1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979
Children & Families
With the conclusion of the three-year experimental period for the BSL’s Family Day Care project (and the departure of Barbara Spalding to Canberra), a community committee was set up to advise on its future operations.
The Family Centre Project closed at the end of 1975 following an examination of the objectives that "resulted in a suggestion that in its second three-year phase, the Family Centre Project should become a community resource and action centre for low-income people in the surrounding districts. This was the origin of the Action & Resource Centre for Low-Income families - ARC." Almost all the professional staff who had worked in the Family Centre left to take up other positions and were replaced by members of the ARC who had developed the confidence and experience to become resource people. The new ARC was managed by its own elected Council, with the BSL providing by agreement, the finance and buildings for a further period of three years.
In relation to ARC and the BSL, David Scott (Executive Director) advised Brotherhood supporters that "ARC also operates in a way that is very similar to the Brotherhood tradition in that the members are encouraged to develop their own ideas about social problems and to express these publicly from time to time. Inevitably, there will be some confusion because it is difficult to make it clear to everybody that ARC is not speaking in the name of he Brotherhood although in many instances we may share similar concerns."
Employment & Training
Proposal for an Employment Resource and Information Centre (ERIC) to provide a service supplementary to the Commonwealth Employment Service was discussed with the Department of Labour & Immigration. Staffed by low-income people (who, drawing on the experience of the Family Centre, were able to impart their knowledge and skills to other low-income people) the experimental project was to include organised workshops on applying for jobs and job interviews; telephones so that the unemployed could contact employers; and copies of daily newspapers listing jobs. (See 1976 & 1977)
Fundraising & Resources
Fundraising auxiliaries were at Bentleigh, Box Hill, Bulleen, Brighton, Camberwell, Cheltenham, Dandenong, Fitzroy, Frankston, Glenroy, Greensborough, Heatherton, Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Malvern, Melbourne, Mornington, Ormond, Preston, Ringwood, Wangaratta, Warrandyte and Waverley.
New auxiliary shops opened in Glenhuntly (April), Mornington & Seaford (June)
Peninsula Salvage Division developed to collect clothing furniture and household goods south of the Patterson River in order to provide funds to meet the running costs of G.K. Tucker Park.
The annual major fundraising events continued - the Market Fair (Melbourne Town Hall), Village Fair (G.K. Tucker Park) and the Country Fair (St Laurence Park, Lara)
Older People
Frankston Private Hospital purchased in October 1975 through the generosity of the late Eileen Keyes. It was renamed Broughton in honour of her father, William Broughton. Existing staff transferred to the Brotherhood and long term care was provided for residents from G.K.Tucker Park, Carrum Downs, who had become totally dependent, as well as for local people referred by the Mt. Eliza Geriatric Centre.
A resident at St Laurence Park, Mr Percy Coates, proposed making use of the 30 acres of land and making money for the park at the same time by raising sheep.
Organisational aspects (BSL)
A Management Committee was formed to take over responsibility for the management and development of G.K. Tucker Park, Carrum Downs. This committee was made up of local representatives of three adjoining councils (the Shires of Cranbourne, Dandenong and Frankston), service groups, staff and people with particular interests and qualifications in housing for elderly people.
People
Death of Saxil Tuxen, a foundation member of the board of the Brotherhood. As a pioneer of town planning in Victoria he had applied his planning and surveying experience to the development of G.K. Tucker Park, Carrum Downs.
Concetta Benn, Coordinator of the Family Centre Project 1973-1975, took study leave at the end of 1975 on an Australian Government post-graduate award in order to work for a Master of Arts degree at the University of Melbourne. Her thesis was to be based on aspects of the Project, widely regarded as an important social welfare experiment in relation to poverty and participation. Hayden Raysmith was appointed as the Coordinator of the next phase of the project.
Presentations & Publications
David Griffiths' final report Emergency Relief, commissioned in 1973, was published by the Social Welfare Commission with the BSL's recommendations and those of the Social Welfare Commission (April)
Publications included:
Young People
In their August school holidays, ten students from Melbourne Grammar School worked for a week on a number of projects for the Brotherhood including building a bluestone wall around the site of the new Fitzroy hostel.
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