“WE’RE not out to save the world. But the little work we do really does make a difference in people’s lives,” said Greg Thurling.
He is manager of the Glossodia Community Information and Neighbourhood Centre, located on Golden Valley Drive.
There aren’t too many community centres in the Hawkesbury, and people come from all the way up Putty Road to take part in the activities the Glossodia location offers.
“Community centres are extremely important to every community that has one. Traditionally, we had the village hall which was a church, and that was the focal point for the community. The Centre plays the same role these days - it’s a safe place where youth and adults can come, somewhere where everyone is welcome,” Mr Thurling told the Gazette.
“Community centres cater for all people regardless of their age, gender, background, economic position. We never turn anyone away.
“And even though we can’t help everyone with each of their issues, we can act as a referral service. If someone comes in with mental health, homelessness or unemployment issues, we might not be able to directly deal with them but we know where to send them to get the assistance they need.”
Mr Thurling has been working at the Glossodia Community Centre for a little over a year, and during this time has put in place a number of initiatives - especially for the local youth.
When he started, the Community Centre was a drop-in centre for local youth, but it really only offered TV and computer games, and Mr Thurling believed it should offer something more productive.
“When I started there the image of Glossodia’s youth was quite poor, with crime, graffiti, alcohol and drugs, hanging around the park, and unemployment. But things have really turned around,” he said.
“Before I started, it was as though no one had faith in them. I took a very different attitude and said ‘you can do this’.”
Mr Thurling and the young people who attend his youth groups have since worked on a number of successful community-based projects, including Clean Up Australia Day in April, which was attended by Macquarie MP Susan Templeman, and a number of fundraisers to allow them to purchase resources for the Centre.
“They’ve picked up the ball and run with it and I’m so extraordinarily proud of the work they’ve done. It’s been quite profound actually,” he said.
The Community Centre runs on a small staff - both paid workers and volunteers. They provide childcare, run playgroups and youth groups, and host health and fitness and art and culture meetings.
“What I’ve tried to do is create a pathway from early childhood all the way to employment. Kids start from 0 up to 5 in our Playgroup, then they start school and transition into our before and after school services, then at an older age to the Crossroads youth group, then to the older youth group,” said Mr Thurling.
“We’ve just taken on a trainee and every 12 months we want to take in a new trainee. Our new one came directly from the youth group to employment with us. That’s a great victory.”
One of the Centre’s youth volunteers is a 17-year-old who has really turned his life around. After running away from home, he was into drugs and alcohol as an early teenager, and wasn’t going to school.
“He came to our youth group, and now he’s the youth group leader,” said Mr Thurling.
“I’m extraordinarily proud of him. He’s now going to study community services and youth work into the future. “It’s put a lot of meaning into his life and a new identity. He’s taking on a mentoring role to the younger kids.”
The Glossodia Community Centre relies on the kindness of the community in order to keep running. While most funding is provided by a Department of Family Community Services grant, the building is owned by Hawkesbury Council and has been provided rent-free to the Centre since the early 1980s.
From time to time, local businesses make donations, and fundraisers are frequent. For minor repairs to things like furniture, they take them to the local Man Shed for fixing.
