Neighbourhood Houses Victoria calls Docklands home

Neighbourhood Houses Victoria will continue to support important community services from its Docklands’ headquarters, with Development Victoria extending its licence by six years.

Neighbourhood Houses Victoria has been an important part of the Docklands’ community for a number of years and has operated out of an office space in Victoria Point, adjacent to Marvel Stadium.

The licence extension provides operational certainty for the organisation, enabling them to continue providing support and leadership to 400 neighbourhood houses and community centres across Victoria.

Neighbourhood Houses bring people together to connect, learn and contribute to their local community. They offer social, recreational, educational and support activites to help community members connect with others and learn new skills.

“We are proud to work closely with Neighbourhood Houses Victoria and recognise the important work they do not only for the Docklands’ community but for wider Victoria,” Geoff Ward, Group Head, Precincts at Development Victoria said.

Neighbourhood Houses provide a range of educational, learning and social activities for all members of the community and have continued to offer these services remotely during 2020.

“We are incredibly grateful to Development Victoria for this six-year licence renewal,” Neighbourhood Houses Victoria CEO, Nicole Battle said.

“This news provides us with great certainty and peace of mind which is much welcomed, especially during these unprecedented times which have hit the not-for-profit sector particularly hard.

“Our work ensures they continue to deliver important community projects and socially inclusive activities, as well as provide essential supports to many of Victoria’s most vulnerable.”

The premises in Docklands has been extremely beneficial, due to its central location within walking distance to Southern Cross Station and ease of access.

“If there’s one thing I think we can all take away from this pandemic, it’s the importance of community solidarity in a time of a crisis. Through securing these premises for a further six years, we hope to contribute to the continuing development of the Docklands precinct through providing that community connection that we know is so important,” Nicole said.

Neighbourhood House also operates a temporary pop-up service within The District in Docklands. It is operated by North Melbourne-based The Centre with the aim to provide much-needed community connection and support for Docklands residents.

To find out more, contact The Centre on 9328 1126 or commdev@centre.org.au