Neighbourhood Houses launches New Premises

Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania officially launches new premises during Neighbourhood House Week celebrations

The board and staff of Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania are excited and proud to officially launch their new premises today. The NHT board, staff and volunteers representing the 35 Neighbourhood Houses across Tasmania will join with community members and elected representatives at the opening of the new Hub in Derwent Park. The launch coincides with Neighbourhood House Week taking place from 1-7 May 2017.

In 2009 The Tasmanian Community Fund provided Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania with a $1.5 million grant over 10 years to fund everyday literacy projects through the 35 Neighbourhood Houses for their local communities. In addition NHT requested that the grant was provided as an upfront lump sum, enabling ethical investments through an independent financial planner. As intended these investments have now created a substantial Future Fund on top of the $1.5 million. The interest and returns from this fund will continue to fund literacy projects in perpetuity across Tasmania once the grant term ends in 2019.

It is this future fund that has enabled the purchase of a building for the Network.

‘It took great vision and forward thinking by the Tasmanian Community Fund and our Board in 2009 to fund the network to deliver grassroots literacy projects, allowed ethical investment which has enabled the purchase of office space and training and meeting facilities for the Network AND will still fund literacy projects forever – its real triple bottom line, ,’ said John Hooper Executive Officer of NHT.

The new premises allows for NHT to pay rent to the fund (rather than its previous private South Australian landlord) and rental income will also be derived from surplus office space rented to other organisations which will allow further funding to everyday literacy projects within Neighbourhood Houses in perpetuity. They also offer meeting and training space for the Network to access, as well as comfortable office space for the staff and board of NHT.

Better yet the money was invested ethically in companies that do the right things by their workers, their communities and the environment – and still did better than the ASX.

‘It is fantastic to think that this building will also enable us to continue to fund everyday literacy projects in Neighbourhood Houses across the State long beyond the life of the original grant and into the future.’ said Kate Beer, President of NHT.

At today’s event Neighbourhood Houses also launched a new promotional video which demonstrates why Houses are the ‘heart of the community’.

Neighbourhood House Week runs Australia-wide from 1 to 7 May and it is a great time to recognize and celebrate the important role Neighbourhood Houses play in the Tasmanian community. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Belonging’, which is a fitting theme to highlight the welcoming and inclusive nature of Neighbourhood Houses.

Frank Barta TCF board member will officially launch the premises, with proceedings beginning at 1.20pm

The promotional video is is available at: http://www.joshualamont.com/nht-tvc
John Hooper, Executive Officer, Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania.