Celebrating 20 years of social initiatives

Friday 23 June 2006

The University of Newcastle Hunter Caravan Project has recently celebrated its 20 year anniversary.

The project, which has never looked back after being established in 1986 and initially funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation of The Netherlands, has achieved remarkable results for people who live in caravan parks.

Just in the last 12 months alone it has provided 200 program sessions for children, 100 for adults, made 300 home visits and organised 20 special events.

These activities have catered for 1200 children and 200 adults in programs for children; 600 adults and 80 children in programs for adults; 480 people in special events and 500 as part of home visits.

Now operating as part of the University's Family Action Centre, the Caravan Project has been joined by a number of other projects, viz. the National Caravan Park Residents Research Consortium, the National Dissemination Program, Home-Start, Boys in School, Engaging Fathers and Family Strengths programs.

Director of the Family Action Centre, Ms Judi Geggie, says the Caravan Project was the Centre's foundation project and from this, many others have emerged.

"We saw a need to work with and provide programs for marginalised communities, particularly families living with young children in caravan parks," Judi says.

"Caravan parks present a complex part of the social housing market. There are those that choose it as a lifestyle, then there are itinerant workers and then families with children who have no other option but to live there. It is these families with whom the Caravan Project works," she says.

Since 1990 the project has been funded by the NSW Department of Community Services as part of the Community Services Grants Program.

"The Hunter Caravan Project taught us a lot about working with the community and led to the National Dissemination Project where we passed on all that we have learnt from working with caravan parks around the Hunter region to government and communities around Australia," Judi says.

"We are looking forward to seeing the many people who have been associated with the Caravan Project and have supported it so enthusiastically over the past 20 years. It will allow us to celebrate the years of working with families who live permanently in caravan parks, acknowledge the outcomes of community capacity building activities and the advocacy, research and dissemination strategies implemented locally and across Australia."

Judi Geggie is available for media interviews by telephoning 4921 6859

Media enquiries should be directed to Cae Pattison by telephoning 0414 313172.