Newsletter for the Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton - Issue No.: 781 Issue Date: 22 Apr, 2024

Guest Speaker Andy Niblock is introduced by Viki Fennell. Andy has been in the Mid West since 2016 and is the Regional Manager of the Hope Community. In their former guise as Drug Arm they have been part of WA for around a century. The Hope Springs farm is on the Allanooka Springs Rd at Walkaway. They deal with alcohol and drug use; mental health; social disadvantage. One of their major projects is selling sour dough spelt bread at the local markets. (The bread is brilliant Ed.)

Andy says he spoke at the Geraldton Rotary Club last week.

He provided us with an overview of Hope

They operate Hope Springs Community Farm and Rosella House

They are in the main State Gov’t funded. They are a Not for Profit organization

Rosella House is not an ideal location v close to Northgate Shopping Centre

Hope Springs Community Farm is 40ks SW of Geraldton (near Walkaway)

There are 22 beds there and the facility is funded by the Mental Health Commission

Hope helps people who want to change their lives

Its primary focus is ‘education’

Hope us based on the Therapeutic Community Model and inspired by San Patrignano community in Italy

They aim to create sustainable change in Hope resident’s lives by connecting people into the wider community. Some of the ways this is done is through courses in hospitality, baking, tourism, craft, landscaping, horticulture and business management.

Everyone is detoxed before they start and there is a transition process from Rosella House to Hope Springs

There are opportunities for Rotary (us) to support Hope through volunteering, sponsoring and attracting finance

They are currently thinking of developing a commercial laundry

Questions:

Tony Emmott on Hope’s demographics- A. Must be 18yrs+ most clients are late twenties, early thirties. 15% aboriginal.

Kim Stokes on length of program- A. Recommended that clients stay for at least a year.

Ian ‘Doc’ Taylor did the vote of thanks.