Community Services

Community Centres

Belconnen Community Centre

Located: Swanson Court

Contact: phone 6264 0232; fax 6251 9952; postal PO Box 679, Belconnen ACT 2616; e-mail bcc@bcsact.com.au

Connections, grow with others

Connections is a buddy/mentoring program operating in the Canberra community since 1995.

Our program links adults experiencing mild to moderate mental health recovery issues with volunteer buddies or mentors.

Level 2, 202 City Walk, Canberra 2601

PO Box 128, Civic Square, ACT 2608

Phone: (02) 6251-40-60

Fax: (02) 6251-41-61

Email: connections@volunteeringact.org.au

Website: http://www.volunteeringact.org.au/connections/index

West Belconnen Health Centre

Contacts

For more information or a membership application:

Email: mailto:info@westbelconnenhealth.coop
Phone: (02) 6258 9354
Postal: West Belconnen Health Co-operative Ltd
PO Box 6865
Charnwood ACT 2615
Where are we?

Once we’re open, you can find us at 20 Cartwright St, Charnwood (the old Charnwoood High School).

Details: click here

Web site http://www.westbelconnenhealth.coop/

OZHelp

OzHelp Foundation Ltd

Award winning suicide prevention program

PO Box 1655, Fyshwick ACT 2609
Unit 6 & 7, 41-45 Tennant Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609

P: 02 6251 4166

E: info@ozhelp.org.au

W: http://www.ozhelp.org.au

WHAT IS OZHELP?

The OzHelp Foundation is a workplace based early intervention suicide prevention and social capacity building program. It is built on a vision to enhance the resilience of apprentices and workers in the Construction and Building Industry, while at the same time strengthens the leadership and support roles of the Industry leaders.

Kaleen Community Association Hall:

Provides a range of community activities and a venue for hire.

Located: 28 Georgina Crescent

Contact: phone 6241 2150

Nellie Hall Community Centre:

Community hall and dance studio with kitchen facilities, hall space, floor to ceiling mirrors and new playground available for hire.

Located: Chinner Crescent, Melba 

Contact: phone 6259 2786; postal PO Box 79, Charnwood ACT 2615

Ngunnawal Neighbourhood Centre:

Offers community support programs.

Located: Yarrawonga Street, Ngunnawal  

Contact: phone 6228 9200; fax 6242 8201; postal PO Box 35, Gungahlin ACT 2912; e-mail: grcs@gungahlin.org

A.C.T. GUARDIAN ANGELS

The Guardian Angels is a volunteer organisation committed to the safety and well being of our community. Our mission is to help prevent and deter violence and crime through safety patrols, education, School Programs and community service.

JOIN NOW AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

GPO Box 1189
Canberra 2601
(02) 6253 4805

Free Training • Community Relations •
Street Patrols • Self-Defense • Youth Programs • Conflict Resolution • Integrity • Teamwork • Leadership • Empowerment
Postcode = 2614

Grants from the Australian

Government

http://www.grantslink.gov.au/

Community care

Canberra City Care - Charnwood

About Us
Canberra City Care is the community Care arm of Canberra Christian Life Centre. Based in The Centre, 46 Lhotsky Street, Charnwood (ex Charnwood High School) we have a very large facility offering a range of services to the local community.

We are a church body which strongly believes ‘The Church’ can, and should be, having a major role in caring for our community members who are ‘doing it tough’. We aim to reach out and offer a hand up, not just a hand out, to bring solutions to people struggling financially whilst giving them back their dignity and the confidence to provide for their family.

Current Services
Re Runs
Re Runs is our very successful second hand shop which sells a range of goods including clothing, furniture, toys and footwear for $1 per item in most cases.

Charity Computers
Charity Computers is a service which offers Work for the Dole training and reuse of computers for community use. They run Certificate IV and Certificate III computer courses and offer computers to members of the community at very affordable prices.

Emergency Food/ Christmas Hampers
We currently offer food hampers to people who are in need free of charge. They need only come into our office to receive assistance, we have no limit to the amount of times we will help a particular person and often offer extra help to get people through a rough patch - such as fresh groceries, bus tickets, account payments etc. The majority of what we give comes from food and money donated by members of the church. We receive a small government grant for any extra items that need to be purchased or to provide extra assistance. At the end of each year the members of the church give generously to provide a large number of Christmas hampers given to people in the community.

Counselling Services
Currently we have three trained counsellors we can refer people to; they have offices in The Centre, and are able to meet the emotional and/or spiritual needs of people seeking assistance.

Playgroup / Nurture / Craft Group / Sunshine Café / Youth / Flexible 4 Life
These are other groups and programs that are offered within The Centre facilities which allow social interaction for community members; each group meets a specific social or fitness need.

Future Vision
This year we are planning to be able to care for the needs of many more families through a number of services currently being planned and prepared. We will have a much larger food care service, called HandUp, budget and financial assistance and later in the year will begin to offer parenting courses for families in the local area.

We are happy to receive referrals and will do our very best to meet the needs of people. The contact for referrals is Jody Sisley on 6259 6444 or 0418 491 778.

Lifeline

What does Lifeline Canberra do for Problem Gamblers?

At any given time around 6400 Canberra residents are thought to have a significant gambling problem. For each problem gambler, approximately 7 others are also affected (eg spouse, children).

Lifeline Canberra provides a free face-to-face counselling service to anyone affected by problem gambling. This includes problem gamblers and/or their family and friends.

The service is provided by fully trained professional counsellors and is confidential. There is no limit to the number of sessions available to each person. We provide counselling to individuals and couples and family members.

We provide community education and awareness of problem gambling and responsible gambling. We do this through presentations to the public, community workers and interested persons. We also run groups for people experiencing problems with gambling.
The number to call for further info and assistance is 6247 0655

Youth and Wellbeing Program

The Youth and Wellbeing Program is funded through Mental Health ACT. The purpose is to support young people in the community between 12 to 25 years of age who have a mental health condition and/or drug and alcohol, anger and behavioural concerns and related issues. The staff at Youth and Wellbeing aim to encourage resilience and independence through a process of support, education and advocacy. Referrals can be made over the phone on the numbers listed below.
Contact Information:

Youth and Wellbeing
Blackfriars reception, ask to be put through

 (02) 6163 7600
 (02) 6163 7676

 YWB@centacare-canberra.org

SAILS
The Strength Advocacy Independence Life Skills (SAILS) program is a mental health outreach program that provides individual support to consumers both men and women between the ages of 18 - 65 years experiencing the effects of a mental health condition, who live in the ACT. The program is funded through ACT Mental Health Services through ACT Health and Community Care.
SAILS focuses on supporting the individual to achieve their chosen goals, with a focus on resilience and a belief in the rights and responsibilities of an individual. The programs focus is on the development of the consumers needs and a focus on the strength of a person.
The SAILS program has been developed from a strengths model of service provision and aims to promote consumer independence and respect for the individual.
Contact Information:

SAILS
Blackfriars reception, ask to be put through

 (02) 6163 7600
 (02) 6163 7676

Homelinx
Homelinx is a Centacare Youth Housing program funded by the ACT Department of Disability Housing and Community Services. The Program provides a housing outreach service to young people aged 15-25 years, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and live in the ACT region. The Program can offer assistance to young people by helping them to find affordable, stable and independent accommodation as well as teaching participants living skills such as budgeting, cooking and cleaning to assist them to gain and maintain independence. The Program employs 2 fulltime youth workers and operates Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm.
Contact Information:

Homelinx
Blackfriars reception, ask to be put through

 (02) 6163 7600
 (02) 6163 7676

Homelinx@centacare-canberra.org

Minosa House
Phone: 02 6162 6837or 0417 212 252  Fax: 02 6162 0619  
M House Ainslie Village, Quick St, Campbell  ACT  2612 
Description: Minosa House provides supported accommodation to homeless men up to a period of three months. The program assists clients to address issues related to homelessness and to transition into independent, long term accommodation.
Hours: 7 days a week.
Eligibility: Males over the age of 18years not accompanied by children.

Centacare ASSIST Program

Phone: 02 6162 6800 or 6163 7600

 
Mail: PO Box 3167, Manuka  ACT  2603

Email: assist@centacare-canberra.org

Web: www.centacare-canberra.org

Description: provides support to individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. ASSIST provides individual case management, information, referral, advocacy and linkages to various health and welfare services.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Eligibility: From 18 years. ACT residents who require support to sustain their tenancy.

Free legal advice available to everyone in the ACT

Lots of people have questions about the law. Legal Aid Office (ACT) provides free information and advice about most legal issues affecting individuals and families in Canberra.

The service is available to everyone in the ACT, regardless of income. While a means test does apply for legal representation, minor assistance and advice services are not means tested.

To speak to a solicitor over the phone, dial 1300 654 314 during business hours. Or make a face-to-face appointment by contacting 6243 3471.

Legal Aid is located in the Civic bus interchange (4 Mort Street), and in Woden near the library and health centre (18 Corinna Street).

Common issues discussed during advice sessions include neighbourhood disputes, employment issues, family separation, contact with children, and problems with banks or government agencies.

Email bmcg@legalaid.canberra.net.au

Environment and Animals

RSPCA ACT Incorporated

Located: 12 Kirkpatrick Street, Weston ACT 2611

Contact: phone 6287 8100; postal PO Box 3082, Weston Creek ACT 2611;
e-mail rspca@rspca-act.org.au

Urban Wildlife Ranger: for information about injured wildlife in your area
(eg. snakes, possums and magpies)

Contact: phone 6207 2127 (Southside); 6207 1679 (Northside);
e-mail EnvironmentACT@act.gov.au

Ginninderra Catchment Group:The Ginninderra Catchment Group is the community umbrella organisation for Landcare, Waterwatch and Frogwatch groups in Belconnen, Gungahlin and Hall. We have a full-time Catchment Coordinator and a part-time Waterwatch Coordinator who also runs a Frogwatch program across the ACT.
The Catchment Group and our many member Groups offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities designed to protect and restore our natural environment, while connecting our communities and having fun.
We are always looking for new volunteers for a range of environmental activities. There are also opportunities for enthusiastic people to take up roles in data entry, research and other administrative functions.

Volunteering opportunities include:
Native vegetation propagation and plantings - especially native grasses.
Weed management
Community awareness raising
Creating habitat
The Rainbow Connection - connecting ACT groups with rural schools and communities on environmental projects.
Researching the early history of the Catchment to find out what the landscape was like before European settlement.
Waterwatch - water quality monitoring, including sporadic or regular monitoring and monitoring of macro-invertebrate (water bug) populations.
Frogwatch - monitoring frog populations during Spring and Autumn.
Working with schools on environmental and sustainable living programs.

The GCG has regular monthly meetings that are held on the first Monday of every month at the Kippax Health Centre, 7:30 pm.

Ginninderra Catchment Group
Kippax Health Centre
PO Box 446
HOLT ACT 2615
ph (02) 6278 3309
fax (02) 6278 3926
email gcg@austarmetro.com.au

Health Services

Calvary Public Hospital: providing acute and specialty services such as medical, surgical, obstetric, psychiatric.

Contact: phone (main switch) 6201 6111; postal PO Box 276, Jamison Centre ACT 2614

Libraries

Belconnen Library

Located: 12 Chandler Street, Belconnen ACT 2611

Contact: phone 6205 9000

Mobile Library Service

The Mobile Library visits Nursing Homes and Retirement Villages on a fortnightly basis throughout Canberra. Any member of the ACT Public Library may use the Mobile Library. For a schedule of locations and times go to http://www.library.act.gov.au/locandhrs/mobilelibrary.html

Mental Health and Family Support

Belconnen Community Service

Location: 26 Chandler Street, Belconnen ACT 2616

Contact: phone 6264 0200; fax 6253 2901; TTY 6253 300;
e-mail bcs@bcsact.com.au

Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services

Contact: phone 6207 5111; postal GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601;
e-mail dhcs@act.gov.au

Northside Community Services: A community-based organisation providing childcare, support services for families, programs for youth, aged care programs, support for children with a disability, and women's accommodation.

Located: 2 Rosevear Place, Dickson ACT 2602

Contact: phone 6257 2255; e-mail headoffice@northside.asn.au

Therapy ACT's free ACT government multidisciplinary therapy and support service for people with disabilities and delays in their development aged from birth to 65 years of age.

Contact: phone 6205 1277; postal GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601

Safety

ACT Neighbourhood Watch Inc

Contact: postal GPO Box 1047, Canberra ACT 2601;
website http://www.nhwact.asn.au/

Women

Women's Information and Referral Centre (WIRC)

Located:13 London Circuit, Canberra City, ACT 2600

Contact: phone 6205 1075; fax 6205 1077; postal PO Box 73, Civic Square ACT 2608; website http://www.wirc.act.gov.au/

Young People

U-Turn Youth Services Belconnen

Location: Cnr Chandler Street and Swanson Court

Contact: phone 6264 0260

Bungee

Location: Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court

Contact: phone 6264 0242; e-mail bcs@bcsact.com.au