December 2024 column by Janelle Saffin MP Member for Lismore
AT THIE time of year, as always, I send my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all. This can be a time of celebrating with family and friends, of Christmas Carols and Santa. But we know the Christmas season can also be a very difficult time for many people.
Loneliness is a growing and often hidden problem in our communities and I commend the Minister for Mental Health, Rose Jackson, for initiating a Parliamentary Inquiry into the prevalence, causes and extent of loneliness in New South Wales. The inquiry has received 135 written submissions, including one from the Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre.
I spoke on this in Parliament because this submission raises issues that are relevant across our region.
This is an excerpt of my speech to Parliament on 14 November and what I said about the Nimbin Neighbourhood Centre runs true for the Lismore Community Gateway, Resilient Lismore, Women Up North Housing and all the neighbourhood centres in the electorate:
“I thank the Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre [NNIC] in my electorate for submitting a comprehensive report on loneliness to the inquiry. I will raise some of the points from that submission, because it highlights what loneliness can look like in a regional area.
The NNIC is a hub of community support services in the heart of Nimbin, which welcomes everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion, age or social status.
The NNIC conducted its annual community wellbeing survey in May and June this year, which measures belonging, participation, trust and access. The results showed that people living with disability scored the lowest across all measures, compared with other groups. Men also scored lower across all those measures. It found that men are less likely to participate in local activities and groups. They are among the least likely to volunteer or take part in neighbourhood centre activities.
The neighbourhood centre followed up with an online survey, the Nimbin Loneliness Survey, to better understand the extent of loneliness in the community. The survey showed that men were more vulnerable to loneliness and indicated a link between loneliness, ageing and disability as isolation becomes an issue.
The issue becomes compounded for our elderly people when they have to give up their driver licences.
NNIC runs many social activities including the weekly food pantry and soup kitchens, weekly workshops, monthly food swap, the annual women’s dinner, the big free community Christmas lunch, Nimbin NAIDOC Day and regular weaving circles and singing circles.
The following are some of the comments that people have shared:
“I really love the Food Pantry days and Soup Kitchen too. The service is great and it has become an important part of my life, giving me a sense of social connection and emotional wellbeing.”
“Some of the best conversations I get all week are at the food pantry and soup kitchen days.”
Volunteering plays a major role in reducing social isolation in Nimbin, and NNIC’s activities involve more than 50 volunteers per year.
One volunteer said:
“I’ve found that feelings of loneliness stem from feeling disconnected from the community and world around us. Helping others through volunteering helps you feel less lonely and allows you to have a sense of mission and purpose in life.”
In regional areas, neighbourhood centres play a critical role in helping people stay connected to their communities.
Caption: Janelle Saffin at Dezhi Deli in Bexhill with proprietor Suzanne Deshi. The store is well stocked with special delicacies for Christmas from around the world and around the corner with one section of the store dedicated to local products.
