Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association

Neighbourhood Houses and Centres are vital community assets, providing social, educational and recreational activities for their communities.

The Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA) is the national peak body representing over 1,000 Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres across Australia. These centres are locally driven spaces that foster connection, learning, and wellbeing. Victoria has a vibrant community of over 450 Neighbourhood Houses and Centres.

ANHCA supports the development of strong local infrastructure through its houses and centres. The organisation engages with local centres, providing resources, auspice services, funding opportunities and sector advocacy.

The Supporting Stronger Communities Grants Program enables centres to access funding for innovative projects seeking to promote equality and inclusion. The program builds social capital, responding to emerging needs in ways that create lasting and positive change for local communities. While the grant from the Trust will support a series of small grants, its real value lies in the connections, knowledge and insights the funded projects will provide to their communities.

Helen Macpherson Smith Trust has invested in the program alongside philanthropic partner and program founder the Sidney Myer Fund. The Trust’s support has enabled an expanded investment in Victorian centres. In addition to support for the grants program, the Trust’s support has enabled ANHCA to engage Deakin University to undertake an evaluation of the program. It is hoped the evaluation will support ANHCA to better understand community need and the impact of the small grants program.