This year marks the third year the Douglas Shire Community Services Association (Mossman Community Centre) will engage in a community partnership with the international company Lend Lease with their Springboard Programme.

Springboard is a programme that offers employees of Lend Lease an opportunity to work in a community with community volunteers for two days. The projects are sustainable and offer long term benefits to our community and the volunteers who participate.

The feedback from past volunteers has been very positive and comments such as 'What a rewarding experience it has been,' and `has increased my confidence’ and `great to meet interesting and friendly people from across the globe’ are common.

Many of the volunteers who participated in 2010 returned again in 2011.

Some of the Springboard projects developed over the past two years include the Mossman Community Centre Playgroup – also known as the `Mossman Moppets’ which operates on Fridays from 9.30am to 11.30am.

The Playgroup offered at the Mossman Community Centre is targeted at those people using our centre, however is open to all people with young children in our area.

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The centre employs a coordinator which was funded by Playgroup Queensland for the first 12 months and further funding has now been received through the Inger Rice Foundation for another 12 months.

Mens’ Shed was created to provide a place for local men to come together and talk, build new relationships and learn new skills. Also to create a mentoring forum where young people can learn from older men. It's open Wednesday from 9am.

We have employed a coordinator, however funding is short term and we continue to seek ongoing funding for this position.

Community Kitchen – a hot lunch is served every Wednesday from 12 noon by volunteers. The community kitchen is open to anyone. Lunch is free, but a small donation will contribute to the cost of the meal if one prefers.

The lunch fills a gap for those who may be experiencing financial difficulties, socially isolated, or just love our food and want to come to the centre and meet people and have a chat.

It’s a way of connecting with the Community Centre and tapping into services that we provide or can refer people too. The lunch has been operating for over 12 months and is proving very popular with an average of 20 meals served each week.

Community vegetable/herb gardens and `adopt a garden scheme’ at the Mossman Community Centre enables people who have no space for a garden or who would like to learn new skills to take ownership of their garden grown in old tractor tyres.

Food produced is either used by the owner of the garden or they can donate it back to the Community Centre for our emergency relief programme.

Mossman State High School established a sustainable market garden and chicken house at the High School to assist students in developing practical and vocational skills.

Upgrade of the Mossman Guide Hut – the before and after photos are amazing. This was a great boost to our community and especially for the Girl Guides and their families in Mossman.

In 2011 the projects extended to the broader community, this year we envisage the same to occur. If you would like to participate in the programme and want to find out more there will be two information sessions:

• Tuesday 21 February from 2pm – 3.30pm
• Wednesday 22 February from 5pm – 6.30pm

For more information contact the Mossman Community Centre on 4098 2005.

Jill Bradley is the Community Development Officer for Douglas Shire Community Services Association Inc .