Increasing community pride and participation

The Northside View
This 12 page community magazine is circulated monthly around the estate. This publication is a collaborative effort between the Community Participation Worker, Parkside Estate residents and Wanganui Park Secondary College students. It promotes upcoming events, health and wellbeing articles, jobs and healthy recipes.

"Let's Get Together" social group
The group is run by a committee made up of residents, who establish a calendar of social events to promote resident participation throughout the estate. Some examples of excursions include a trip to the Melbourne Zoo, Rushworth Community Garden and a visit to the Numurkah Show.

Local tool library
The Library was established with the community house so that residents could use tools that they might not otherwise have access to.

Improving employment, learning and local economic activity

Employment and Support Initiative (ESI) Just Romans
To ensure residents that participate in the Social Enterprise make the transition into mainstream training and employment, we have developed a role to look at the implementation of mentoring supports for them.  Critical to the ongoing success of the project, pathways will be developed for participants firstly to deal with issues and barriers that they face, and develop strategies to find mainstream employment.

Public Tenant Employment Program
The focus of this program is to assist Office of Housing (OoH) residents obtain work with contractors who have tendered to deliver housing maintenance and upgrade works.  The focus on this year is to assist two residents secure positions through this scheme.

Social enterprises
Having assisted over 40 residents from the Parkside area over the past 4 years into accessing ongoing employment and training opportunities, this has been a successful tool in the Employment and learning strategy for the Parkside Neighbourhood Renewal project.

Initially Just Romans was established to manufacture and install energy efficient Roman blinds to low income households in the north end of Shepparton.  Funded through the Sustainability Victoria contract Just Romans has provided Roman blinds for up to 7 Energy Taskforce Projects across the state.

For further information about Just Romans, please call Manager Derek Anderson on 03 5821 7320.

Disability Mentoring Program
Disability Mentoring Program is looking to establish links for residents with a disability with appropriate mentors in the wider Shepparton Community.  A 12 month program, residents will be paired with mentors that have been trained to deliver appropriate mentor support to people with a disability.

A partnership between GV Community Health Services, Dept of Human Services, Greater Shepparton City Council, Uniting Care Cutting Edge and Deakin University, this program will look to assist many residents with a disability make the transition into mainstream society and potentially lead to employment opportunities for them in the future.

For more information contact Broni Paine on 03 5823 3213.

Past projects

Workforce Participation Project (WPP)
Funded by the former Dept for Victorian Communities this project looked at placing residents into ongoing employment and accredited training. The year project saw that 21 residents placed into employment, of those 21 placements 12 went to complete a minimum of 16 weeks employment.  There were 7 residents placed into accredited training, and another 25 residents obtained access to employment trials and work experience through the WPP project.

Kids in Cars
Kids in Cars ran for two years. The objectives of the program were:
To engage young people who are at risk of entering the Justice system by helping them to gain life skills
To develop a community enterprise (Automotive Detailing Service)
To raise money for the children's charity 'Camp Quality' by designing fundraising events
To compete in the Camp Quality Escarpade

The focus of the project for participants was to:
Obtain Certificate II Automotive
Develop skills in communication and teamwork
Develop skills in navigation
Have metoring support
Obtain paid work experience in the enterprise
Learn resume writing, interview skills and public speaking
Carry out fundraising for Camp Quality
Compete in the 2006 Camp Quality Escarpade
Advocacy for employment
Learners to Licence

The participants in the 2005 project rose over $33,000 for Camp Quality. This was the fourth highest amount raised nationally.

Opportunities
Established as an Opportunity shop it offered residents employment and training.  Residents who took part in the project were able to obtain retail, administration and customer service skills.  Registered training organisations such as Mission Australia, CVGT, and North Shepparton Community and Learning Centre. Other partners in the project were; KEE, The Salvation Army Employment Plus, Worktrainers, CVGT and Workways.

Participants of the project developed self esteem and used their experience as a spring board back into mainstream employment and training.

Community Job Program (CJP)
Undertaken in Partnership with Mission Australian and GV Community Health Services it placed 50 residents into 10 to 16 week short term positions.  The residents also obtained accredited training through Mission Australia.  The project targeted job seekers that were unemployed 12 months or more.  Referrals were made from Juvenile Justice, CALD Community, Koori Court and early school leavers.

Enhancing housing and the environment

Housing improvements
Neighbourhood Renewal has spent $15,065,000 during July 2002 through to July 2007 upgrading more than 300 houses and immediately improving 288. It is expected in the 2007/08 period over $500,000 will fund upgrades and immediate improvements to a further 35 properties. 

Parkside redevelopment
The redevelopment has seen the demolition of 64 cluster units and 21 villa units. These buildings have been replaced with new fresher houses and units, and combined with a realignment of roads and services and the incorporation of street and landscape designs to create a more vibrant and inviting environment.

Community Hub
Planning for the Community Hub involves the community and other stakeholders which began in 2002. The Hub will be funded by Greater Shepparton City Council, The Federal Department of Transport and Regional Services, The State Department of Planning and Community development and Regional Development Victoria, Office of Housing, along with support from VicUrban and the local community. The hub will commence as a central focus of the North Shepparton community in 2009.

Improving personal safety and reducing crime

Community Health and Safety Group
A group of about 14 residents meets monthly with Police to discuss a range of local issues.

Crime prevention
Environmental design strategies have been included in redevelopment processes, to assist in crime prevention.

Reducing crime through Neighbourhood Watch
Parkside's Neighbourhood Watch area has seen a reduction in crime of 50 percent over two years and a 40 percent drop in repeat call outs by Police to domestic violence situations.

Promoting health and wellbeing

Disability Action plan established
The plan aims to improve opportunities, access and participation in health promotional activities for people with disabilities.

Mental Health Promotion plan
The plan will provide greater social opportunities for people with mental health issues.

The Best Start program
Best Start is encouraging attendance with the Maternal Child Health Nurse and improving immunisation rates.

Increasing health awareness
Trainee doctors from the Healthy Neighbourhood Project at the Department of Rural Health have been increasing health awareness. They have been attending the community house to provide training and health checks.

Increasing access to services and improving government responsiveness

Contact Point
Neighbourhood Renewal, Office of Housing and Centrelink staff are using the Contact Point to deliver services in the Neighbourhood Renewal area.

Starting Point
The facility has been established to develop employment pathways and support enterprise development.

Meeting Place
The Meeting Place provides an in-house child day care service for residents.