About BMNH

Our statement of purpose

The Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House Inc is a non-profit and charitable institution. The central purpose of the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House is to provide direct relief from poverty, misfortune and helplessness to the residents of the Braybrook, Maidstone and surrounding areas through the services it provides.

Braybrook and Maidstone are routinely ranked amongst the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas in Victoria. The Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House is centrally focused on the direct provision of services which relieve the severe disadvantage and alleviate the poverty, misfortune and helplessness with which its members are burdened.

The Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood house shall provide a free legal advice service, in conjunction with the Anglicare. This legal service is directly focused on helping needy and underprivileged residents of Braybrook, Maidstone and surrounding areas to handle their legal affairs and in doing so alleviate the effects of poverty and helplessness.

Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House will:

Work to provide access to notions of equality and racial justice to all individuals, through life long learning opportunities in the community.
Work to encourage and expand the personal awareness of capabilities and opportunities for their members and users.
Endeavour to identify and to respond to social justice needs within the community.
Provide an open and caring environment where individuals and groups can explore and achieve their full potential.
Work to help people recognise and respect the diverse cultural and educational backgrounds of the community.
Work to help public tenants in the area integrate with other members of the community.

Furthermore:

The Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House believes that all individuals have a right to enrich their own lives, through access to social, community and educational interaction.
To provide an active role in defining and achieving a vision for a better community in the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood.
To contribute to the research and identification of community needs, interests and aspirations in the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood and facilitate the voice of the Neighbourhood.
To develop and support initiatives, and harness available resources, in response to expressed needs affecting community life in the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood.
To liaise with and offer support to other community initiatives that are consistent with the purpose of the Association.

BMNH history

Between 2000 and 2002 a group of local residents and organisations formed the Braybrook and Maidstone Social Action Group to discuss the complex social issues facing the communities of Braybrook and Maidstone and to develop a plan to obtain funding which would allow them to take some action. Maribyrnong City Council agreed to be the lead agency in submitting an application to Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services to fund a project to support community capacity development.

“Reaching Out Linking In” began in November 2001 and through a leadership-training program in which a group of local residents came together with the desire to develop skills and an understanding of how best to contribute to their community. DHS. Neighbourhood Renewal and the Office of Housing in partnership with the Braybrook Maidstone and Sunshine Public Tenants Association and the Western Tool Library supported this innovative initiative. As a result The Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood Association (BMNA) was born and became incorporated in July 2002.

The BMNA worked with DHS, Neighbourhood Renewal for six years in a range of ways, including hosting community conversations on critical issues and the delivery of the “Big Day Out”. Over $42,000,000 was been spent on a diverse range of projects, programs and initiatives including Immediate Improvements to Public Tenant Housing. Along with Community Infrastructure Projects such as the Redevelopment of Braybrook Park to the employment of Health Professionals at the Braybrook Community Centre to Employment and Learning Programs and Enterprises with the Brotherhood of St Laurence employing and training local residents. BMNA became a Neighbourhood House in 2007 which gave a name change to Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House Inc. DHS Neighbourhood renewal program was completed in June 2010 and BMNH became indepentent.

Since then, the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House has grown considerably. Membership has now reached 426 as of January 2017. Many new partnerships have been forged with organizations such as Braybrook, Maidstone, Sunshine Public Tenants Association, Melbourne City Mission, Footscray Police, CoHealth, Maribyrnong City Council, Mambourine, Benatas, local schools and more.

Our Partnership with these different agencies and local not for profit agencies, continues to actively support the Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House. This gives us the opportunity to be a driving force in the process of improving the quality of life in Braybrook and Maidstone and surrounding areas. In particular, the upgrading of the Neighbourhood House at 113 Melon St Braybrook was a long term project which ensured that when Neighbourhood Renewal left in June 2010 there would be a venue which will actively support, employment, training and learning opportunities, along with the advocacy of resident needs, to ensure community representation and participation for all residents.

At Braybrook and Maidstone Neighbourhood House resides the Braybrook, Maidstone, Sunshine Public Tenants Association which is run by a Committee Of Management who advocates for all tenants needs. Giving Public Tenants a voice and representation on all aspects of tenancy issues.

Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 3.30pm