Introduction

Chinese Social Centre of North Melbourne was established on the 8th of February, 1995 under the name Chinese and Vietnamese Neighborhood Centre . Since July 2001, this Centre has operated under the auspices of Farnham Street Neighborhood Learning Centre, formerly known as Flemington Neighborhood House. The Centre is a non-profit organization which receives annual funding from the Department of Human Services.

Aim

Our aim is to give support and assistance for all Chinese residents living in North Melbourne and other suburbanareas in the hope that they can overcome their language barriers. The Centre also specializes in working with newly-arrived migrants by helping them to gain access to welfare services, and to deal with other social issues such as housing and family matters. The Centre runs a wide range of activities that are both healthy for the body and the mind. These activities help our members to enrich their lives, build stronger relationships, steer away from social isolation and maintain a joyous state of being.

Activities

The Centre organizes many different social activities for our members to give them opportunities to socialize with other people. These activities include: Gentle Exercise Group, Women’s Social Group, Shared Lunch, Day Trips, English Lessons, Karaoke, Group Dancing, Handicraft Workshop, Health and Welfare Information Sessions as well as celebrations of various Chinese Festivals.

Membership

The Centre has over 150 registered members at the moment. Most of the members live in local area.  All people of Chinese background are welcome. There are no age or gender limitations to join. The annual membership fee is only $7.00.

Contact

If you are interested in joining our Centre or have any enquiries, please contact Jacqui Tegawa on 0412 285 008 on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.

The Centre is open on Mondays from 9:30am – 4:30pm and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am – 3:30pm.

The Centre’s address is: Room 1, Ground Floor, 76 Canning Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051.   

(Take #57 or #59 tram and get off at 20th Stop; or Bus #402).