Healesville Living and Learning Centre (HLLC) is inviting community members to share their fresh and creative ideas for the future of the centre.
After 45 years of supporting thousands of community members in developing new skills, forming community connections, and accessing the help they need, HLLC is set to make changes to enhance its programs and services.
HLLC’s newly appointed executive officer Nich Rogers said the community has been telling HLLC there is a need for change.
“The community’s been saying that they think we could do a better job of communicating with them, so we’ve heard that, and we’re listening really hard,” he said.
“I’m not the one who’s making decisions about the changes. We want the community members to be the ones who are telling us what it is that the HLLC can provide to them and their community.
“We know there are some great strengths and opportunities in the community, and we also know there are some challenges for some people, and we want to help with all of those things.”
Healesville community members can have their voice heard via survey, speaking to HLLC staff or attending the Community Chat.
The survey is open online at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqCaX-GkkCzRErB-DGSweOSf5llOlZz5ynlUOZH54tyrRlAg/viewform, or locals can grab a hard copy at the HLLC office in the Healesville Community Link at 110 River Street.
The Community Chat will be held at HLLC on 1 Badger Creek Road from 6pm to 7pm on Tuesday 7 October.
The executive officer is encouraging community members to ring him on 0404 808 452 to make a booking for the Community Chat or share any ideas with him directly.
Mr Rogers has been taking the new role of executive officer of HLLC for about a month.
With 30 years of experience in community services, he’d like to focus on providing easier ways to help people who have specific needs as the executive officer of HLLC.
“My special interest area is thinking about how we can join services together to make it easier for people who have specific needs in our community to get the help they need,” Mr Rogers said.
“We know that most people, who are feeling vulnerable in our community and are not connected to our community, often have more than one problem that they need addressed.
“My work has been all about trying to make sure that we provide services in what we call a person-centred way, so we’re focusing on the person first, and then we’re trying to find all the services, supports, opportunities, assets and strengths that we can put around that person.”
Mr Rogers also said HLLC offers cheap rates for community members to hire rooms in the centre.
“We think that we’ve got a space down there that other people in the community might be able to use if they’ve already got a group that they’re running or if they need a space to run a small art exhibition or some type of other show,” he said.
“They don’t have to come to run to be part of one of our programs. They can come and run their own thing there.”
