Apollo Bay Senior Citizen's Centre
13th December 2018
As many of you will have seen, the Senior Citizens Hall in Whelan Street has had a lot more use over the past year or so. Recently the Colac Otway Shire (COS) has been working across the Shire to bring all centres under a local incorporated body that manages the local hall or community centre. The regular user groups of the Senior Citizens Centre are not in a position for this to happen here yet, but we feel there is a lot more energy and potential for the Senior Citizen’s Centre and want to explore that.
The bookings and management of the centre by COS will continue. However, an Apollo Bay Community Centre User Reference Group has been established and met for the first time on the 3/12/18. The group consists of representatives of the following groups: Otway Health/Marrar Woorn (Sally Forrester President), Apollo Bay Playgroup (Stephanie Goodlet Secretary), Arts Inc (Cathy Donovan), Art Show (Jade Forest), Probus (Nadia Cook), Choir (Linda West), U3A (Jan Lewis) and COS (Peter McDonald).
Current activity at the centre now includes exercise classes by Otway Health, Yoga by Marrar Woorn, Painting and printmaking groups and workshops, the annual art show and occasional events and festivals by Arts Inc, the Choir, U3A groups and meetings, a weekly playgroup, Probus monthly meeting and a venue for other community groups like Transition Towns or public meetings.
The centre is also now the location for the successful Pick My Project grant which will include community cinema facilities and respite in extreme heat or emergency situations. COS has also set some money aside to do refurbishments on the centre and will be applying for additional money as well. A feasibility study and plan has been drawn up for the facility and the new reference group will provide advice and input as the refurbishment unfolds in 2019.
The aim of the reference group is to form a vision and plan for the future and sustainability of the centre.
We would also like to canvas the naming of the centre with the community. As the use of the centre is now community wide, we would like to represent that but also ensure that the building retains things like the Honour Boards and history of the centre displayed prominently. We will hold a vote on a name next year.
If you would like to provide any ideas or comments about the name or in general to the reference group please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our next meeting is on the third Tuesday in February.
Contact details are: Sally Forrester