Member for Northern Victoria, Mark Gepp MP is encouraging locals to get involved with their local Neighbourhood House Week – Victoria’s largest multicultural celebration – which kicks off today, 9 May and will run until Sunday 15 May 2022.
The theme for this year’s Neighbourhood House Week 2022 celebrations is ‘Building resilience by bringing people together.’
Neighbourhood Houses empower individuals, families and communities – providing opportunities to participate, learn, grow and connect.
They are safe, inclusive and supportive spaces for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds – to come together to participate in meaningful social activities and access to vital employment, training and volunteering opportunities.
These include language classes, computer or internet tutoring, health and wellbeing activities, life skills programs, gardening and healthy food preparation activities, self-help groups and occasional childcare.
Neighbourhood Houses are also vital central points for communities in times of disaster. Throughout the pandemic, as well as the bushfires, many houses across the state have become hubs – offering shelter, food and clothing relief, and other support.
The Labor Government is continuing funding the Neighbourhood Houses Coordination program through the Victorian State Budget 2022/23.
This investment builds on the record $21.8 million to boost its Neighbourhood House Coordination Program in the Victorian State Budget 2018/19, which led to an increase in coordination hours for 162 houses – the biggest ever boost of its kind and almost eight times more than the previous Liberal Government.
The investment also delivered an extra 4,800 funded hours of support and advice so individual houses can learn how best to run their services.
In total, the Labor Government funds more than 400 neighbourhood houses across the state, supporting almost 200,000 Victorians each week who visit a house or use their services.
For more information, visit providers.dhhs.vic.gov.au/neighbourhood-house-coordination-program.
To find your local Neighbourhood House, visit: www.nhvic.org.au/list-of-neighbourhood-houses-via-local-government-area
Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp
Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of volunteers from our local Neighbourhood Houses lent a hand – whether it was preparing and delivering food, providing clothes and equipment or just giving support to vulnerable members of the community – they went above and beyond.”
“Neighbourhood Houses are vibrant, supportive and inclusive spaces. I encourage everyone to get involved, connected and help celebrate Neighbourhood House Week – and beyond.”
