MEMBER for Lismore Janelle Saffin has praised the neighbourhood centres across her electorate for all they do to keep people connected to their community.
“This is Neighbourhood Centre Week, and the theme is ‘your place to connect’, and that is exactly what neighbourhood centres offer, a place for people to connect.
“This is critical in this time of increased loneliness. The World Health Organisation has identified loneliness as a serious global public health issue.
“Increasingly it is our young people experiencing loneliness, and this can lead to mental health issues such as social anxiety and depression.
“Our neighbourhood centres are working on the front line in addressing loneliness, and offer all sorts of programs to address local needs, and bring people together.
“They welcome people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds and offer activities from gardening, to crafts, tech lessons to food banks and shared community meals.
Nimbin Neighbourhood Centre has conducted surveys to assess the levels of loneliness and where the needs are.
The feedback confirmed the value of the neighbourhood centre programs, with comments such as “The Food Pantry and soup kitchen has become an important part of my life, giving me a sense of social connection and emotional wellbeing.”
Volunteering at the centre is also an antidote to loneliness, as one volunteer said “Helping others through volunteering helps you feel less lonely and allows you to have a sense of mission and purpose in life.”
So I encourage you to drop into your local neighbourhood centre and check out their calendar of events. There may be something you would like to join, or an opportunity to volunteer. It could become your place to connect.
