What Are Centres?

Centres work at the heart of communities, assisting many thousands of individuals, and contributing to improvements in public health and local community development. They offer and provide activities, programs and services that support the objectives of social inclusion and address a multitude of factors that can lead to social exclusion.

Note: all figures shown are from the 2022 Member Survey.

Western Australian Centres directly touch the lives of more than 32,000 people each week, offering a vast array of activities that encourage and promote positive interaction and participation.

A common purpose: many names

While each Centre is unique, reflecting the needs and aspirations of their local community, all share the same goal: to create stronger, healthier and more connected communities. They can also be known by many names:

• Community Centres
• Community Resource Centres
• Family Centres
• Learning Centres
• Neighbourhood Centres
• Neighbourhood Houses

Transforming communities from the ground up

Centres are transformative, supporting individual capabilities and fostering connection, and nurturing the conditions that underpin community resilience and wellbeing. People who attend their local Centre tend to be happier, more optimistic, have increased emotional wellbeing, and are more connected. Centres:

• grow local leaders
• engage people
• prepare people for change
• build community relationships.

Around 2,100 West Australians contribute about 2,600 hours of volunteer work each week at Centres.

Over 1,200 community groups call Western Australian Centres home.

Meeting local needs

Centres ensure programs and services are available to address specific local needs, and support activities that build and strengthen community relationships. Centres are constantly evolving and in different stages of development and complexity. They enrich the lives of their community members by providing a place for:

• social participation
• lifelong learning
• leadership development
• developing local networks
• partnerships.

Creativity and resourcefulness

While some Centres are council run, most are community-managed not-for-profits. As such, Centres are necessarily creative and resourceful, making the best possible use of local strengths and assets, in particular volunteers, service networks and community spaces.

Centres complement the broader service sector by:

• focussing on early intervention and prevention
• working alongside community to develop the resources they need to grow their own resilience and wellbeing.

In an average month, a Centre will work with around 8 partnering organisations or groups to ensure successful delivery of activities and services.

Where are our member Centres located?

Linkwest member Neighbourhood and Community Resource Centres span the length and breadth of Western Australia, from Kununurra in the north to Esperance in the south and even off the mainland at Christmas and Cocos Islands.

The map below shows the location of our Centres across WA. For more detailed information about any particular Centre, go to the Find a Member Centre page.