Factory Centre Receives Welcome Makeover

The upgrades include a brand new disabled access community kitchen & toilet block, air conditioning, upgraded IT systems, new PA system, overhead projector, new floor coverings, plus improved disabled ramp access .

Patrick Russell, Centre Coordinator said, "This Centre is at the very heart of the Waterloo community. It's used by a whole range of grass root community, cultural, and support groups - from older residents to local school children.  Our new facilities are a real boost to the Centre’s work."

The upgrades were made possible through range of donations and grants, including support from Housing NSW, NSW Clubs Limited, City of Sydney, Barnardos Australia, CatholicCare, Rock Resourcing Group, various church donors, and local volunteers.

Housing NSW Area Director for the Inner City Meghan Hibbert said “The Factory is a real focal point for the Redfern Waterloo community. Housing NSW is proud to have a long association with The Factory and to be able to provide extra support with $100,000 to help upgrade facilities which will benefit the whole community.”

City Councillor & and local resident, Irene Doutney, said “The community centre is probably one of the few positive spaces in the whole area where young and old can come together safely.  The upgrade makes it a more pleasant and welcoming place for local groups to meet. The high level of community involvement in the Factory's activities is creating a growing sense of pride, in this valuable facility and what it achieves, and in the local community itself”

For more information check out their website on www.the-factory.org.au, give them a call on 02 9698 9569, or drop in at 67 Raglan St., Waterloo. Below is profile on the Factory’s work. 

Background Factory Profile

The Factory Community Centre is a constituted ‘not for profit organisation, located in a double storied terrace owned by Housing NSW in the heart of Waterloo. Over the last 30 years, it has delivered a range of projects and programmes for the benefit of the Waterloo and Redfern community and surrounds.

The agency is an experienced direct service provider, and is managed by a local resident’s management committee with an experienced professional staff team.  It is a central hub for other essential local organisations and grass root community groups operating in the area.

Recently described in the media as a “Community Icon”, The Factory delivers quality, equitable, relevant services, and is service ‘user-driven’. The Factory’s mission statement is to assist in the relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune, destitution or helplessness, by fostering the growth of community life. 

At The Factory you will find the recently established Barnardos Learning Centre, Yurungai, a home work program for Aboriginal children and their families. The Factory also manages the highly regarded Poets Corner Pre-School in Redfern, and is a partner with local organisations in other early childhood activities.

The Factory offer a community support and advocacy service, funded by the NSW Department of Community Services, which offers independent and impartial advice on a range of issues from housing, money management, assistance with form filling, and wide range of lifestyle needs & issues.

The Factory auspices the Redfern/Waterloo Housing NSW Communities Program which employs a Community Development Worker, resourcing local community groups and residents to  assist them have a say in local decision making and community planning issues. The program supports long standing community groups such as the Neighbourhood Advisory Boards, Waterloo Green Safety Action group, Redwaternews, and others.

Other groups based at The Factory include

·         REDWATCH- Local Residents Advocacy

·         LET’S Sydney - Local Energy Trading Scheme

·         Spanish Community Care Association – CALD service provider

·         Columbian Association in Australia - CALD Service Provider

·         JewishCare – program for elderly Russians

·         Alcoholics Anonymous

·         Narcotics Anonymous

·         Gamblers Anonymous

·         South Sydney Blind Community and Friends

·         Waterloo Recycling Workshop and Nunnery Bike Project

·         Multicultural Cooking Groups

 Centre staff facilitates a variety of leisure and health activities and are involved in auspicing local projects such as the annual ‘Summer on the Green’ celebration, Volunteer Awards, Public & Performance Art, such as the ‘Older and Wiser’ project. This year they are running program events to mark International Year of Astronomy entitled “You are a Star” with their many critical partner agencies.