Community Centres Directions Update

The consultation on and with Community Centres has now been completed. The over riding themes emerging at this time are;

•  the positive impact the centres have of people's well-being, sense of connection and community spirit 
•  praise given to staff for creating a welcoming atmosphere, being approachable and supporting community members to become actively involved in their community       
•  the importance of volunteers and need to continue to support their involvement in addressing local needs and to be actively involved in running the Centres

·   affordability and accessibility are key factors in success of the centres in Unley 

·   community members were singing the praises of  Unley Council in relation to their support of community and for their commitment to seeking community views as part of this project

·    access to transport is a critical factor to attendance at the Centre for the users of the Unley Community Centre

·    Community Centres provide access to affordable health and well-being programs (exercise opportunities was highlighted)

·     Interacting with people at the centre and then seeing them in the community plays an important role to feeling connected to the community

·     potential role of community centres in providing workshops and demonstration sites to increase potential for residents to grow food in their backyards

·     need to view community centres in the same way as our open space and ensure that this is retained for our community.

·     with the proposed ‘high rise’ development proposed for Unley Road and Greenhill Road, community centres will be vitally important as areas for the community to gather

·     there is an opportunity to strengthen linkages between community centres, and Council’s community services team.