Our Neighbourhood House

Finbar Neighbourhood House is situated at 143 Kent Street, Richmond (corner of Gardner Street) and is set within the grounds of Yarra Primary School.  The property is owned by the Education Department, and we thank them for allowing us to utilize the property.

Finbar is a Not-for-Profit organisation offering a wide range of activities and educational programs to the residents of Richmond and surrounding suburbs.

Finbar’s vision aims to create a strong community proud of its diversity where all people are able to realize their full potential.

Finbar’s Purposes:

  • Develop and maintain a neighborhood house for the benefit and support of members of the community

  • Assist members of the community to locate agencies who will provide support to help relieve the stress of poverty, sickness and helplessness.

  • Provide access to website information pertaining to community and human services.

  • Provide ongoing educational programs to promote self-improvement and employment opportunities.

  • Promote and strengthen voluntarism, self-help and community participation.

  • Cooperate with appropriate agencies and local neighborhood houses to meet community and client needs.

  • Maintain a secure financial base for the provision of staff salaries, physically accessible service accommodation and operating needs.

Rights and Responsibilities

You have the right:

  • To be treated and respected as an individual

  • To feel safe

  • Not to experience acts of discrimination because of sex, age, sexual preference, religion, social class, varying needs and abilities, ethnicity, culture or educational background

  • To provide feedback and suggestions relating to any class or activity undertaken

  • To access information about the centre

  • To have an advocate speak on your behalf regarding any concern or complaint you may have which arises from your involvement at the centre

Your Responsibilities are:

  • To treat other people with respect

  • To behave in a way that does not make others feel unsafe or upset

  • To cooperate with other people

  • To clean up after yourself

Board of Governance

Finbar is governed by a Board of Governance which may consist of up to eight members who are elected each year at our Annual General Meeting in October.

Our Board meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month (excluding School Holidays) at 9:30am.

If you would like to join Finbar’s Board, please contact the office for more information.

Name Role
Grant Guppy
President
Bronwyn Davis-Jones Vice President
John Hopkins Treasurer
Deb Beams Secretary / Public Officer
Helen Croll Board Member
John Spragg Board Member
Jude Sullivan Board Member
Bruce McAsey Board Member
2023/24 Board of Governance

Climate Change Policy

In 2023, the nine neighbourhood houses in the City of Yarra worked together to consider how we could make our houses more sustainable and resilient to the impacts of climate change and support the community to do the same. The result was the Yarra Neighbourhood House Network Climate Action & Resilience Plan.

Our full plan can be found using the button bellow.

Child Protection Policy

Finbar is committed to promoting and protecting the best interests, welfare and safety of children.

There is zero tolerance for child abuse.

Everyone working at Finbar is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting incidents of child abuse, and suspected incidents of child abuse.

A full copy of our policy can be found using the button bellow.

Neighbourhood House and Learning Sector Principles

Neighbourhood Houses are underpinned by a number of sector principles which revolve around a unique community development approach. Community development empowers communities to identify and address their own needs and aspirations. It then utilities the existing strengths and assets within that community to make the community part of the solution.

The principles for the Neighbourhood House sector can be found using the button bellow.

Our Connections