HCAP Supported Community meeting / Projects through 2008

Precinct/volunteers coffee morning informal peer to peer support

Agencies informal bar lunches / Network opportunities

Waterloo Green Action Group

Photo Voice Project/Community Voices Group

Redwaternews group

Arts /Recreational activities group

Later Waterloo NAB – ‘sub group’

Waterloo Recycling Workshop steering group

Redfern NAB

HCAP Supported Community meeting / Projects through 2008

We hope you all had a great break over the festive period and looking forward to the year ahead. As we plan for the year ahead, and as some of you will know, HCAP programme works in numerous areas of community engagement projects and tenant participation projects.  We have attempted to support these projects within a partnership framework, bringing together both residents and workers to work on issues that are mutually important.

In 2006–07 HCAP programme, auspiced by the Factory Community Centre, assisted in the facilitation of conversations and projects covering a range of community issues within Redfern and Waterloo.

As 2008 is now upon us, we want to sustain the groups that were established last year, whilst supporting the development of any new ones. We would hope these groups would continue to have the involvement and support of a broad range of residents, volunteers, and workers from across sectors both at senior and front line level.

We have attached a list of some of the existing groups below with a brief description of their aims and some initial scheduled dates for the first round of meetings. We hope you will be able to lock these dates into your diary and come and join us as we plan the year ahead. Anyone is welcome to attend - resident, tenant, and agencies.

We realise that not all the groups or areas of work will be of interest to everyone, and ask you to consider becoming involved in any of them that have the most relevance to you and where you feel your contributions would make valuable difference in the process and outcomes. We appreciate that everyone’s time is precious and we would hope that none of these groups become meeting-for-meetings sake and our focus would be on achieving positive tangible actions for the collective community.

We are writing to re-invite members who have supported these areas of work last year, whilst extending it to anyone who could become involved and offer their skills, time and expertise to these worth while projects.  Any support and input is much appreciated and is no doubt essential for the success of these various projects. 

We are particular mindful that the post of HCAP may no longer be funded after June 2008 and it is important that any work and projects previously initiated can be continued where possible through the work of the various steering groups.

If you would like any more information on any of these individual groups or areas of work, and would like to become involved, please contact either myself or Patrick at the Factory.  We are also happy to give copies of reports on any areas of our work on request.

We are looking forward to working with you in harmonious, productive and exciting New Year,

Yours sincerely,
Michael M Shreenan
Community Development HCAP
Redfern/Waterloo

Precinct/volunteers coffee morning informal peer to peer support

The above group was piloted during November/December. It is an informal opportunity for Precinct Representatives and Volunteers from Redfern and Waterloo to come together and socialise over coffee and cake, to share ideas, concerns, and gain peer support.   This group will meet on the first Friday of the Month starting on the 1^st February at 11am (A strictly no-agenda/no-minutes meeting) BYO food

Agencies informal bar lunches / Network opportunities

We want to host informal monthly get togethers on the last Friday of the month at a suitable local social venue. This would provide the opportunity for workers from all sectors to come together and catch up with a ‘refreshment’ and bite to eat informally.  Any workers from Redfern and Waterloo would be able to attend and it would be a case of buying your own refreshment and/or food, if you can attend.  This would be purely a social event with the aim of trying to assist in building stronger relationships, in a fun and safe manner.  This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but we will give it a try. (No agendas, no minutes, no speeches)

You’re invited to join us on Friday the 29^th February at 1:30pm at the Tudor Hotel Redfern Street.

Waterloo Green Action Group

Above group was set up by HCAP in response to on-going concerns about safety issues around the Waterloo Green area and the high rises in Waterloo.  This resulted in a community safety audit taking place and a whole Government response which ended in the development of an Action Plan in response.  The above group is remaining established to try an ensure accountability on the implementation of this action plan and to evaluate impacts of any actions taken.  The group is currently made up of elected representatives, tenants from the immediate area, and variety of agencies that have interest in community safety.  The plan was launched in October 2007 by the RWA Seniors Officers Government agencies group and they are scheduled to have their first public feedback session has been organised for Thursday February 14^{th 2008} at 2pm

Photo Voice Project/Community Voices Group

Above group consists of mainly tenants utilising photography and other media tools to capture people’s views on a host of community issues.  They then share stories and experiences in group from the pictures and turn their work in to exhibitions format. This work is displayed in variety of settings with hopes to change social planning or evidence community need for funding purposes. Participants feel it is a great way to meet new friends, learn new skills whilst talking about issues that affect their ever day lives in a safe environment before sharing them with the world.  The group meet every second Tuesday at 2pm from the 12^th February 2008.

Redwaternews group

This editorial committee consists of tenants from the Redfern and Waterloo NAB who are currently supported by the Factory, HCAP, and the UNSW CDP project. They publish four editions of the RWN tenant community newsletter a year which is currently distributed to 4500 households and additionally distributed electronically. They have recently upgraded to a coloured edition. The group are currently attempting to seek recurrent funding for this production which has been successfully circulating for 12 years.  The group meet as and when required at least once every three months - if anyone interested in becoming involved, please get in touch.

Arts /Recreational activities group

This group has been meeting under various names and has a variety of members at different times. Last year they were involved in organising a gala event - a first ever Redfern Volunteers Award night, a mosaic project, and a huge all day Christmas party - Summer on the Green.   We also secured funding for short term classes on photography, salsa dancing, a Swimming 4 Wimmim group, etc

This year we wish to host more of these successful events and social activities but organise them more strategically.  For example, a second Volunteer Awards Night, Volunteer market event, Multicultural Senior’s Event, another summer gala /information event.   The group will be brought together to brain storm a programme of events for the year ahead and we will meet to begin with on Thursday 28^th February at 2pm - any interested parties are welcome to attend.

Later Waterloo NAB – ‘sub group’

Last year, HCAP facilitated a Working sub group consisting of tenant participation/community workers, Department of Housing staff, and residents to assist the Waterloo NAB through its ‘reviewing’ the future of tenant participation and community participation. This lead to a new proposal being suggested by residents as summarised as:-

• Tenant participation based on a refined and more robust version of the existing precinct & Housing Standards structure  which would operate as the primary formal relationship between residents and the local Client Service Team
• Community engagement which would include greater accountability and representation from all relevant agencies and possibly be based and organised around specific themes and associated actions eg safety, community events.

The NAB voted for a suspension of the Waterloo NAB until the sub working group convene with view to hosting appropriate engagement events which allow for other interested stakeholders to come together and discussions with the broader community during the first half of this year. The Sub group will meet on Thursday 21^st of February at 2pm to start steering this process and then contact all relevant stakeholders.

Waterloo Recycling Workshop steering group

Over the period of last year this group worked to secure some seed funding to be utilised this year. The funding will allow us to recruit a part time project worker who will support the project volunteers to release its potential and secure additional funds.   The steering group will meet on Friday 29^th of February at 10am to plan the relaunch of this service in early March 2008. Any new supporters and interested parties are welcome to attend.

Redfern NAB

Elected precinct Representatives and partner members organisations, group will recommence the NAB meetings on Tuesday 12 February 200810am - 12noon at Our Place Poets Corner Shops, Morehead Street, Redfern. For more information please contact John Perry, Redfern Team leader Department of Housing.