The year is marching by and there is so much happening at the Community Centre that it’s hard to know where to start. (more)
The year is marching by and there is so much happening at the Community Centre that it’s hard to know where to start.
Last year, as part of an organisational review which is still ongoing, we decided to separate the functions of our two casual hire spaces and work on upgrading and improving the facilities of each. This was prompted by a need to improve the availability of rooms for ½ and all-day events. A 1 ½ hour booking in the middle of the day effectively locked out all day bookings for workshops, longer meetings etc. We are hoping this decision will see optimise usage of both the dance studio (81Cullen St) and Birth & Beyond (54 Cullen St).
All regular classes and meetings were transferred to the Dance Studio with a commitment to improving the storage and amenities in the space. In early February we had 2 dual cycle air-conditioners installed and are exploring storage options for activities such as yoga. Our regular hirers are already commenting on how much easier it is to run their meetings and classes on hot sticky days and how lovely it will be during those winter days when everything feels icy.
Facilities include a ballet barre, a mirrored wall, a concertina wall to divide the space if needed, stackable chairs, foldout tables, and a sink with filtered drinking water. Dance Studio bookings include regular yoga classes, a ballet barre class, tai chi, wing tsun kung fu, belly dance, NIA dance, and a mixed media art class, part of the Nimbin Open Learning Program. The space also hosts a weekly meeting for the NA and AA support groups as well as providing occasional meeting spaces for other community groups.
Our Birth and Beyond Meeting Room is now available for full and ½ day hire and is an ideal meeting/conference/office/workshop/event space. Atwork Australia (a disability employment service) is a regular user of the space. The Birth and Beyond meeting room contains a kitchenette with filtered drinking water, stackable chairs and foldout tables. Projection and sound equipment and a screen can be included in the venue hire for a very reasonable fee.
If you would like to rent either of these spaces you can access our online booking service via the “venue hire” tab on our website www.nimbincommunity.org.au. If you have queries that are not resolved by going to the website email ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au and we will get back to you.
We also have our regular Sunday markets (4 th and 5 th Sunday) and our regular CWA Nimbin open days where you can browse for second hand items, pick up homemade baked treats and preserves or enjoy a delicious and inexpensive home cooked lunch. To contact Steph, the Nimbin Market coordinator, email nimbinmarkets@gmail.com or text 0475 135 764. Keep an eye out on the CWA Nimbin Branch Facebook page for info about their open days and other fundraising events.
Thanks to all those who actively support these precious community resources. If you’d like to volunteer in any capacity please contact Nimbin Community Centre at ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au
The new year has started with a bang with lots of plans and changes at the Nimbin Community Centre. (more)
The new year has started with a bang with lots of plans and changes at the Nimbin Community Centre.
Grants: As the Community Centre is an unfunded organisation dependant on tenant rents for its operating income, grants are an important part of our capital works and improvement plans. We have a number of exciting projects planned for 2023.
Our Walkways Project is underway and Sam our Maintenance Coordinator is busy replacing the old timbers and building back a more functional walkway. This is the last section in a 15- year project that has seen all the covered walkways replaced. Many thanks to Council for providing funding for $29519.0 from its section 94 funds which were collected through contributions from new development in Nimbin prior to 2014 for community infrastructure.
We applied last year for a grant via the Community Building Partnerships Program to do essential repairs to one of the outer walls of the Birth and Beyond building (54 Cullen St), which had been heavily damaged by water. Our application was successful and this will be a major renovation project undertaken by the Centre to preserve this historic building. Thanks to the NSW Department of Communities & Justice who provided $21,000.00 of the $36,910.00 required to complete this project. NCCI has pledged $15,910.00 from its capital improvements reserve.
The Community Centre has had a long held ambition to develop the Centre grounds into a cohesive, welcoming and attractive space. The committee decided last year that we needed to get in a professional to assist with the process. We received great news from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, Strengthening Rural Communities Program, that our application for $2800 of funds to hire a landscape architect to develop a comprehensive and costed grounds plan had been approved. This plan will enable the Centre to apply for further funding to develop our grounds over time and in line with our vision.
The Nimbin Aboriginal Cultural Centre is also completing a grant project this year. They are working on a major landscaping project to improve disability access and the visual amenity at the front, as well as improving the art gallery space inside. Mahlie Bayles the Cultural Centre Coordinator is keen to have all the work completed for a grand re-opening of the space in late April.
Many thanks to Kitty Van Vuuren and Diana Roberts for their great work in preparing grant applications for the centre.
Tenants: As we welcome new tenants to our centre we farewell others.
G2 Bark Hut Garage- Unfortunately we will have to say goodbye to our recent tenant Sally Flannery with her “Worn Better” slow fashion enterprise. She has had a family matter come up and will need to leave the area to deal with it. This means that the space will become vacant and we will be looking for a new tenant for this great little space with heaps of potential for a small business activity. Please contact the Community Centre if you are interested.
A4 Acacia- The Centre welcomes Miki Kobayashi-Hill who is offering Traditional Japanese Massage in the space. Miki, who lives locally with her family is excited to relocate her business here. She operates Monday to Friday and can be contacted on 0473 548 426 to book an appointment. It’s great to see the return of massage therapy to the centre.
A2 Acacia- Ionell Jones, owner of Nimbin Herbs, has sold her business, she has been an excellent tenant and we wish her well in her new adventures. We welcome the new Nimbin Herbs business owner Claudia Grati to the centre and wish her every success with her new business.
Volunteers: Our Volunteers are an important support for the Centre particularly in our gardens and grounds, working under the supervision of our gardener Robyn. We would not be able to develop and maintain our gardens to current levels without these volunteers.
Last year we farewelled Glen Sparks, James Gardner and Paxie Wright and welcomed Chris Duffy, Monie Moore and Jane Treasure. This year we welcome Kerry Chapman and Paul Sims, who has returned from his adventures in the West. Thank you all our volunteers for their wonderful support of our Centre. Our gardens and grounds look lovely and cared for as a direct result of all their good work.
We welcome volunteers and are registered with Centrelink for those who have workplace obligations.
The Centre looks forward to a busy and productive year working with the Nimbin community for the benefit of all.
Rainbow Road Walking Track Community Day: (more)
Rainbow Road Walking Track Community Day:
The Community Centre is hosted, on Sunday 11th December, a free community BBQ and guided walks through the proposed track.
The aim of the day was to guide community along the proposed track and seek feedback for amenities and details that Nimbin locals would like to see along the route. We received an abundance of helpful feedback from the 100+ attendees, ranging from artistic suggestions and environmental considerations to the positioning of water filling stations and good spots for bird watching. There seems to be genuine excitement from the community about this project which promises to deliver a really exceptional green space for locals and visitors to enjoy just a short walk from the centre of town.
The feedback received has been collated by Nimbin Community Centre and will be submitted as part of the development application for the Rainbow Road Walking Track which is scheduled for completion by September 2023.
The Nimbin Community Centre management committee would like to thank all the people who came along to help shape this wonderful project for Nimbin. Thank you to the Emporium for providing the excellent food at cost, The Nimbin Headers for allowing us to use their facilities and Mark Yumol, Korisha Domenighetti and Claudio Moghini for creating a BBQ feast that exceeded expectations.
If you were unable to attend but wish to give feedback or get more information about the project visit;
https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/nimbin-s-rainbow-road...
We look forward to working with our community, over the next couple of years, to get the best possible outcome on an exciting project that will contribute to the amenity and experience of our beautiful town.
