Children & Families
Reassessment of the work and direction of the Social Service Bureau leads to decision to continue working with individual low income families, to consider the needs of those families on a larger scale and to develop ways and means of increasing co-operation with the clergy
Future_Work_Social_Service_Bureau_1965-3.pdf
The Social Service Bureau, beginning in October, brought together a group of mothers who had been coming to the Bureau for some years for financial aid to help them through recurrent crises caused by unemployment or sickness. Individual casework had been unsuccessful and it was hoped that from the group experience "increased warmth and self esteem in the mothers would have a beneficial effect on the whole family".
The Creative Leisure Centre, catering for children from five to 15 years, opened each night after school from 3.30 to five, for morning and afternoon periods during school holidays and on two evenings a week for teenagers.
Community Issues
High Living research project on high-rise public housing continued.
Criticism of Victorian Government policy on resettlement of aborigine families from Lake Tyers settlement by David Scott written up in the March 1965 edition of Brotherhood notes.
Father Tucker headed The Lara Movement a group "made up largely of lay people of various Christian denominations. Their main object is to try to ascertain how the Christian religion can be more closely related with things of everyday life and especially in regard to the perilous state of the world at the present time." The group launched a petition urging negotiation with North Vietnam.
Fundraising & Resources
The Forgotten People Appeal raised a total of £51,000
Fundraising Button Days were held on October 1-2 in provincial centres in Victoria (including Albury, Hamilton, Warrnambool, Bendigo, Morwell and Yallourn), December 3 in the city of Melbourne and December 4 in the suburbs, along with stalls. The intent was to raise £12,000 to swell the proceeds from the Forgotten People Appeal which did not reach the target of £75,000, raising £51,000. More than 2,500 helpers were expected, with 350 (city), 1,500 (suburbs), 300 (outer suburbs) and 500 (country) promised beforehand.
To start the year’s activities at the Cheltenham-Mordialloc Auxiliary, each member was given a £1 note and asked to "make it grow" for the Brotherhood. Members used many ingenious schemes to help along the "make it grow" campaign.
The BSL’s annual market fair held in October in the Lower Melbourne Town Hall raised £1,240 and the Carrum Downs fair had record takings of £650.
The Salvage Division opened a second-hand furniture-theatre-bookshop at 145 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. BSL_Shop_145BrunswickStreet_1965-12.pdf
Parcels of clothing sent to the Brotherhood averaged 100 per week (sent free by rail) but the record was shattered in the month of November with 642 parcels of clothing from as far afield as Oaklands (NSW), Nhill, Mildura, Yarrawonga and Bairnsdale.
Material & Financial support
The Christmas Toy Sale at Fitzroy was held with six sessions providing 180 families with the opportunity to buy toys for 560 children
Older People
Extensions to Keble Court commenced, adding 12 flats. []
A printing industry was established at St Laurence Park, Lara, with residents printing such things as envelopes and circulars for the Brotherhood. The aim was to provide creative activity for the residents to fill in their leisure hours and both women and men were involved.
Organisational aspects (BSL)
Janet Paterson, BSL's Senior Social Worker, became the BSL's first Director of Research & Social Action
A block of land was purchased in Palmer Street, Fitzroy. "This adjoins the existing Brotherhood land and so lends itself to future expansion. At present it is in use as a car park for the Brotherhood vehicles."
Service summary at 1965 - the Brotherhood of St Laurence provided:
- Independence, security and activities for 220 elderly residents at its housing centres
- Professional nursing care for 20 frail old people at Carinya
- Professional social workers to counsel and assist some 800 families each year
- An after-school leisure centre for 50 children in Fitzroy
- The Coolibah Club for 150 age pensioners
- Holidays for 150 elderly or handicapped people each year at its holiday home ("Morven")
- A Youth Club for 150 young people
- A program of research into community problems
- Avalon conference centre at Lara []
Presentations & Publications
Wide acceptance and demand led to the reprinting of the report High Rents and Low Incomes: Housing Problems of Low Income Families (Elaine Martin). []
Refugees & Settlement
The European Australian Christian Fellowship (later to become the Ecumenical Migration Centre) moved from the BSL premises to North Carlton (November) []
Young People
Mr Graeme Bull was given leave from his role as supervisor of the Youth Centre to take up the 2-year full-time course for Professional Youth Leaders run by the Victorian Social Welfare Department. [[]
Informal pre-natal classes were run for several youth club members who were soon to become parents, showing the BSL that much more could be done in the way of helping girls at this stage of their lives.
Fitzroy Police & Citizen's Association decided to re-form their old youth club (closed in 1962-1963), with the BSL’s Youth Department directly involved in the Interim Committee of Management.
Visitors to this page:
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.