2017 - 2018 Annual Report

North St Marys Neighbourhood Centre

Corner Debrincat Avenue and Oleander Road North St Marys

p: 9673 3908

e: info@communityjunction.org.au w: www.communityjunction.org.au

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Management Committee and staff of Community Junction Inc . would like to acknowledge and thank all of our funding bodies, partners, supporters, volunteers and students, who without their support and assistance we would not be able to provide the amazing variety of services and programs to members of our communities.

FUNDING BODIES

Family and Community Services - Community Builders Funding

Penrith City Council - Community Assistance Program

Department of Education - Links to Learning Department of Education - Children Services

Department of Justice / Penrith City Council Families and Community Services - Seniors Week Funding

ClubGRANTS Funding Penrith City Council - Youth Week Funding

Ability Links Uniting Penrith City Council - Magnetic Places

Carers NSW Prime Minister and Cabinet

Penrith City Council - Neighbourhood Renewal

PARTNERS / SUPPORTERS

APM Ashcroft’s IGA Erskine Park

United Way Australia Pizza Hut

Hogs Breath St Marys Akyu Martial Arts

Christ Mission Impossible Super IGA Werrington County

Got a Pen Foundation TAFE Outreach NSW

Richardson and Wrench Jordan Springs Anglicare

May Warehouse Variety Penrith City Council

Mission Australia Luke Priddis Foundation

Western Sydney Community Legal Centre NSW Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District

Ability Links Max Employment

St Marys North primary School Yourtown

SSI Settlement Services International Job Quest

Connect Child and Family Services Noffs Foundation

Australian Taxation Office Grill’d Penrith

Chifley College Dunheved Bennett Road Public School

Nepean Multicultural Access Family Referral Service

Colyton Colts Junior Rugby League Club Team Colyton

St Vincent de Paul St Clair Shopping Centre

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Embellish Atelier- Couture Millinery Hatters Millinery Supplies

Avid Travel Colyton Church

Erskine Park Children’s Centre St Clair Public School

Erskine Park High School Museum of Contemporary Arts

Whitehouse Institute of Design Break Thru

Penrith Youth Interagency Wesley Mission

VOLUNTEERS / STUDENTS

Robynne Firkin Teowai Ratahi

Julia Parsons Peter Kish

Pamela Seitz Ted Fish

Nathan Waters Josh Waters

Mathew Loveridge Von Buere

Nahedah Orya

Thank You

MANAGERS REPORT

General Manager - Barbara Shorthouse

Operations Manager - Linda Hayman

Operational Support - Rosie Cannon and Vicki Morris

We have just celebrated our third birthday with an extremely busy year for all of our projects.

This year we have lost a number of staff who have left to advance their careers in other areas, we

wish them continued success in the future. We have welcomed new staff to the team, this is always

exciting as it brings new ideas and processes.

The staff would like to thank the Community Junction Management Committee, Neil Jansons, Jean-

ette Page, Sonia Matthews, Sylvia Fahy, Julie Ann Wood and Lorraine Devine, who have given their

time, professionalism and guidance throughout the year. The Committee meet monthly but are

always available when needed by either phone, email or coming into the centre to sign documents.

We continue to work closely with our funding bodies to ensure we meet all of the funding guidelines.

IAS funded through Prime Minister and Cabinet, Links to Learning through Department of Education,

Community Grants, Preschool and Care Pair through Early Childhood Education Directorate and

Community Builders Funding through Family and Community Services.

We have also received a number of grants including a Club Grant from Penrith RSL for Speech Pa-

thology for the Preschool, this enables children to receive much needed support free of charge. We

also received a number of small grants including CAP funding from PCC.

The Management Team would like to thank all of our staff for their professionalism, dedication and

for the support they give to our clients.

FACILITIES

Facilities - Rosie Cannon

We continue to manage Coowarra Cottage ,Autumnleaf, Nth St Marys and Cook Parade Neighbor-

hood Centres on behalf of Penrith City Council.

We would like to thank the Facilities Team for their continued support this financial year.

UPGRADE

This year we have upgraded some of the equipment at North St Marys Neighborhood Centre.

We had the playground upgraded and modifications made to ensure it met new safety standards, the

soft fall was tested and then as some of the soft fall had split we covered it with artificial grass We

have also replaced 15 tables; we purchased these from Sebel due to their durability.

We have also seen to minor maintenance and replaced equipment and electrical appliances, which

have included toilet seats, urns and microwave ovens

COSTS

Playground upgrade $9000

Soft fall test $500

Artificial grass $8000

15 new tables $5000

We would like to thank Adrian Shafer who this year scared two more of the trees in the grounds of

Nth St Marys Neighbourhood Centre. Our first tree has the totem of a turtle and Adrian scared two

other totems the echidna and the platypus.

IAS – GULYANGARRI

Team Leader Indigenous Services - Sharon Wasson

Child and Family Worker Indigenous Services - Vicki Lee Wallace

Our school readiness program is run from Shalvey Public School two days per week, were we

currently have 15 children attending the program. Parents / Carers attend the first half hour and

the last half hour of each session as well as attending specific parent sessions.

Parent sessions cover a wide range of topics including literacy, numeracy, healthy eating and fine

motor skills. The aim is to give parents the skills to support their children into school.

This year staff have also worked with the Aboriginal Leadership Program with girls from Chifley

College Dunheved High, participating in a variety of topics including a sewing session where the

girls made bags and a cultural bush walk in the Blue Mountains

We work closely with Shalvey Public School and attend functions including Naidoc Celebrations

where the preschoolers get to participate in a school activity that helps with their transition.

Children attended an incursion from Featherdale Wildlife Park, we opened this up to include all

children from Shalvey Public School.

Yarning Sessions where held with parents and community members monthly. Input from the Yarn-

ing sessions helps to set the program which we deliver to the children.

LINKS TO LEARNING

Coordinator - Michael Cruz

Group Facilitator Boys Shed - Lain Vincent

Group Facilitator ALP - Jemma Laverty

We currently run two Links to Learning Projects, the Boys Shed and Aboriginal Leadership Pro-

gram.

The Boys Shed is held at St Clair Youth Centre, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during school

term. Schools participating in the project are Colyton High School, St Clair High School, Erskine

Park High School and Chifley College Dunheved Campus.

The boys attend one full day per week and participate in activities including team building, self-

esteem, wood work, bush walks and Treetop rope climbing. The boys are picked up in the morning

from school and returned in the afternoon.

2018 Funding Funded Actual

Students 48 103

Iterations 7 9

Total sessions 70 73

Total project hours 2400 2792.5

The ALP Program offers two types of iterations one full day session or shorter in school sessions.

The full day session for Chifley College Dunheved High is run from Nth St Marys Neighborhoods

Centre, the girls attend weekly and participate in leadership skills, team building, self-esteem, cul-

tural art and excursions.

CHILDREN’S SERVICES

Team Leader - Melissa Fletcher

ECT - Lauren Last

Preschool Staff - Jillian Hanslow, Michelle Blenman, Heather Ford, Emma Watt, Bev Tinnion

OOSH Staff - Jayden Ford and Carol Beezem

Care Pair Staff - Amanda Cooper, Irene Portokalis, Kerri Callow, Kelli Hobson

Our Children’s service is located in the ground of the St Marys North Public School. The service is

made up of Nth St Marys Community Preschool, OOSH Before and After School Care, Vacation Care

and Community Access Care Pair our mobile service.

This year Preschool moved to the Start Strong model, which gives 600 hours per child over the year

to 4 year olds and 3 year old equity children. While numbers where low at the end of 2017 we are

now at capacity in 2018.

Our operating model was changed in January 2018 to two sessions per week. Monday, Tuesday and

Wednesday for children who are eligible to attend school the next year and Thursday and Friday for

those younger children who will be attending Preschool the following year.

The OOSH service has in the first half of 2018, had an increase in the number of children attending

both Morning and Afternoon sessions.

A small grant was received for an upgrade to the playground, which staff are currently working on

plans including input from children and parents.

No major upgrades were completed this year however, next year we are looking at new flooring

throughout the centre.

Graduation for 2017 was held at Nth St Marys Neighborhood Centre after hours, were we had

almost 100 family members attend on an extremely hot night.

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Project Coordinators - Frances Zammit Community Team and Monique Ready Youth Team

Community Workers - Kim Carter, Naomi Toto, Nicole Devine, TeRina Tarawa

Youth Team - Brendon Rae, Luke Hills, Jane Ellul, Danielle Rudge

2018 Funding Funded Actual

Students 20 52

Iterations 2 4

Total sessions 20 45

Total project hours 1000 951.5

Our community and youth teams have had an exciting year working alongside the community to in-

crease community connectedness through delivering services and innovative programs including

social inclusion, life skills and capacity building programs and events.

We have been involved in a diverse range of interagencies and networks which has given us more

opportunity to learn about new services, connect with service providers, partner in events and pro-

jects and increase our knowledge for referral pathways to continue to meet the needs of our ever

changing communities .

Below is a list of some of the highlights this year;

The breakfast club was established in Erskine Park where over 70 young people are provided

with a healthy breakfast once a week

We launched the unveiling of two Community Murals, one in Erskine Park as part of the Erskine

Park Youth Engagement Project and the second one was the Colour Up Project that was run in

Oxley Park

Koori Craft and Chat group has been well attended and participants have had the opportunity to

learn about their culture and express their stories through art and craft activities

We hosted numerous events including Children’s Week, Youth Week, Fashion Project Showcase,

Neighbourhood Centre’s Week, Senior’s Week, Werrington Festival, Christmas Events and many

more events that we also planned or supported with other organisations.

The annual youth camp was a huge success again and a lot of fundraising events and initiatives

were run to enable young people to attend camp.

We delivered Love Bites program in the local high school in partnership with the Youth Develop-

ment Officer from Penrith City Council

Self Defence workshops for young women

#NthStMarysMatters

Village Café

Staples bag

We would like to thank all of the organisations that have supported us throughout the year.

PREVIOUS MINUTES

Community Junction Inc Annual General Meeting

10th October 2017 Present: As per attendance book Apologies: As per sheet Start : 9.15 am Neil Jansons current Chairperson welcomed everyone to the AGM and thanked the staff for their efforts in getting too where we are today. Neil thanked everyone for attending. Acknowledgement to Country Sharon, Indigenous Team Leader, did the Acknowledgement of Country. Previous Minutes Neil put forward a motion to pass the minutes from the 2015/2016 as a true and accurate record. Passed Kelli Hobson Seconded Julie-Anne Wood Reports Chairpersons report Neil said it was amazing and incredible what we have done and accomplished in the past 2 years, He thanked staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment Managers Report Barb and Linda thanked the staff for delivering high quality projects with little money and thanked all of those who volunteer, for without them we couldn’t have accomplished what we have. Thanks also to all of our partners. Links to Learning Jemma talked about the Aboriginal Leadership Program and The Boy Shed Programs that run from St Clair High School, Erskine Park High School, Colyton High School and Chifley College Dunheved Campus. The purpose of the program is to reengage with the students from Year 7 to Year 10, building leadership skills and learning how to work as a team. Indigenous Team Sharon Indigenous Team Leader talked about the transition to school and the Magnetic Places grant from Penrith City Council which led to the Beranga Project. The Youth team helped with the project as well and 9 workshops were held with a 5 minute film being the end result. The participants painted the back drops, filmed, made costumes and learnt to use a green screen. The film was played for the first time at the outdoor reading room

Youth Team Pete the Youth Team Leader spoke about the staffs passion for youth work and their commitment which showed in the positive feedback he receives from young people, parents and other organisations. Highlights from the year included Fashion Project where girls made costumes and a parade was held at the Contemporary Museum

of Art, Whitehouse Institute and NIDA. Collaboration with Penrith City Council was the Erskine Park Youth Engagement Program Youth Camp this year was a Survival Camp at Wingdang, during the night 3 tents blew down in the

wind and staff and young people spent the night in bus. Skate Clair was held again. Pete thanked all of the team workers, students and volunteers. Neil passed a motion that the Annual Report be accepted. Accepted Francis Zammit and Seconded Kelli Hobson Auditor for 2017 / 2018 Financial Year Neil passed a motion that David Beddoe be the auditor for the current 2017 to 2018 financial year Passed Barb Shorthouse Seconded Sonia Matthews New Committee Vesna Kapetanovic dissolved the current committee and took nominations for the 2017 to 2018 Committee. Nominations were taken from the following and nominated and seconded on the applications Neil Jansons Julie Anne Wood Sonia Matthews Jeanette Page Lorraine Divine All members accepted. Vesna welcomed the new committee Gifts were given to the former committee members Public Officer Motion was passed that Sonia Matthews remain the Public Officer Sonia Accepted. Passed Barb Shorthouse Seconded Kelli Hobson Thanks you’s were given out to volunteers. The Nth St Marys Committee Preschool children performed a song. Meeting Closed at 10.00am

FINANCIAL REPORT

COMMUNITY JUNCTION INC.

AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018

Prepared by:

David A. Beddoe Solicitor and Barrister Certified Practising Accountant