Achievements:
The Central Coast Multicultural Project has dramatically increased awareness of the NESB community on the Central Coast. With perseverance and encouragement, access and equity issues have been vastly improved in many government and non-government organisations. The NESB community now has an increased awareness of the availability of both local and state wide services and see the Project as a focal point for referrals and advice on multicultural issues.
The Project has been responsible for, and the catalyst of, many achievements in the local area:-
Established contact with a local network of migrant groups and individuals. These people are now on a regular mailing list for information and newsletters. (1994 to now)
Hosted two Multicultural Celebration open days at Wyoming Community centre, one of these funded under Gosford Council’s Cultural Grants. (1993 - 1994)
The Wyoming Community Centre is also used on a regular basis by multicultural groups for meetings and various social events. (1994 to now)
The Project continues to contact the various ethnic groups on the Central Coast, as well as individuals from non-english speaking backgrounds, to find out their needs and issues, as well as providing support to these people. (1994 to now)
Assisted in the Gosford City Council’s Pause for Peace program and cultural program for the Australia Day Celebrations. (1995)
Assisted in the research regarding problems facing multicultural youth on the Central Coast. This resulted in a research paper and subsequently an investigative report on the Channel 9 network pertaining to the document Growing Up Differently. “A Current Affair” conducted interviews with local NESB youth at the Wyoming Community Centre and these were screened on national TV. (1995)
Hosted the Central Coast launch of Growing Up Differently. This day was widely attended by service providers and the NESB community. (1995)
Held information days for various cultural groups and refugees with guest speakers from Centrelink, Department of Fair Trading, Department of Health, Northern Settlement Services Limited (Formerly Migrant Resource Centre, Anti Discrimination Board, etc). (1995)
Organised and held financial training workshops for multicultural groups. These were conducted by the Voluntary Treasurers Support Service. (1995)
Due to concerns expressed by the NESB community, the Migrant Liaison Officer for Centrelink (then CES) held training session for staff employed in the Gosford and Wyong offices.
An information session was held at Wyoming Community Centre with the aim of setting up community language schools on the Central Coast. (1995)
The establishment of an NESB Issues Interagency on the Central Coast supported and encouraged by the Project. This Interagency consists of representatives from Federal, State and Local government, non-government service providers and the NESB community. (1995)
The Project has been working closely with local TAFE’S to advertise English and other classes specifically run for NESB people. The workers have spoken regularly with ESL teachers at TAFE to ensure they are aware of the language needs of the NESB community and have introduced people to the teachers. TAFE teachers advise the Project of the needs of the TAFE students. (1995 to now)
A workshop was held at Wyoming Community Centre for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which was well attended by government and non-government agencies and the NESB community. Strategies were developed on the day relating to issues affecting the Central Coast area. (1996)
Successful lobbying by the Project for local interpreters resulted in Interpreter Training being conducted by Central Coast Area Health Services and TAFE. (1996)
Through the assistance of a student from TAFE, Ourimbah the Project has developed a booklet called Reflections of a Multicultural Society. This publication included stories from people who have migrated to the Central Coast and looked at some “facts and myths” of immigration. It was launched by the Chairperson of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of NSW on 29 August 1996.
In recognition of language difficulties, a separate Area Assistance community consultation was held at the Wyoming Community Centre in 1996 to establish the needs of the NESB community. These needs were then taken to the area consultations.
In 1997, the Project was successful in obtaining a part-time position through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for a Community Settlement Services Worker. This worker provides assistance, referrals and casework for the ever-increasing number of refugees and new arrivals in the community. The worker has worked with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to provide information sessions and consultation with Department officers in the local area. (1997 to now)
Both Project workers actively represent the non-english speaking community on various forums, consultations, inter-agencies, etc. (1994 to now)
The Centre, in conjunction with Northern Settlement Services Limited (formerly Migrant Resource Centre) in Newcastle celebrated three Refugee Weeks. (1995, 1996, 1998)
The Project assisted Wyoming Community Centre in organising the Celebration of Cultures Festival with funding from Wyong and Gosford Councils. At least four thousand people attended. (1997)
Workers successfully advocated for the starting of a homework centre to assist children and youth from NESBs with their homework and english skills. This project is now being conducted by Regional Youth Support Services, Gosford and the Community Development Worker attends the working-party committee. (1997 -2000).
Publication and distribution of a monthly newsletter to nearly 500 people is ongoing. The database for this newsletter continues to grow as more people hear about the newsletter and ask for their names to be included on our mailing list. (1997 to now)
A Multicultural Advisory Committee was established in the year 1999. This committee is made up of twenty leaders and/or representatives from various ethnic communities, who meet regularly at the Centre on a bi-monthly basis to advise and support the Project. This committee has been involved in many projects of the Centre and has been a great support to the Project.
The Project successfully compiled a database and booklet of multilingual doctors on the Central Coast in June 2000. This booklet has been distributed to various ethnic groups, local councils, tourist bureaux, Area Health Services, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah and local libraries.
NSW Office for Women in partnership with the Premier’s Council for Women, held consultations in the area and used the Multicultural Project as its contact to communicate with people from diverse cultural and linguistic background. (2000)
The Project has also worked in partnership with Violence Against Women in the production of domestic violence and sexual assault audiotapes, which were translated into seven languages and distributed through ethnic groups, local police stations and local Women’s Health Centres. (2000)
Following research findings and consultations since 1996 the Multicultural Project in collaboration with Central Coast Disability Network and Hammond Care has obtained funding from the Aged and Disability Department. This funding has allowed an Equity and Access Worker to be employed to assist the aged and disabled NESB community. (2000)
The Project was successful in gaining funding from Gosford City Council for a cultural grant to allow a booklet to be produced of stories written by NESB individuals, with the assistance of TAFE teachers. Stories from Other Lands was distributed throughout the local community. (2000- 2001)
Multicultural groups (including playgroups) have been established in the Gosford and Wyong areas to assist NESB people with feelings of isolation. (1998- 2007)
A general questionnaire was distributed via the Project’s newsletter and local ethnic groups. The questionnaire asked about country of birth, languages spoken, how long the person had lived in Australia and the Central Coast, and the problems they have encountered. 123 completed questionnaires were returned. A booklet was produced which collated the results of those surveys and this was distributed throughout the area. (2000)
The Centre has produced A Settlement Guide for Newly Arrived Migrants specific to the Central Coast. This publication has been made available to the community through local Neighbourhood Centres, Community Centres, and local Councils (2001)
The Immigration Minister, the Honourable Phillip Ruddock visited the Centre and added his support to the Project. (2001)
The Project successfully obtained full-time funding for the CSSS position from Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2001)
The report, A Profile on Migrant Communities was produced in 2002 and the same was disseminated to various government and non-government agencies.
A poster giving information about Doctors who speak a language other than English was produced in collaboration with the Division of the General Practitioners, Central Coast Area Health, Gosford City Council and Wyong Shire Council. (2002)
The Wyoming Community Centre held a large festival called Faces of Australia Festival in 2002, which was attended by over 5000 people including dignitaries, members of Parliament and members of the community. The Multicultural Project was very involved in this festival and large numbers of people from other countries attended on the day.
Due to misunderstandings and confusion within the community after the incidence of September 11, 2002 and the Bali bombings, the Multicultural Project, in partnership with the Central Coast Islamic Society, and with funding from Department of Community Services, provided four sessions on Cultural Awareness Training for service providers. This also enabled the Project to produce “Report on Islamic Community on the Central Coast” which was widely distributed.
With the assistance of the Central Coast Multicultural Advisory Committee, a Women’s Coffee Morning Group started meeting at the Wyoming Community Centre. (2003)
A Multicultural group was established in Warnervale/ Wadalba area. (2003)
The Project successfully applied for a Harmony grant through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and produced a booklet called Emerging Religions on the Central Coast. (2003-2004)
The Project now provides EAPA vouchers to assist people with their electricity bills. This led the Project to develop a Protocol in Servicing NESB clients Accessing Emergency Relief Service and this was distributed to service providers. (2004)
We endeavour to continually, improve our services to the changing needs of the CALD community and always warmly welcome the support of the community.
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