Linkwest Annual report 2016-2017

Annual Report

2016 2017

Linkwest: supporting Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres to develop vibrant, inclusive and connected communities in Western Australia

Annual Report -1-

Contents From our Patron.................................................................................................... 3 Chairperson’s Report ............................................................................................ 4 CEO’s Report ....................................................................................................... 5 Treasurer’s Report ................................................................................................ 6 Financials ............................................................................................................. 7 Our Strategic Focus............................................................................................. 13 Linkwest Staff Development................................................................................ 14 Stronger Together................................................................................................ 15 From Community Reference Group to Subcommittee........................................ 16 Linkwest Profile Video......................................................................................... 17 Linkwest Members on the Airwaves.................................................................... 17 Stories from our Member Centres........................................................... 18, 32, 34 CoDesign for Thriving Communities.................................................................... 19 Small Team / Big Events...................................................................................... 20 CRC Project Extended Full House for Beyond Gambling Documentary Launch..................................... 21 A Place to Belong................................................................................................ 22 Helping our Members Survive and Thrive........................................................... 24 McCusker Interns................................................................................................ 25 Census 2016....................................................................................................... 25 Advocating for our Members............................................................................... 26 The Upside of Uncertainty................................................................................... 29 Act Local. Be Global............................................................................................ 30 Training and Professional Development.............................................................. 31 Linkwest AGM and SGM..................................................................................... 33 Linkwest Board 2016 – 2017............................................................................... 33 Linkwest Members 2016 – 2017.......................................................................... 35

Linkwest is a proud member of:

Cover image: Family Flags and a Pot Luck Lunch, held at Midvale Family Centre as a part of Neighbourhood House Week 2017, gave families the opportunity to share not just food, but experiences from different cultures.

-2-

A message from Our

Patron

I know that Linkwest and all its member groups are strongly committed to helping build strong communities and a good quality of life for people all over Western Australia: young or old, recently arrived or long established, city or country people.

These inclusive and optimistic goals were certainly on the agenda of the government I led when we established Family Centres around the state during the early 90s, as they were for the regional Community Resource Centres established around the same time. Many of you are celebrating significant birthdays about now, so it’s timely to ask whether our centres have lived up to these expectations.

In fact, I think you have delivered more than we could have hoped. While the core role of the Family Centres, as originally envisaged, was to provide early childhood education, these centres, like the regional Community Resource Centres, were also explicitly designed to grow with the community; to engage local volunteer effort, embracing education and parent groups and local initiatives of all types, enabling each community to develop its own unique programs catering to the needs of its people, and, critically, in my view, run by local people.

Adopting these goals, your centres have established deep roots in your neighbourhoods, meaning you are ideally placed to protect what is good in your communities and to identify what’s harmful and needs to be remedied. This is social “gold”, vital to building strong social bonds, engendering a sense of belonging and identity; ensuring social support when it is needed, and contributing to better health and wellbeing in communities where you operate.

I know too that continuing to meet these crucial objectives is particularly challenging at the moment, when the not for profit sector is under considerable pressure from reduced funding and administrative restrictions imposed by governments. Retaining genuinely community based organisations in this climate and resisting incorporation into uniform and disconnected mega organisations is vital to our communities’ health.

Thank you for demonstrating so clearly why community ownership is so important.

Dr Carmen Lawrence Linkwest Patron

-3-

Chairperson's Report Stronger Together was the theme of the conference held last October and it is the theme that has epitomised the Linkwest Board, staff and membership over the last 12 months. In a challenging year, with considerable pressure on the sector, the Linkwest collective has grown to be a strong, united force in the community sector.

One of the Board’s great achievements over the last year has been to merge the Association of WA Community Resource Centres (AWACRC) and old Linkwest. In many mergers, aligning cultures can be the hardest transition to make and I believe the board members have achieved that transition through honest and open dialogue and a genuine desire to work in the best interests of all member centres.

The joining of the AWACRC and Linkwest has resulted in a board whose directors are drawn from three Community Resource Centres, four Neighbourhood Centres and five independent Associate members. Each director has bought their unique specialist knowledge and expertise, ideas, skills, ethnicity, age and passion. We have a wider representation from regional WA and directors who have experience in government, corporate and the not-for-profit sectors. This has added to the strength of the Linkwest board as we work to ensure Linkwest is relevant to our members in a rapidly changing, volatile, uncertain, and complex world.

A clear example of the value of our diversity of board skills has come through advocacy work for the Neighbourhood Centres. All Board members contributed significant amounts of time in their particular areas of strength and influence.

Virginia Aden was the public face of the campaign while Cate Rocchi’s media and public relations expertise ensured wide coverage of the issues across WA. The Board was delighted that our new constitution was accepted by the Department of Commerce. The significant work of Kylie Hansen helped make this important project enjoyable, and focused on having a constitution that would serve our members through clear objects and strong governance. Based on the Linkwest template constitution developed for our membership, the new Linkwest constitution ensures the organisation not only complies with the new Associations Incorporations Act 2015 but will enable us to confidently move forward as a Peak Body with a diverse and geographically dispersed membership.

This is my last report as the Chair of Linkwest. During my three years I have been proud to lead a Board and organisation that has grown in strength and demonstrated an ability to adapt to constant change and uncertainty. I thank our patron Dr Carmen Lawrence, board directors and staff for their support. Most importantly I thank our CEO Jane Chilcott. Our working relationship has been based on respect, trust, conversations and a willingness to learn and grow from each other.

This year has been decidedly tough and I have seen Jane standing up when others remained seated and silent. I am inspired by Jane’s courage, compassion, integrity, determination and commitment to our members and the staff she leads and manages. It has been a great gift for me to have had the opportunity to work with such an exceptional CEO. Linkwest is at a pivotal point in our 35 year history. We need strong communities, for they are what make an inclusive society. The work of our members is possibly more important than ever, and the voice of our collective members must never be underestimated. I ask that we each stand up and ensure our voice is heard.

Dr Nicky Howe

Chair, Linkwest 2016 – 2017

-4-

CEO's Report Last year I stated that Centres that did not adapt would die. Sadly, this year we have seen the closure of one Centre and a significant increase in the number of Centres at risk. In order to try and prevent Centre staff and volunteers facing this trauma, Linkwest has developed a template constitution and training to strengthen governance, provided free organisational health checks by an independent auditor (thanks to a Lotterywest grant) and have worked hard over the year to make the upcoming Belonging conference an opportunity to build the capacity of all those attending Due to financial pressures, Linkwest member Centres are finding that they are under more scrutiny and having to justify themselves more than ever to Local governments, funding agencies and the State government. It is more critical than ever that Centres ensure they have good governance and financial reporting systems in place as a failing centre provides a potential opportunity to cut funding or fill community buildings with organisations that can pay commercial rents.

Linkwest and its members are leading the way in CoDesign, an area of interest for the new State government and the community sector. For the third year in a row we have been awarded a capacity-building grant from the Department of Finance. This funding allows the ongoing development of a project that will eventually provide resources and toolkits to help our Centres codesign their services with their community. In previous times this would have been called community engagement, and is at the heart of what successful Centres have always done.

Another area of great opportunity for our sector is the new focus by government and the community sector on place-based services in WA. Every member Centre is a place-based service and many of our members have been in existence for over 35 years.

This is the year that, through adversity, Linkwest and its Neighbourhood Centre members have found their collective voice. This strengthened focus, combined with the already strong voice of the Community Resource Centre network, has potential to create a strong movement for these well-established placed-based services in WA. A movement that champions local services for local communities, local decision-making for local leadership, local jobs, and local solutions to local problems.

With this new focus, Linkwest now has an opportunity to ensure that our members are collectively seen as a trusted network of established place-based services, and as important to local communities as schools, hospitals and libraries.

We have an opportunity to be recognised in policy and to place our network at the centre of WA Labor’s Supporting Communities Policy.

I thank our Patron, Dr Carmen Lawrence, for her significant support and the Board for their passion, commitment and hard work over the last year. I also want to thank my wonderful, creative and hardworking team, who make my job so fulfilling.

Lastly, a very special thank you to Dr Nicky Howe who has been inspiring, both as a mentor to me and as leader of the Linkwest Board during her three years as Chair.

Jane Chilcott

CEO Linkwest

-5-

Treasurer’s Report It with great pleasure that I present the Linkwest Inc. audited financial statements for the financial year ending 30 June 2017.

The statements are presented in the format in accordance with the Associations Incorporations Act 2015.

The financial statements confirm that our 2016/17 income was down 11% ($110,773) on 2015/16, however during the same period we achieved a reduction in expenditure of 24% ($241,827) on the previous financial year.

It is a pleasure to report a profit of $92,790 for the financial year 2016/17 compared with a loss of $38,264 in the previous financial year 2015/16, which is great result for Linkwest.

Cash at bank and funds on term deposit increased by 38.5% ($355,414) from $941,220 to $1,296,634 due to receipt of conference fees, subscriptions, new projects and increase in membership. Linkwest remains highly solvent and has sufficient funds to meet all financial and legal responsibilities.

Payroll expenses were once again the major expense this year being 74% ($520,223) of total expenditure.

My special thanks to Jane Chilcott and her staff and, in particular, to our Finance Officer Judy Summers.

Gerd-Heiner Heppekausen

Treasurer, Linkwest 2016 – 2017

-6-

audited financials

-7-

audited financials

-8-

-9-

audited financials

want more detail?

The full audited financial report can be found on the Linkwest website: www.linkwest.asn.au/about-us/audited-financial-reports

- 10 -

- 11 -

- 12 -

our strategic

focus

For Linkwest to undertake a project or activity, develop resources and training, or deliver a service, it must fall under one or more of our four main areas of focus, as determined by our strategic plan.

Through these areas of focus, we aim to achieve the following outcomes:

Identity and Advocacy

Partnership and Collaboration

Sustainability and Growth

Service Excellence and Impact

Linkwest is a highly respected and widely recognised leader and advocate within the community support sector.

Linkwest has strong and effective partnerships with like-minded services to enhance the delivery of quality services to members.

Linkwest provides service continuity and lasting value to members in a changing social, political and economic environment.

Linkwest has the capacity and capability to deliver and demonstrate outstanding and relevant services to members.

Throughout this report, the following icons will be used to highlight the relevant strategic focus area(s) that the program, service, activity or project relates to.

- 13 -

Linkwest Staff Development In 2016–2017, those on the

Learning for Purpose

Linkwest Staff In 2016–2017, those on the Linkwest staff team were:

Chief Executive Officer, Jane Chilcott Sector Development Manager (Community Resource Centres), Mihaela Nicolescu Sector Development Manager (Neighbourhood Centres), Wynne Chow (to May 2017) Lily Auld (from May 2017) Sector Development Manager (Projects), Liz Nicholas Finance Officer, Judy Summers Marketing and Office Manager, Jane Billham Marketing, Finance and Administration Officer, Joanna Darlow (from April 2017) Casual Administration Assistants, David Chilcott Cailtlin Telford

In 2016, Linkwest was accepted onto the Learning for Purpose Action Learning Program. This program was developed for Community Service Sector organisations in Western Australia by the Centre for Social Impact, The University of Western Australia (CSI UWA), and provides training and development opportunities for WA not-for-profits (NFPs). Jane Chilcott, Mihaela Nicolescu, and Wynne Chow completed the program and attended four highly informative training sessions on strategy, leadership, funding, and talent.

In addition to having the opportunity to access these sessions, Linkwest also benefited from the opportunity to network with other local NFPs.

Art of Participatory Leadership Liz Nicholas attended this 3-day training workshop in September 2016, building on her previous Art of Hosting Conversations that Matter experience. The workshop focussed on exploring the models, processes and practices of deep collaboration and working with emergence in contexts including businesses, teams, organisations and communities.

Asset Based Community Development Masterclass Liz Nicholas attended this one-day workshop with ABCD ‘gurus’ Cormac Russell and Peter Kenyon. It was a great opportunity to co-learn with other ABCD practitioners and continue to explore strengths-based community practice.

Harwood Institute Jane Chilcott and Wynne Chow attended this three day workshop about a different way of seeing and working with communities. It focussed on understanding communities, being ‘turned outward’, creating the conditions for change and sustainability and then deciding the right path.

Graduate Diploma in Ontological Coaching Jane Chilcott commenced this 18 month qualification in June. While it’s early days yet, she is hoping it will result in better leadership, communications and relationships and will help both Jane and Linkwest grow and develop.

We’ve been on the move again...

In September, Linkwest again moved office. This time, the move wasn’t a big one (just upstairs in the same building) so it hasn’t been too traumatic for those of us who are resistant to change. All staff are enjoying our new light and bright surrounds, and Jane (pictured) is enjoying the view from her new CEO’s office!

- 14 -

stronger together Peak Body merger a first for WA On Tuesday 25 October 2016, members of the Association of WA Community Resource Centres (AWACRC) unanimously voted at their AGM to merge their membership with Linkwest. This decision was the culmination of two years of board negotiations, member consultations, and an extensive due diligence process undertaken by an external consultant who specialises in not-for-profit governance.

Separately, Neighbourhood Centres, Community Resource Centres, and Linkwest and the AWACRC as their respective peaks, have forged strong reputations and networks in their communities. Together, they form a state-wide network of almost 150 trusted organisations working in the community, for the community.

This merging of two peak bodies was a first for WA, and the occasion was marked with a champagne celebration.

The Hon Paul Miles, (then) Minister for Local Government; Community Services; Seniors and Volunteering; Youth, and Mr Shane Love, (then) Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development; Lands, helped celebrate with the 120 Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centre representatives in attendance.

A sea of green as AWACRC members vote unanimously in favour of merging with Linkwest.

L-R: Mr Shane Love, (then) Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development; Lands, Mrs Lee Steel, Chair AWACRC, Ms Jane Chilcott, CEO Linkwest, and the Hon Paul Miles, (then) Minister for Local Government; Community Services; Seniors and Volunteering; Youth

- 15 -

- 11 -

from community reference group to subcommittee Member representatives provide ‘coal face’ perspective on issues, challenges and opportunities in the sector

Linkwest’s Community Reference Group met face-to-face in May 2016.

Since forming in 2015, Linkwest’s Community Reference Group (CRG) has provided – from a member perspective – strategic advice on Linkwest’s service provision, including current initiatives and future reforms. The CRG has played a key role in advising Linkwest on issues, challenges and opportunities in the sector and the communities that it services.

In November 2016, the CRG held its last meeting. Not from lack of interest, but because the group was in transition to being one of two new sub-committees which would directly report to the Board.

These subcommittees – one for Neighbourhood Centres (NC) and one for Community Resource Centres (CRC) – were formed as result of the merger between Linkwest and the AWACRC (see page 15). It was recognised that, despite the many similarities between these organisational types, there are also some significant differences. These sub-committees are a formal mechanism for ensuring both Centre ‘types’ have an equal voice within the governance of their peak body.

We thank the following subcommittee members for their contribution and commitment:

CRC Subcommittee

Boyup Brook CRC - Jodi Nield Dalwallinu CRC - Sharon Bell Kununurra CRC - Natika Hawes-Wright Merredin CRC - Debbie Morris Nannup CRC - Cheryle Brown Pingelly CRC - Lee Steel Waroona CRC - Trish Whitney

NC Subcommittee

Busselton Family Centre - Rilla Beresford Marangaroo Family Centre - Helen Cocks South Lake Ottey Family and Neighbourhood Centre - John Rich Warnbro Community and Family Centre - Natalie McLaren Westcoast Community Centre - Nicky MacDougall Associate Member - Corinne Quicke

- 16 -

So…what does Linkwest do exactly?

Short video explains the complexity of Linkwest “We are the Peak Body for Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres in Western Australia” is the simple explanation, but more often than not, this requires explaining not only what a peak body is and does but also what a Neighbourhood or Community Resource Centre is and does.

As it is true that a picture paints a thousand words, we decided to create a short profile video which in a nutshell explains: •

what Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres are and why they are so important to the community, and

•

who Linkwest is and how we support the sector.

The profile video, which is narrated by Linkwest patron Dr Carmen Lawrence, was launched at the Linkwest AGM in October. Featuring footage and images from a number of our member Centres, this video provides a visual synopsis of our sector.

It is available on the Linkwest website and our YouTube channel, Linkwest335.

Linkwest members on the airwaves

Since late 2016, listeners to Triple M’s Rural Focus radio program will have discovered a sample of the marvellous array of services, activities and special events made possible by the perseverance and dedication of staff and volunteers at WA-based Community Resource Centres (CRCs).

These monthly radio interviews present a rare opportunity for small not-for-profit organisations to ‘air their wares’ on mainstream media, and we thank Triple M for their ongoing support.

To date, representatives from CRCs in Boyup Brook, Pingelly, Mukinbudin, Tom Price and Ravensthorpe have bravely fronted the microphone. Without exception, all have done a brilliant job of highlighting the important role CRCs play in regional communities.

Jodi Nield (pictured far right), Manager of the Boyup Brook CRC, summed up the can-do attitude of the CRC network in her interview, “If you want to do something in town, come along and talk to us and we will try to make it happen.”

The radio interviews are all available within the News and Events section of the Linkwest website.

- 17 -

Strength

in people in place

Stories straight from our member Centres

Family centre prompted citizenship application I have been attending the Yangebup Family Centre for five years.

S

On a personal level, the Yangebup Family Centre has been a lifeline to being part of the community. I am an immigrant from the USA and while our cultures are similar they are also quite different. I was having a hard time assimilating before finding the Yangebup Family Centre.

Since finding and becoming part of the Centre, I have made many connections and friendships within the community, making me feel as though I am a part of both it and Australia as a whole.

This helped me make the decision to seek and receive my citizenship, which I did in 2015. finding and becoming

ince part of the centre, I have made many connections and friendships, making me feel a part of both it and Australia as a whole.

I was introduced to art through a session held at the Centre and have since become a paid working artist selling my works, which has completely changed mine and my family’s life. One of my paintings, a collaborative effort between myself and my daughter, hangs at the

Family Centre. I would not have this whole aspect in my life without the Family Centre making this connection for me.

The Yangebup Family Centre is a beacon of light in the darkness, a lighthouse of sorts. As you know, some of our local communities are struggling with low incomes and the introduction of street drugs. The Family Centre offers us a safe place, a harbour, if you will, a guiding light to bring us together and remind of the importance of community, and that together we can bring change and become stronger. Without that, it’s every man, parent, woman and child for themselves...which is sad.

Because of the Yangebup Family Centre, my daughter and myself are thriving in the community. There is pride in seeing our hand prints on the Centre’s Totem Poles, pride in the friendships we make within the facility, and pride within ourselves from the things we have learnt in our time there.

Christy Local resident and member of the Yangebup Family Centre community

- 18 -

CoDesign for Thriving

Communities

Developing and supporting centres’ capacity for community engagement The CoDesign for Thriving Communities project arose from member requests for training and resources to develop capacity for community engagement. The Project aims to develop and support Centres’ capacity for community engagement, with a focus on codesign of service models and programs.

The Project has three aspects: 1. Bringing together the wisdom and expertise that exists in Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres, enabling Centres and CRCs to share accumulated knowledge and experience around community and stakeholder engagement.

2. Offering four Centres the opportunity to participate in a codesign engagement process including: •

Training, mentoring, co-facilitation and resources to support engaging local communities and other stakeholders in service model co-design.

•

An integrated framework for codesign and facilitation for engaging community and other stakeholders based on the principles of Asset Based Community Development and Results Based Accountability.

3. Creating a Linkwest Community Engagement Resource Kit available to our whole community of Centres. The online package will include input from Centres and resources from the codesign engagement processes.

Participating Centres After a rigorous EOI and selection process, four Centres – two regional and two metropolitan – were selected: •

Dalwallinu Community Resource Centre

•

Kalannie Community Resource Centre

•

South Lake Ottey Family and Community Centre

•

Yangebup Family Centre

Linkwest is offering tailored support to enable each participating Centre to build on an existing strategy, or create a new strategy, to engage its community in mapping, building and mobilising stakeholder relationships.

This includes partnering with the Centre to enable it to host a community conversation appropriate to the local context.

Informing the way we move forward As part of the CoDesign Project, Linkwest is taking steps toward the codesign of its own service model.

Key to this process is input from those individuals and organisations who are associated with, and care about, the future of the Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centre sector.

Since conversation and coffee go hand in hand, in April, we held a CoDesign Café.

Based upon World Café principles, and with good barista style coffee to hand, Linkwest staff, board and invited guests spent a couple of hours exploring the ways in which Linkwest can best contribute to the sector.

The information, ideas and insights harvested from this event will inform Linkwest’s service model moving forward.

Linkwest’s CoDesign Project Coordinator, Liz Nicholas, gets the conversation started at our CoDesign Cafe

small team

for a we stage some

big events

Stronger Together Training Days

Our Stronger Together training days, held 25 and 26 October 2016, were very well received, with 120 delegates making the most of the opportunity for some professional development and networking.

Held at The Rise in Maylands, and with full schedules on both days, we are sure delegates as well as Linkwest staff needed at least a little recovery time by event-end.

Linkwest patron, Dr Carmen Lawrence (pictured above), set the tone with an inspirational keynote address which highlighted the very basic human need for community, and the role that Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres play in addressing this need at the local level.

Participants benefited from a range of training opportunities: real-life examples of innovative income-generating approaches employed by Neighbourhood Centres and CRCs; strategies to successfully lobby and advocate for their organisation; changing their organisation’s constitution (rules) to comply with the new Associations Incorporations Act 2015; and, specifically for CRCs, tools to assist as they prepare to retender for their service.

The Linkwest AGM (see page 33) was also held during this event, as was the Association of WA Community Resource Centres’ AGM which saw their members unanimously vote to merge with Linkwest (see page 15).

Belonging Conference

Linkwest is full steam ahead with preparations for its biennial conference, scheduled for 19-21 September 2017. In keeping with our year-long theme, the Belonging conference is all about inclusion, sustainability and celebration.

These themes offer a forum for delegates to debate key issues and trends, examine best-practice avenues towards inclusion and its contribution to long-term sustainability and growth, and celebrate and share our successes. It is the first conference to be staged since Linkwest welcomed the Community Resource Centres into its membership, so we have made sure to provide ample formal and informal networking opportunities to enable plenty of idea-sharing and cross-pollination.

The culmination of the conference will be our Awesomeness Awards, where we give recognition to the outstanding contribution of those working on the ground in Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres.

Over 20 nominations have been received for these peer-to-peer awards, and as usual, we were blown away by the great work that is happening in local communities. We are certain the Awards will be an awesome conclusion to what will be an enjoyable, innovative, and useful professional development event.

- 20 -

crc project extended

In April 2017, Linkwest completed its original two-year delivery to provide targeted support and advice to Community Resource Centres (CRCs). This project has since been extended to December 2017.

Year One of the project concentrated on Human Resources Education and Support, which was delivered in partnership with Jobs Australia. In April 2016, the focus shifted from HR, to Governance and Operations.

General training covering a range of governance topics has been delivered via video-conference (VC), and customised training sessions have been delivered either via VC or by Linkwest travel to the regions.

Combined, this training involved 330 participants.

CRCs contacted Linkwest with over 300 requests for assistance over the past twelve months, up almost 30% from the previous year. Over one third of these queries were in relation to sector training and capacity building, indicating there is a great commitment to continuous improvement within the CRC network.

Full House for Gambling Documentary Launch

It was a full house and all eyes to the big screen in July 2016 for the launch of Linkwest’s Our ACE Community: Beyond Gambling documentary.

Gambling is not an issue that is generally talked about, and one of the positive outcomes of Linkwest’s Beyond Gambling project was to get conversations started in the community, not just about the issue, but in the important role communities have to play in terms of both its prevention and treatment.

The Project involved eight Linkwest Neighbourhood Centres and five delivery partners, working together to deliver 240 workshops targeted towards those either with, or indirectly affected by, problem gambling. Over 1,500 people attended these events – a fantastic result, especially given the veil of secrecy that surrounds this growing issue.

The documentary, which not only features some of the participating Centres and delivery partners, but also a compelling story from someone with lived experience of out-of-control gambling, is itself a conversation starter.

Discussions over nibbles and drinks after the initial screening at the Backlot private cinema were dominated by the topic, with many determined to highlight the issue in their workplaces and communities.

The documentary, which is available for viewing on Linkwest’s YouTube channel: linkwest335, has been used widely, with Linkwest receiving notification it has been used to start conversations in both Melbourne and Canada.

- 21 -

a place to Belong Belonging, or the ‘glue’ in community, has been shown to play a significant role in the wellness of children, families, and communities. Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres provide a place to belong through many different positive activities and events, and every year we receive many stories from individuals of the difference belonging to a Centre has made to their lives.

B

elongingness is the human emotional need to be an accepted member of a group.

Whether it is family, friends, a religion or something else, people have an inherent desire to belong.

It may be a new parent who now belongs to a playgroup, a recent migrant who now has friends and connections in the community, or recently retired professionals who have found a new sense of purpose volunteering on the board of the local Centre – there are many ways individuals can belong at a Centre.

In 2017, this theme of Belonging has been a common thread throughout Linkwest’s activities, promotions and advocacy efforts, and one that has been embraced by member Centres across Western Australia.

Neighbourhood House Week

Neighbourhood House Week (NHW), which ran from 1–7 May 2017, is a nationwide initiative to celebrate the role of Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres in local communities.

In 2017, Linkwest provided a small grants program, as well as templates and resources – including a dedicated NHW website – to encourage member Centres to host an event during Neighbourhood House Week.

Twenty-seven Centres took advantage of this opportunity, using the Belonging theme to creatively plan and deliver events tailored to their local community’s needs. This theme also allowed Centres to ask their communities what Belonging means to them, and receive invaluable feedback about how their Centre can better help people feel connected to their community.

As ever, Linkwest member Centres delivered in abundance, bringing people together in both rural and metro areas, encouraging community members to meet and socialise with new people, while enjoying plenty of great food along the way. Many Centres also reported streams of new visitors, and support from local representatives and local media.

#APlaceToBelong Campaign

“Download our poster template, write your Centre name on it, gather some of your Centre users, take a photo and send it to us.”

That was the request we made to our members early in June 2017, as an easy-to-implement first step in response to a State Government decision to change the funding model* for the Neighbourhood Centre sector.

What we received was a landslide of support and the beginning of a sector-wide movement that has put Neighbourhood Centres front and centre on social media, in local and state press, and in the hallways of government.

The dozens of #APlaceToBelong photos that were returned to us provide compelling visual evidence of the importance of Centres to their local communities. They have been used by Linkwest across multiple digital channels. One such channel is a website created specifically to highlight the effect the afore-mentioned funding changes would have on Centres and their communities should they go ahead as planned:

www.handsoffourcentres.com * Read more about these proposed changes and Linkwest’s response on pages 26–28.

helping our members

survive and thrive

Health Checks for Neighbourhood Centres

Thanks to a Lotterywest grant, we have been able to provide our member Neighbourhood Centres (both funded and unfunded) with a free organisational ‘Health Check’ to review and strengthen their governance and operational management.

These checks were guaranteed confidential, and conducted by Santo Casilli Accounting and Auditing Services, an experienced, independent auditor who performed similar health checks for the entire CRC network. They were also optional, although highly recommended, as ongoing funding for our Centres is dependent on providing evidence of good governance and financial management.

Improving local governance and management and increasing Centre accountability to the community, members, supporters and funders.

The check looks at each participating Centre’s:

• Governance • Strategic plan • Service delivery • Legal, financial and HR policies and procedures • Insurances, and • Asset management This project will develop the sector by improving the standard of governance and management at the local level, and increasing the level of accountability to the community, members and supporters, including fund holders.

35 Neighbourhood Centres, plus Linkwest itself, signed up for these checks, which will be conducted until October 2017.

Building the capacity of CRCs through the Theory of Change The Department of Regional Development has provided project funding for Linkwest to deliver a practical and hands-on training package that aims to build the capacity of Community Resource Centres (CRCs) in Theory of Change and its application for measuring the impact of services.

Linkwest adopted an outcomes measurement framework as a tool to implement the Theory of Change in practice.

As part of the package, Linkwest delivered a series of seven workshops throughout Western Australia to build CRCs’ knowledge and skills in the areas of:

These resources were developed and tested based on Linkwest’s hands-on experience in supporting the sector, including Neighbourhood Centres, to implement outcomes measurement in their services.

Following the workshops, Linkwest offered up to 50 CRCs 1 hour 1:1 consultations. These consultations, which will be conducted through to the end of 2017, aim to: • •

•

Understanding the value and application of outcome measurement in their services.

• Implementation of outcomes measurement to develop their Theory of Change using a data-driven decision-making process.

The workshops were supported by a Theory of Change Guide and Workbook that CRCs are able use with their staff and partners.

•

- 24 -

Provide an introduction on the topic to CRCs that have not been able to attend the workshops.

Provide further training on either the Theory of Change Model or outcome measurement to CRCs who have attended a workshop.

Help CRCs who have attended a workshop apply the Theory of Change Model and outcome measurement to a specific activity.

McCusker Interns make their mark

The McCusker Centre for Citizenship at UWA (established in October 2015) is the first of its kind in Australia, modelled on the Haas Centre for Public Service at Stanford University. The Centre aims to foster the engagement of students in a lifelong involvement with, and contribution to, the community.

Over 2016 – 17 Linkwest welcomed three McCusker interns, each working with us for a day a week for a semester, and all on unique projects.

Jane Leow worked on a preliminary Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – a business plan that documents what Linkwest commits to do to contribute to reconciliation in Australia.

Alastair Macpherson laid the groundwork for conducting a formative social return on investment (SROI) analysis of Neighbourhood Centres in WA. Maxwell Watkins interviewed a number of staff, Centre users and volunteers, capturing their stories on film or in text and pictures. The resulting videos can be viewed on our YouTube channel: linkwest 335.

Max sets up the equipment to interview centre users, staff and volunteers at Sudbury Community House

The calibre, commitment and quality of work of each intern was impressive, and we believe each student found the experience with us worthwhile.

27,000

people utilise WA-based Centres each week

$6.5 million

worth of labour is contributed by Centre volunteers over one year

1,000

Community groups call these Centres home

Census 2016

Linkwest’s 2016 Census was conducted during November 2016 – February 2017.

Participation was voluntary and a total of 45 Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres completed the survey.

This information – the first summary that captures Linkwest’s expanded membership to include the Community Resource Centre network – will be used to start to building a picture of the sector as a whole, and our work to map changes over time.

The last census of Linkwest’s membership was collected in 2012.

A census summary has been circulated to all members, and participating Centres have received individual reports, to enable comparison against the whole.

Significantly: •

Participation: Around 27,000 people visit Centres each week in Western Australia.

This equates to 150 people per Centre on an average week.

•

Volunteering opportunities: Around 2,000 West Australians contributed an average total of 30 hours of volunteer work per Centre each week. This includes the time devoted to volunteer Management Committees or Boards.

•

Vital community space: Centres are used by their communities for an average of 40 hours per week. This is around 6 hours every day of the week.

•

Partnerships and collaborations: Centres house over 1,000 community groups and services each week. In an average month, Centres work with up to seven partnering organisations or groups to ensure successful delivery of activities and services.

- 25 -

advocating for

our members

Over the past twelve months, the not-for-profit sector has been operating in a rapidly changing landscape, which has brought its share of challenges:

• 23 of our member Centres will be affected by a cessation of government subsidised accommodation and maintenance arrangements • The next funding round for Community and Neighbourhood Development Services (CNDS), which currently funds 50 Neighbourhood Centres, will be open to competitive tender • A proposed new funding model, the Supporting Communities Program (SCP), combined what were three separate funding streams into one. The SCP discussion document, which is now superceded, created considerable concern as it presented a move away from the place-based model, provided a thinner spread of funding and put the ongoing viability of many Centres at risk In response to these developments, we upped the gears on our advocacy and profile-raising activities while, as far as possible, maintaining momentum on what would be considered ‘business as usual’.

Westerly Family Centre in Cooloongup, is one of 23 of our member Centres which will be affected the cessation of government subsidised accommodation and maintenance.

Kununurra Neighbourhood House‘s Teddy Bears’ Picnic attracts a great crowd.

- 26 -

Linkwest Resources

Supporting Centres losing accommodation and maintenance funding

As of 30 June 2018, the Department of Local Government and Communities (now Department of Communities) will cease to own or lease 31 facilities from which a number of Department-funded Community and Neighbourhood Development Centres (CNDS) operate.

This directly affects 23 Linkwest member Centres in WA as well as a number of non-Member Centres. In response, Linkwest has: •

Negotiated with the Department of Communities (DoC) for a solution that will enable affected services to transition to new accommodation and maintenance arrangements.

•

Met with Ministers and Shadow Ministers to highlight how this decision and the process of negotiating new leases / accommodation is putting a burden on Centres and may result in worse outcomes for the community – either in an increase of fees, a reduction in the number of services offered, or even some Centres closing their doors to the community.

•

Met with other affected peaks and services to discuss the issue.

•

Sought and gained pro-bono support of a property lawyer (MinterEllison), who has outlined the legal options in relation to either terminating or continuing Centre occupation of the premises.

•

With funding provided by DoC, engaged MinterEllison to provide legal support for the sector in the preparation of new leases and variations to existing leases.

•

•

For Centres where DoC leases the property, MinterEllison has reviewed all affected centres’ lease agreements.

•

For Centres where DoC owns the property, MinterEllison has summarised a list of possible options in the event DoC wishes to pass on the property so it no longer holds any responsibilities to maintain, repair or upkeep the property.

Communicated with affected centres via a mix of bulk written communications for those messages relevant to every Centre; personal contact with each Centre (since each Centre’s circumstances are unique); an online community forum; and face-to-face meetings.

- 27 -

Hands Off Our Centres

In response to the proposed new Supporting Communities Program, and its movement away from the place-based model, Linkwest launched a campaign which aimed to embed the thinking that place-based services such as Neighbourhood Centres are not just important, but as essential to the local community as schools, hospitals or libraries.

This multifaceted campaign combined: •

Linkwest advocating at the highest levels of State Government, including the Premier and the Minister for Communities, for a halt to the implementation of the proposed Program until a full consultation and independent review of the Neighbourhood Centre sector in WA could be conducted.

•

Unprecedented press coverage – both from Linkwest’s media release on behalf of the sector, and local press support in response to member Centre releases.

•

Leveraging the power of social media. Linkwest and our members hit social media hard, promoting the positive nature of our sector through words and images (see image below for a sample Facebook post).

•

Resourcing member Centres with templates for media releases and letters to their local members, to assist their local campaign.

•

The creation of a dedicated campaign website: www.handsoffourcentres.com

•

Gaining the support of a member in the State Upper House to table a petition on our behalf in the Legislative Council.

•

Encouraging our member Centres to collect signatures to support this grievance.

Petitions were still out with our Centres at the end of this reporting period, however preliminary estimates indicate over 7,000 signatures have been collected.

Where we currently stand Two days before the end of this reporting period, the Hon Simone McGurk, Minister for Communities, advised Linkwest that the State Government will extend the current Neighbourhood Centre contracts for three months, with an option of an additional three months, while they undertake a short consultation process.

Linkwest is cautiously optimistic that we can work with the Minister and the Department of Communities towards a result that works for all parties, but most especially local communities.

We thank each and every one of the Centre staff, volunteers, Centre users and members of the wider community, who have contributed to this important campaign. Thanks also to other Peak Bodies, most notably, the Australian Neighbourhood Houses & Centres Association (ANHCA) and Adult Learning Australia, for their support.

- 28 -

The Upside of Uncertainty

While it would undoubtedly be preferable to operate in an environment where the ongoing viability and sustainability of Centres is a given, there has been a silver lining to the frenetic activity of the past months. It is often not until something is in danger of disappearing that its value is realised. This has happened out in our communities. Centres and those who utilise them have been galvanized, taking positive action to ensure the continuation of a service that they know is so important to their community, stays in their community.

The campaign process has unearthed many wonderful and inspirational stories of the positive impact Centres are making on people’s lives.

Links between many Centres and their local representatives have been strengthened as have links between Centres and Centres. There is a renewed sense of solidarity in the sector, as everyone works collectively for a common cause.

The campaign process has unearthed many wonderful and inspirational stories of the positive impact Centres are making on people’s lives.

A collection of these will feature in a publication Linkwest will release in the latter part of 2017, Strength in People, Strength in Place. This booklet uses stories (a few of which have been included in this report) straight from our Centres as evidence of the value of place-based services.

Linkwest has also fast-tracked a project that offers every Neighbourhood Centre the opportunity to have an organisational health check (see page 24). These checks, designed to review and strengthen governance and operational management, will enable Centres to put their best foot forward come time to tender.

Snack-time bliss at the West Stirling Neighbourhood House Family Fun Day

- 29 -

act local. be

global.

Cultural understanding, respect and acceptance leads to increased community participation In 2016, Linkwest was approached by the One World Centre (OWC) as they sought community organisations to provide Perth communities an opportunity to work together to create local actions that help foster a more just and sustainable world.

The project would use proven community engagement processes to draw out the rich stories and experiences of people from diverse backgrounds and from all walks of life, and turn these stories into ideas, visions and local actions.

A number of Centres responded to Linkwest’s call for EOIs, and OWC selected William Langford Community House (WLCH) to partner with them on the Act Local. Be Global. project.

The project, which ran from May 2016 to February 2017, commenced with a series of community conversations with local cultural groups. These led to an agreement that programs that developed cultural understanding, respect and acceptance and provided the culturally diverse members of the community the opportunity to learn, share, grow and increase their opportunities was needed.

Three programs were developed: •

Cultural Music Sessions – a weekly music program for participants to sing, dance and play instruments;

•

Story Telling: Life Journeys – sessions for community members of differing cultural backgrounds to share information and stories from their culture, country and history; and

•

Sharing Stories with Food – weekly cultural cooking and food story telling.

The sessions, which were delivered mainly by volunteers, brought together local men and women, young and old from many different cultural backgrounds and saw them sharing stories, information and working side-by-side. This project greatly engaged the community with many requesting for the programs to continue once the initial period and funding had ceased.

Participants are engaging more within their community with some taking up voluntary roles at the Centre and on the committee, 5 members formed the WLCH Salad Bowl Choir, others have engaged in other Centre programs; 2 secured part time work and 2 have begun further study.

Since the completion of the project, WLCH is moving forward to becoming more sustainable by developing networks with other organisations such as Curtin University and City Farm. The Centre is engaged with other not for profits and business, and looking at prospects of further collaboration, partnerships and social enterprises. And the relationship between OWC and WLCH did not end with the project. They are currently looking at partnering in a Train the Trainer program.

More than 200 community members helped participants celebrate the conclusion of the Act Local. Be Global. project.

- 30 -

Training and Professional Development

Linkwest offered a range of training and professional development opportunties throughout 2016–17. All these opportunties were designed to equip members and other small NFP organisations with appropriate skills and knowledge to successfully operate in a rapdily changing environment.

Making Your Constitution Work For You: Legislative

and Good Practice Constitutional Changes for WA Associations Linkwest, in collaboration with iClick2Learn (formerly Community Courses Online) and a solicitor who specilaises in NFP governance, developed online Constitution training that will enable Linkwest members and other Western Australian not-for-profit organisations to review, amend, modify or replace their Constitution.

This self-paced online course explores the template constitution and its supporting manual, which were developed by Linkwest as part of its Rewriting the Rule Book project. Participants will be equipped to develop a constitution that not only complies with new legislation (Associations Incorporations Act 2015), but will help their NFP get on with their work without the distractions or limitations created by their current organisation’s Rules.

The deliberately low cost of this resource ($79.00 at June 2017) makes it widely accessible to small not-for-profit associations. This fee includes up to three years’ unlimited course access, downloadable copies of the template constitution and associated manual, and email access to a solicitor who specialises in NFP governance.

Fundraising and Grant Writing Workshops These workshops were offered both remotely by webinar and on-site at a selection of our Centres. The sessions, which were well attended by small NFP organisations wishing to build capacity, covered the essential knowledge, practices and skills needed to pull together a winning grant application: finding the right grants; understanding the crucial pieces of information for every application; spelling out the planned activities and outcomes; and demonstrating how these were achieved.

Philanthropy, government grants, and corporate sponsorship/partnerships were also explored.

Capacity through Collaboration Working in collaboration with others in the community can achieve greater focus, better use of assets and resources, and find creative solutions to common problems.

Using the Capacity Through Collaboration Toolkit developed in 2015–16, Linkwest delivered a webinar followed by a series of customised workshops, to look at different ways to working together – community hubs, consortiums and mergers – and the steps to take to formalise these working partnerships. The aim of the workshops was to help participating NFPs, government, businesses and community members map their current assets, and identify what other tools they have at their disposal to enhance their collaboration together.

- 31 -

Strength

in people in place

Stories straight from our member Centres

Positive energy for active children A young mum seeking an outlet for an active child to burn some energy got much more than she bargained for at Marangaroo Family Centre I looked into enrolling my daughter in Kindy at the Marangaroo Family Centre as my friend had raved about it years earlier when attending with her daughter.

For me, it was originally a lifeline as I had an extremely active/busy child and a new baby, so I thought it would serve the purpose of burning some energy and occupying her very inquisitive mind.

Until we started at Kindy, I did not understand the quality of education being offered at the Centre. I was constantly amazed at what my daughter was learning each week. The social interaction offered was seeing her flourish and make friendships that have lasted four years on.

“My baby unfolded before my eyes and became her own independent person.�

By the end of Kindy, my daughter knew numbers and the alphabet along with sounds. I honestly believe that because she started school with more than basic literacy and numeracy skills, and more importantly the social and school readiness skills she learnt at the Centre, that my previously shy but overly active child settled straight into school with a calmness and confidence well above the majority of her peers.

And, as she had been exposed to early literacy and numeracy, she was able to quickly build on this knowledge and has excelled at school.

This year finds me back at Marangaroo Family Centre with my youngest daughter, and it is so lovely to be back in such a caring, welcoming environment.

I honestly believe that the service provided by Marangaroo Family Centre is invaluable. With class numbers at schools always increasing, more children with increased needs and national literacy levels being of concern, children who have learnt school readiness skills and been exposed to early literacy and numeracy at Centres such as Marangaroo Family Centre reduce the burden on the education system.

Maria Local resident and member of the Marangaroo Family Centre community

- 32 -

About Linkwest Linkwest is the Peak Body for Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres in Western Australia.

Linkwest AGM and SGM

The 2016 Linkwest AGM was held at The Rise in Maylands on Tuesday 25 October 2016. This meeting was combined with an SGM, where members voted unanimously to accept our updated Constitution, which is based on the template Constitution we developed for our members. The updated Constitution is more reflective of our role as a peak body, and aligns with the new Associations Incorporation Act 2015.

Ninety-one (91) members attended, representing 60 member Centres and 10 associate members. Twelve (12) Board members were elected, with Dr Nicky Howe from Southcare Inc continuing to her third term as Chair.

Viti Simmons and Gerd-Heiner Heppkausen commenced their first terms as Vice Chair and Treasurer respectively, and Kylie Hansen continued to her second term as Secretary.

Elected representatives for the 2016–2017 Linkwest Board Office Bearers Chairperson– Dr Nicky Howe, Southcare Inc Vice Chairperson (to April 2017) – Viti Simmons, Associate member Vice Chairperson (from April 2017) – Cate Rocchi, Associate Member Treasurer – Gerd-Heiner Heppekausen, Associate member Secretary – Kylie Hansen, Associate member

General Members Virginia Aden, Sudbury Community House Cheryle Brown, Nannup Community Resource Centre Maria Cavill, William Langford Community House Natika Hawes-Wright, Kununurra Community Resource Centre Kathryn Radford, Kununurra Neighbourhood House Cate Rocchi (to April 2017), Associate member Viti Simmons (from April 2017), Associate member Lee Steel, Pingelly Community Resource Centre Elizabeth White, Associate member

- 33 -

Linkwest offers a range of services to its members including: training and networking opportunities, resources, information, advice and guidance, funding opportunities, marketing tools, and advice and assistance in areas such as Centre governance, policies, and mediation.

Linkwest also advocates for its members with Federal, State and Local government and helps to inform policy development within the State and Federal government through the national peak body, Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA).

Governance Linkwest is managed by a Board drawn from member Centres and Associate members.

The Board, which meets regularly throughout the year, is responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation.

Patron In 2008, Dr Carmen Lawrence, retired Australian politician and former Premier of Western Australia, accepted the invitation to become the patron of Linkwest. To this day, Dr Lawrence continues to be an advocate for the Neighbourhood Centre movement in Western Australia.

Operations Linkwest staff are responsible for the day-to-day activities of the organisation and the development of resources and training opportunities for Linkwest member Centres.

They are chosen not only for their qualifications, skills and experience in community development and adult and community education, but for their dedication to the advancement of small community-managed NFPs in WA, in particular, Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres.

Strength

in people in place

Stories straight from our member Centres

Playgroups with Pride – a one of a kind in WA I have been using the Derrick Ernst Neighbourhood Centre, which has the only LGBTQ Playgroup in Western Australia, for the past three years.

It’s so nice to be able to go somewhere and not have to answer the usual questions of what does your husband (or wife) do. Because everyone else in Playgroups with Pride WA is gay, it takes the pressure off. It’s also great for the kids to see other families like theirs, and see that it’s okay to have two mums or two dads, or to have a trans parent or one that is non-binary. It helps them to know how they fit in the world.

“I have never had a place where I felt so welcome before.

Sometimes you can go to places and not be sure how you are going to fit in, but here it was just really good, straight away.”

We are primarily a playgroup, but we are also a support group, and help families. We can answer questions, point people in the right direction and generally just be there for the community.

As the Centre’s Chairperson, I not only use the Centre for personal purposes, but help run it. All the staff are lovely and welcoming and I would definitely recommend the Centre to anyone, for any of the services it offers. As well as a variety of playgroups, there are courses open to the whole community, such as first aid training and safety for kids training.

Without Playgroups with Pride WA and all the courses offered at the Derrick Ernst Neighbourhood Centre, I would be very much on my own. The staff at the Centre, as well as the friends I have made at playgroup are what keep me going. They are my lifeline, and without them I just don’t know what I woud do.

Joey Cookman Playgroups with Pride WA and Chairperson, Derrick Ernst Neighbourhood Centre

- 34 -

Linkwest Members Life Members (7) Barrett, Pam Flanigan, Bess Henning, Merle Hoonhout, Lynn Jenkins, Babs Rath, Mary Ann Rowe, Bel Individual Associates (14) Angelevski, Toni Chambers, Tara Cowcher, George Kirwan, Dain

Hansen, Kylie Heppekausen, Gerd-Heiner Quicke, Corinne Reddy, Saravathy Riyat, Seemar Rocchi, Cate Rolinson, Sue Suckling, Ella Sutherland, Helen White, Elizabeth Organisational Associates (12) Adult Learning Australia Bear Fruit Busselton Child Care Centre Child and Parent Centre Westminster Consumers of Mental Health WA Inc CSD Network Fibromyalgia Support Network of WA Financially Empowered Meerilinga Young Children’s Foundation Inc Merredin and Districts Childcare and Play School Milligan House Childcare Centre WA No Interest Loans Network Full Members (135) Armadale Community Family Centre Augusta CRC Bayswater Family Centre Beacon Central CRC ( Beaufort St Community Centre Bencubbin CRC Beverley CRC Blue Gum Community Centre (City of Melville) Blue Sky Community Group Boddington CRC Boyup Brook CRC Bremer Bay CRC Bridgetown CRC Bridgetown Family & Community Centre Brockman Community House Brookton CRC Broome CIRCLE Broome CRC Bruce Rock CRC Brunswick Junction CRC

2016 – 2017 Busselton Family Centre Inc Christmas Island Neighbourhood Centre City of Fremantle/ The Meeting Place Cocos Islands CRC Coorow CRC Cue CRC Cunderdin CRC Dalwallinu CRC Dandaragan CRC Denmark CRC Derrick Ernst Neighbourhood Centre Dongara CRC Donnybrook CRC Dowerin CRC Dumbleyung CRC East Victoria Park Family & Community Centre Eaton Family Centre Edmund Rice Centre Mirrabooka Inc Escare Inc Falcon Family Centre Foothills Information and Referral Service Forest Lakes / Thornlie Family Centre Inc Frank Konecny Community Centre Gascoyne Junction CRC Gingin District CRC Glyde-In Community Learning Centre Gnowangerup CRC Goomalling CRC Greenbushes CRC Greenfields Family and Community Centre Harvey CRC Hopetoun CRC Hudson Road Family Centre Hyden CRC Jerramungup CRC Joondalup Family Centre Joongari House / Wyndham Family Support Inc Jurien Bay CRC Kalannie CRC Karingal Neighbourhoond Centre Inc Karratha Community House Karratha Family Centre Katanning CRC Kellerberrin CRC Kondinin CRC Koorda CRC Kulungah-Myah Family Centre Kununurra CRC Kununurra Neighbourhood House Inc Lake Grace CRC LINK Karratha Loftus Community Centre Association Manjimup CRC Manjimup Family Centre Marangaroo Family Centre Inc Marble Bar CRC Marilla House Community Centre McFarleane House Learning Centre Inc Meekatharra CRC - 35 -

Merredin CRC Midvale Neighbourhood Centre Milligan Community Learning and Resource Centre Mingenew CRC Minnawarra House Moora CRC Morawa CRC Mullewa CRC Nannup CRC Newdegate CRC Newman Neighbourhood Centre Nintirri Centre Inc Northcliffe CRC Northcliffe Family & Community Centre Norwood Neighbourhood Association Inc Nungarin CRC Pemberton CRC Perenjori CRC Pingelly CRC Quairading CRC Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre Ravensthorpe CRC Roleystone Neighbourhood Family Centre Rostrata Family Centre Inc Sandalwood Family Centre Inc Serpentine-Jarrahdale CRC Shark Bay CRC South Lake Ottey Family & Neighbourhood Centre South Perth Learning Centre Inc Southcare Inc Sudbury Community House Assn Inc Tambellup CRC The Spiers Centre Inc Tom Price CRC Toodyay CRC Walpole CRC Wandering CRC Warnbro Community and Family Centre Inc Waroona CRC Wellstead Community Resource Centre West Arthur CRC West Stirling Neighbourhood House Westcoast Community Centre Inc Westerly Family Centre Westonia CRC Whitford Family Centre Inc Wickepin CRC Willagee Community Centre William Langford Community House Inc Williams CRC Yaandina Family Centre Inc Yanchep Community Centre Yangebup Family Centre Inc Yarloop CRC Yongergnow-Ongerup CRC

Printed: September 2017

Linkwest The Peak Body for Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres in WA ABN: 51 172 714 842 a: Suite 7, 37 Hampden Rd, Nedlands WA 6009 t. (08) 9485 8929 or 1800 818 991 e. office@linkwest.asn.au w. linkwest.asn.au fb: facebook.com/linkwest

Linkwest is partially funded through the Department of Communities and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development