Imanpa Community Centre

Sheila Bulla | Margaret Wood

The community centre is here is to offer essential services to the community, such as clothes washing and cooking and to provide a gathering place. Men and women can come here and have a cup of tea and a chat.

The community centre cooks meals for the preschool kids and for old aged pensioners on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (lunch only) Thursday is payday in the community and people have to fend for themselves.

We also do the washing for the old people. There is supposed to be an arts program happening here but it is currently not working successfully.

School kids aren't allowed here during school hours, as they have to be at school.

The community centre here as been here for twelve years. Sandra Armstrong Senior, is the lady who got this place built. It has had its up and downs during that time, including being closed for a period of two years due to the building being damaged.

There are currently three women working here on CDEP. Also a few of the other ladies, who aren't on CDEP help out with the duties.

Funding

There is separate funding for the centre through the HACC program and the "nature kids program". HACC, which stands for Home and Community Care, provides Aged Care services for Old People in the community

Nature Kids

The "Nature Kids" Program, is a food program for pre-school kids. Children aged up to five can come here and have cereal in the morning for breakfast and have lunch every Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. The pre-school breakfast and lunch program was initiated due to the obvious malnourishment of many of the pre-school kids. Initially it was set up by the sister at the health clinic and then got taken over to the community centre, so that it would become more sustainable.

The program only runs on three days a week because there is no more money for wages for the co-odinator to work any extra days. Some of the kids probably don't get any lunch on the other days because there are a lot of problems with grog in the community. The name "Nature Kids" was chosen because it reflect the nature of the tjitji tjuta (the kids) - because they are the children of the land.

The Goanna. The design of the community centre is shaped like a goanna. The head is on the right and the tail to the left.

Sonia and Samara. This costume is saved every year for Christmas time

Samara, one of the babies who come to the community centre

Sheila putting on the washing for the Old People

The door to the arts room, currently not in use

Kids at the community centre