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Purpose
Port Phillip
Community Group's purpose is to focus attention, effort and
resources on the task of establishing a socially just community in
the City of Port Phillip.
The business of
the Port Phillip Community Group is:
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to deliver high
quality advocacy, counselling ,referral, support, information and
community education within a community development
framework
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to promote and
undertake social action
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to facilitate
the development of programs and services which meet the changing
needs of the community
History
Port Phillip
Community Group has been existence for 34 years. It began as a
neighbourhood house running recreational and educational
activities. However in response to the needs of the local community
more direct means of assisting the disadvantaged in the area were
introduced.
A potted
history of the Port Phillip Community Group shows how many now
flourishing local services were initiated by the innovation and
commitment of Community Group staff and board over the years of our
existence. The local nature of the Community Group, and its
flexibility, have enabled us to maintain a key coordination role
service provision.
The St Kilda
Community Group grew in response to concerns of local residents,
workers and the St Kilda MLA about the unmet need for services and
lack of coordination between existing services. A meeting to
respond to these needs was convened by Brian Dixon in August 1971,
where a 5 point plan to work with the Councils social worker and
State and Federal Government regional welfare offices was adopted.
There was, from the outset, a commitment to maintaining an
accessible service with no appointments needed and no questions
asked.
Premises were
rented at the Uniting Church, and the Community Group remains at
this location 34 years later. 1973 was a significant year for
services in St Kilda:
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a Citizens
Advice Bureau was opened.
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An ante natal
program and family planning clinic required the transfer of the
Community Health service to a new location and the seed of the
Inner South Community Health Service was planted.
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Young law
students set up a free Legal Service, the beginnings of the St
Kilda Legal Service.
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Marriage
guidance services and an emergency accommodation program were
introduced and
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The St Kilda
Community group had their first AGM.
1974 saw the
addition of the Tenants Union of Victoria office at the centre, a
tax help service and an outreach program to address isolation,
particularly among the elderly. Over the following few years, Youth
Employment, Family Support Programs and financial counselling were
added to the suite of programs at the Community Group. In 1981,
another St Kilda service, the St Kilda Drop In, was
developed.
The Kennett
years were a challenge for the Community Group, and the housing and
youth services were put out to tender and awarded to other
agencies. Fortunately things have turned around since. The tender
for managing the SouhPort Duty Service (Southport Support Service),
previously run by Council, was awarded to Port Phillip Community
Group in 1999. This expansion in our area of operation was
reflected in the change of name from St Kilda to Port Philip
Community Group In 2001 we took over the joint management of the
Alma Road Community House and in 2004 the Commonwealth Emergency
Relief funding was allocated to the Port Phillip Community
Group. | 