Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania

Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania (NHT) is the peak body for 35 Neighbourhood Houses across Tasmania.  

Neighbourhood Houses are local organisations that provide social, educational, and recreational activities for their communities in a welcoming and supportive environment underpinned by a community development framework.

Neighbourhood Houses are usually managed by volunteer committees and paid staff. They offer many opportunities for participation in all aspects of the house activities and management.

Neighbourhood Houses are known by many different names including:

• Community Houses

• Neighbourhood Centres

• Learning Centres

• Community Centres

Activities are usually run at cost price and often include:

• English as an additional language (EAL) classes

• learning and skills development for people with disabilities

• art classes and drop-in activities

• gentle exercise for older people

• yoga

• health and well-being

• singing

• gardening

• computers: from beginners to advanced

• cooking

• social groups such as book clubs and craft groups

• one-off arts, issues-based or community events/festivals throughout the year

NHT and each individual House are independent entities. NHT is not the decision-making body for Houses, but exists to represent, support and enable Houses in Tasmania.

Our goal is to help Houses do what they do best -use a community development approach to support local communities in ways that make a real difference in people's lives.

NHT provides support, training, and lobbying for our member Houses across Tasmania and represents the Network of Houses in government and community sector forums.

The services that we provide to our members include:

• confidential support to Houses on governance and management issues

• Governance Committee Handbook, tools, and templates

• lobbying local, state, and federal governments on behalf of our members

• liaison with major funding body the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

• representation on working groups, committees, and boards within Tasmania, and on the national Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Community Centres Association  (ANHCA)

• coordination training

• sourcing and brokering funding on behalf of the network

• partnerships with other community organisations to deliver relevant programs

• the annual NHT Conference and regular regional meetings

• joint marketing, promotion and group purchase initiatives

• regular newsletter, updates, news and information for member Houses

• comprehensive NHT website-a key information resource for our members