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The Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association (ANHCA) is the national peak body for Neighbourhood Houses and Centres in Australia. Australia's Largest Placed-Based Social Infrastructure ANHCA is the national peak body harnessing the collective strength of over 1,000 Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres (NCHCs) through six state sector peaks. See Our Work About NCHCs 1,069 400,000 NCHCs in our national network Australian's engage with NCHCs each week. We amplify, connect and grow the sector’s national impact. ANHCA sets a national standard of value, guidance, and leadership, connecting State Peak bodies and developing reach to members as one unified sector. By doing so, ANHCA empowers local communities to build capability, sustainability, driving collective impact and delivering growth. National Identity and Awareness Building Community Partnerships and Collaboration Sector Capacity Building Influence National Policy Robert Fitzgerald & Rosemary Kayess Australia’s Disability and Age Discrimination Commissioners "We strongly support Neighbourhood Centres being recognised and funded as a formal part of social infrastructure to deliver sustainable and flexible place based supports and solutions.They are capable of nurturing social connectedness and inclusion, offering valuable support to help people navigate complex care systems and providing locally based and flexible foundational and other supports."

Contact Call 0428 964 817 Email jarrah@anhca.org Follow We would love to hear from you! Contact ANHCA any day of the week.

Why it matters What we are doing About the goal Our targets About the Goal About Goal 15 aims to sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. Forests cover nearly 31 per cent of our planet’s land area. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the food we eat–forests sustain us. Biodiversity and the ecosystem services it underpins can also be the basis for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies as they can deliver benefits that will increase the resilience of people to the impacts of climate change. Many people and cultures rely on the forests and nature for recreational and spiritual purposes, which further good health and well-being. Why it Matters 75% of the worlds poor are affected by land degradation 13 million hectares of forests are being lost every year to desertification and deforestation Nearly half of Australia's forests have been cleared in the past 200 years Why What Neighbourhood Houses & Centres are doing Neighbourhood Houses and Centres are working to towards improving life on land primarily through the implementation of several community gardens that use organic practices. These educate the community on sustainable gardening through what native plants to use, and through the use of organic pesticides and soil which reduce harmful run off. Other examples of services provided are: Disaster relief Food security Our Targets What Tagets

Why it matters What we are doing About the goal Our targets About the Goal Goal 12 aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns to reduce environmental degradation. If we do not act to change our consumption and production patterns, we will cause irreversible dam-age to our environment. There are many aspects of consumption that with simple changes can have a big impact on society as a whole. For example, about one third of the food produced for human consumption each year is lost or wasted. Not only with responsible consumption and production can we reduce our environmental impact but we can divert wasted resources to where they are needed most. By recycling and donating clothing we reduce the amount of water used to make garments and stop them going to landfill while simultaneously reducing poverty. About Why it Matters 3 planets In 2050, almost 3 planets are required to sustain current lifestyles. $1 trillion worth of food ends up in bins - one third of all food produced 0.5% of the worlds water is accessible and drinkable for people What Neighbourhood Houses & Centres are doing Neighbourhood Houses and Centres work towards promoting responsible consumption and product through partnering with food saving companies such as Second Bite, to redistribute perfectly good food that would have gone to landfill to families in need. Some houses and centres also offer fix it services, where people can take broken items to be fixed by members of the House/ Centre, instead of buying a new item. By promoting responsible consumption and production we also minimise poverty within the community. Our Targets Targes What Why

Why it matters What we are doing About the goal Our targets About the Goal Goal 10 aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries. Inequalities can be based on myriad of determinants; income, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion and opportunity. When individuals are excluded, it impacts upon long-term social and economic development, harms poverty reduction and destroys people's sense of fulfillment and self-worth. We cannot achieve sustainable development and improve the planet for all when people are excluded from opportunities and services. Why it Matters Australia has seen the biggest fall in living standards in 30 years <1% The lowest 20% of households owned less than 1% of all household wealth The children of families at the bottom of the income ladder have little chance of moving upward Why About What Neighbourhood Houses & Centres are doing At the heart of what Neighbourhood houses and centres aim to do is to reduce inequalities that persist within the community. Whilst it will take a collective movement, supported by all aspects of society, Houses/ Centres address these inequalities in the community by offering services and programs which provide people with the building blocks to overcome these inequalities. Some of these programs/ services include; Volunteer skills bank/ Volunteer matching Tutoring Resume services Public computer and internet access Emergency relief Disaster relief Community Advocacy At a local, state and national level, Community and Neighbourhood Houses & Centres lobby governments in community advocacy, such as the Raise the Rate Campaign to reduce inequalities. What Localising the SDGs Reduced Inequalities Targts Moderator: Nicole Battle, President (ANHCA) Speakers Sophie Arnold, Executive Manager, UNAA Victoria Nyadol Nyuon, Australian lawyer and human rights advocate Kathryn Coff, Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation Steven Portericker, Associate Deputy Executive Director at Goddard Riverside Our Targets

Why it matters What we are doing About the goal Our targets About the Goal About We are all in this together. Strong international cooperation is needed now more than ever to ensure that countries have the means to achieve the goals. The Agenda is universal and calls for action by all countries and developing countries, to ensure no one is left behind. Support for the goals is gaining momentum, but major challenges still remain, by forming partnership we can ensure that the goals are being worked on together. Why it Matters Australia should learn from SDG leading countries such as Sweden & Denmark Need to increase public awareness on the SDGs through partnerships 38th Ranking decreased from 17th to 38th in 2019. Why What What Neighbourhood Houses & Centres are doing Without our partners houses and centres would not be able to serve the community the way they do. Our partners help us reach more people and provide more services and give us the opportunity to target the Sustainable Development Goals. In Victoria in 2018 there were a reported 3,689 active partnerships in neighbourhood houses in an average month. Our Partnerships include, but are not limited to; Local, State and Federal Governments Sidney Myer FoodBank SecondBite Learn Local Our Targets Targets

SDG's for Neighbourhood and Community Houses and Centres

Training for Grant Applications Emily, the ANHCA Grants officer has put together two videos that discuss eligibility factors and the assessment criteria that the panel consider when reading grant applications. Watch these videos to improve your application. Eligibility Factors Assessment Criteria

Unlock DGR Neighbourhood Community Houses and Centres are at the heart of their communities, but the current DGR framework often locks them out of funding they deserve. Every week more than 400,000 people walk through the doors of a NCHC. There are over a thousand across the country serving crucial roles in local communities: providing inclusive spaces for social connection, opportunities for learning and support, and acting as the first point of contact for people facing hardship, especially in rural and regional areas. Many NCHCs have the same question: how can we get DGR status? In this article below Jusice Connect answer some frequently asked questions to give NCHCs the understanding of the opportunities and challenges they may face in obtaining DGR status, and outline help that Not-for-profit Law can provide. Read More Be Part of the National DGR Campaign ANHCA hosted an information session with Justice Connect to outline the national DGR advocacy campaign and how Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres can get involved. The session covered the campaign approach, opportunities for Houses and Centres to participate, and practical ways to engage with local Federal MPs. Watch Here - passcode: 2eQ?5e6^ Download the Slides ANHCA is proud to support Justice Connect’s Unlock DGR campaign, which calls for reform of Australia’s outdated and inconsistent Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) system. To strengthen our advocacy, we've built a registration form to collect the details of everyone who would like to be involved. You'll receive campaign updates, resources and templates tailored to our sector to help you engage government. We ask that you also share this amongst colleagues and other relevant stakeholders. Register Here

Our Governance Team Driving ANHCA during this period of transformation, is an incredibly capable, experienced and knowledgeable powerhouse of a governance team. Our Board combines extensive experience from across the community sector, bringing together leaders with deep grassroots knowledge, state peak expertise, and national-level perspective. It includes those who have led NCHCs, as well as leaders from outside the sector with experience in government, philanthropy, and large national community service organisations. This blend of hands-on sector experience and high-level strategic insight ensures the organisation is well-governed, professionally managed, and positioned for growth. The Board’s leadership is driving ANHCA’s transformation into a strong, influential national peak, capable of shaping policy, securing sustainable resources, and maximising impact across communities nationwide. Board Observers ANHCA was successful in our application to the Westpac Board Observer Program for 2026. Through this program, we are excited to welcome Briohny Hamilton and Tom Campitelli who both hold senior roles at Westpac. They will attend our board meetings as non-voting observers for a 12-month period and bring diverse skills and fresh perspectives that will enrich our discussions and contribute to strategic thinking.

Why it matters What we are doing About the goal Our targets Abou About the Goal The goal is to take urgent and necessary action to tackle climate change and its impacts. As greenhouse gas levels continue to climb, climate change is occurring at much higher rates than anticipated, and its effects are evident worldwide. By addressing climate change, we can build a sustain-able world for everyone. We need to act now. We are already seeing how climate change can exacerbate storms and disasters, and threats such as food and water scarcity. In Australia, we are seeing the impact of climate change, with longer droughts, worse fire seasons, and coral bleaching. Australians are extremely dependent on the climate for our economic growth, from tourism to farming and agricultural. If climate change goes unchecked it will have devastating implications for not only us but the rest of the world. Why it Matters Australia is experiencing longer and more extreme droughts Australia has one of the highest per capita of carbon dioxide in the world 30% of the Great Barrier Reef is dead after 2016 bleaching Why What Neighbourhood Houses & Centres are doing Neighbourhood Houses and Centres work to tackle climate action through incorporating sustainable practices into their everyday operations. Many of our houses and centres are the main community organisation operating in natural disasters, strengthening community resilience and providing much needed support. For example in the 2019/2020 fires, Snowy Mountains Neighbourhood House held regular community meetings to keep the people informed and offer support for those who had lost loved ones and homes. At a local, state and national level, to build community resilience for the recent fires, many houses and centres held a community morning tea or lunch to raise funds for the impacted houses/ centres. Together we raised over $10,000. What Our Targets Targets