Award Winning Community House
Monday, 9th October 2006

Helping women re-enter the workforce, deal with post natal depression or find friendship in a new community is what the workers at Torquay's Spring Creek Community House love to do.

They believe that strong communities are built on communication, support, friendship and personal development, and spend much of their time helping people to achieve their potential through self-help groups and skills-based programs.

Now, Spring Creek Community House has been recognised for its outstanding work in addressing and promoting the issues that confront women with the centre receiving a Local Government Women's Charter special commendation from Victorian Minister for Local Government, Candy Broad.

Surf Coast Shire councillor, Rose Hodge, says, this commendation acknowledges the important role that Spring Creek house plays in the community, helping men, women and families in a myriad of ways. Cr Hodge says Spring Creek House provides women with a friendly haven where they can meet and speak openly about their concerns and personal ambitions.

"Spring Creek house also focuses on the issues that confront women like returning to the workforce after having children or teenage motherhood ... the staff will design programs that address these issues and in the process build selfesteem, friendships and life skills, Cr Hodge says.

Spring Creek Community House co-ordinator, Laura Connor, says Torquay is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation and because of this there are particular issues that women face - issues of isolation, employment, child-rearing, financial management and personal development.

"Helping women to address their concerns and become strong self confident people who are connected to their community is part of our role," Ms Connor says.

A recent program that has significantly benefited a small group of women is a post-natal depression selfhelp group. "We established this group because there was a growing number of mothers coming to us expressing feelings of depression, isolation and anxiety. One in five women across the nation will suffer from this condition so' we felt a responsibility to tackle it," she says.

What resulted was the coming together of eight women who through a 10week arts project, produced a range of poetry and illustrations inscribed on a surfboard.

The artwork records the feelings and hopes of these women who have each experienced post-natal depression. "The surfboard represents a connection with the sea. Some of women expressed feelings of sliding into the cold dark depths of the ocean when they were hit with post natal depression. Others felt for their surferpartners who also had to deal with the implications of the depression," Ms Connor explains.

But through the process of creating the artwork, the women developed friendships and could discuss and gain support and strength from one another about an issue that still carries significant stigma, according to Ms Connor.

Ms Connor thanks Torquay mother, Di Holyrod, and personal development tutor Jan Cheatly, for their help in developing the project and helping local women tackle and overcome post-natal depression.

The artwork will be on display at the Shire Community Houses, Torquay Council Offices and SurfWorld next year.

A new website, www.surfcoastcommunity.com.au has also been established and will, in the next few weeks, launch it's post-natal depression helpline.

For further information contact Spring Creek Community House on 5261 2583 or log onto their website - www.springcreekcommunityhouse.org.au.