Neighbourhood Houses moves in

The peak body for Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria moved into Docklands last month.

Neighbourhood Houses Victoria advocates for and supports members throughout inner Melbourne, suburbs and regional area.

According to CEO Bridget Gardner, the organisation has moved from Flinders Lane to its new home on the Etihad Stadium concourse.

“It’s a great spot for us, we love it here,” Ms Gardner.

According to Ms Gardner, Neighbourhood Houses can take many forms and names, but the key ingredients are a community and a gathering place.

“They are generally community managed and run, with a strong volunteer base attached to a paid staff,” Ms Gardner said.

The houses offer a range of opportunities to the community, from classes to occasional childcare or simply a place for people to meet.

“We’ve got a saying in the sector that if you’ve been to one neighbourhood house you’ve been to one neighbourhood house, because they take on the culture of the community they are in.”

According to Ms Gardner there are no neighbourhood houses in the CBD or Docklands, but she can see plenty of potential in the area.

“I can see that there are a number of organisations and groups within Docklands that have tones of a neighbourhood house.”

“I could even see in the not too distant future that local community groups would value and maybe even advocate for their own community house.”