Communities

Hawthorn Community House Drop-in  

We offer a free lunch for those in our community who are vulnerable. Our purpose is to provide a space for people to feel part of a community while sharing a nutritious and warm meal. Drop-in is a safe, welcoming and friendly space for people to hang out and chat with others. Connections are made to local services so that our community can access them.  

When: Every Wednesday (not during COVID-19 restrictions)
Time: 12pm-3pm, lunch serviced sharp at 1pm 
Where: Hawthorn Community House – 32 Henry St, Hawthorn

Boroondara and Manningham Housing and Homelessness Network  

This network is made up of agencies and consumer representation from Boroondara and Manningham services. The network helps to create change for people experiencing housing problems and homelessness in our community. We have a listing of active agencies, and we work together on joint action including advocacy, community development and engagement and awareness raising during Homelessness Week.  

If you are a local agency or community member and would like to join this network, please contact us at health.promotion@accesshc.org.au or call us directly on 9810 3000.  

Stable Housing Project  

The Stable Housing Project prevents people from becoming homeless by providing health and community workers with tools to identify risk of homelessness. The project was trialled in the cities of Boroondara, Manningham and Yarra and could be implemented community-wide. The tool is supported by resources for clients and care providers including referral pathways, training and support for referrers. This tool and the resources will help keep people in housing.  For further information about the Stable Housing Pilot Project click here for the evaluation report.   

Opening Doors  

The Opening Doors program trains existing and emerging leaders in the community with the skills to develop and run their own programs that address social isolation in the community. These leaders come from our local community and their programs focus on addressing real local issues.  

We contribute to the ongoing funding of the program, and it is now in its eleventh year. We also coordinate and offer small grants to the graduates themselves to kickstart their program out in the community.  

Liveability and Social Inclusion 

A community-based research and action project is looking at how we can change our local areas to make it more inclusive for everyone.  

We are using the knowledge and experience of those living in social housing and others in the communities of Ashburton and Hawthorn East to understand this issue more clearly and create actions that will influence them. 

The project is also run in the communities of Ashwood/Chadstone and Wattle Hill (Burwood) to understand the similarities and differences between communities that aren’t that far apart. Our colleagues at Link Health and Community and Carrington Health are working with these communities. 

Ashburton Community Services Network  

Agencies and organisations that work on social issues for the community in Ashburton discuss various topics that are specific to local residents. They meet around six times per year and it is a great opportunity to share their work, ideas and network. 

Jackson Court Smart Cities Project 

Manningham City Council are using a range of ‘smart’ sensors to gather data to better understand the community’s use of the Jackson Court Neighbourhood Centre and to help us improve the community’s experience of the Centre. 

AccessHC is helping to bring the community’s perspective into the project as well as enabling the Jackson Court community to view and use the data to make real decisions about the neighbourhood. 

manningham.vic.gov.au/jackson-court