ROSS
South Sydney Community Aid, the Factory Community Centre, the Central
Sydney Region Public Tenants Council, Waterloo Neighbourhood Advisory
Board, Social Housing Tenant Advisory Committee, REDWatch, Kings Cross
Community Centre
For many
years I used to be on the board of management at South Sydney Community
Aid, as well as retaining an active interest. Also I’ve had similar
roles at the Factory Community Centre; The Central Sydney Region Public
Tenants Council; Waterloo Neighbourhood Advisory Board; Social Housing
Tenant Advisory Committee; and others, going back 30-40 years, since I
started to live in the area.When you live in an area, you get to
know people and you get involved in the area. I’ve associated with
different organisations over that period… and you sort of get kidnapped!
You become involved in the direction of them, the policies, where
they’re going and what they attempt to do.
Also, through other
associations you can get involved in policy issues, with local, state
and federal government, and that sort of flows into other volunteering.
In my case, I’m on the management of Kings Cross Community Centre. I was
also one of the founding members of REDWatch, which is a resident
action group for Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington & Waterloo. So my
experience is not entirely focussed on just one organisation, but across
the broader local community.
There are some skills sets come
with the course, they develop over a period of time – you can’t pick a
book up and become an overnight expert. What do I get out of it? It’s a
community; it’s a family; you’re part of a structure. Call it what you
like, you’re part of the area that you live in. When people ask why I
become involved in community work like this, I tell them that it’s
because I’d like to think that one day someone would help me. And why be
scared? It’s a community – if you have any concern for the people
around you, if you’d like to have friends, be able to nod to people as
you go down the street and say hello to them… it’s only a small
extension from that to ask them how they’re feeling today and having a
brief conversation with them. It’s about being friendly; talking to
people and relating to people. In the inner city in particular, it can
be a very lonely place if you don’t want to talk to people.
So don’t be scared – it can’t bite you!
Volunteering is your choice, as far as what you get involved in, and the degree to which you become involved…