extra funding is being coordinated by the association of Neighbourhood Houses and Learning Centres which has developed a 2006 budget submission that calls on the State Government for $84 million in funding over the next five years.
Mrs Griggs said this would ensure that neighbourhood houses such as Upper Beaconsfield continued to provide the current level of activities, support and opportunities.
“Thousands of local people teach, learn, work, volunteer and contribute to their community in Neighbourhood Houses every week,” Mrs Griggs said.
“Neighbourhood Houses cannot continue to respond to community needs without realistic funding.”
