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Nicholson Street Community House [NSCH] is a Neighbourhood House located in East Coburg, an inner-northern suburb of Melbourne, capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia.
Established in 1988, NSCH is a House of friendship and support in the neighbourhood. We believe that all people are valued members of the community.
We welcome you to come along and make new friends, join in our activities and help to create the spirit of community participation.
If you'd like to know where we are or how to contact us, you'll find all the details on this page.
What is a Neighbourhood House?
Neighbourhood Houses are not-for-profit local organisations that provide social, educational and recreational activities for their communities, in a welcoming, supportive environment. They are managed by volunteer committees and paid staff, and operate with the assistance of volunteers across all areas.
Neighbourhood Houses are known by a number of names, including:
- Community Houses
- Learning Centres
- Neighbourhood Centres
- Living and Learning Centres
The Neighbourhood House movement began to evolve in Victoria in 1973. The main aim of the movement was to offer people - particularly women - supportive, non-threatening environments where they could share their skills and interact socially within their local community.
Neighbourhood Houses represent the community in which they are located: the impetus to develop a Community House generally comes from the people who live/work within the local area, and management and direction is ideally dictated by the local community and their needs. Accordingly, each House is unique.
Many Houses started with specific groups in mind - most had strongly feminist beginnings, for example - and some Houses still reflect this. Generally, Houses will focus on specific local community needs such as disability, domestic violence, multi-cultural or Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander programmes, but all people are treated equally regardless of race, religion, gender, ability or other "labels".
Examples of the types of programmes provided by the various Neighbourhood Houses and Learning Centres include: English as a Second Language [ESL], computer courses, dressmaking, floristry, painting and drawing, cooking, pilates, personal development and social groups. Some Neighbourhood Houses run or host accredited (Certificate) courses. Many also offer Occasional Childcare sessions.
Neighbourhood Houses have a strong volunteer component, and operate with very low levels of funding. Most Houses have to ‘make do’ with limited facilities and equipment, despite the vast amount of programs and services they provide to the community.
Achieving excellence in leading our community towards greater independence and quality of life.
Nicholson Street Community House Incorporated, ‘a non-profit organization’, will encourage and support the local community to increase independence and quality of life by providing high-quality, accessible programs and services promoting social interaction, mutual support and skill development.
Nicholson Street Community House operates through the generous support of:
- Moreland City Council [MCC]
- The Victorian Department of Human Services [DHS]
NSCH is a member of:
- Moreland Neighbourhood House Network [MNHN]
- NorthWest Neighbourhood House Network [NWNHN]
- Association of Neighbourhood Houses and Learning Centres [ANHLC].
Nicholson Street Community House is one of seven Neighbourhood Houses in the local government area of Moreland.
City of Coburg Neighbourhood House?
Some organisations (and Google maps) are under the impression that we are known as the "City of Coburg Neighbourhood House". This has never been the case: we have been Nicholson Street Neighborhood House since the day we opened in 1988.
While the House was established by the then City of Coburg [now part of the City of Moreland], there is not now and never has been any establishment called City of Coburg Neighbourhood House.
