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Social and recreational hub for people with disabilities
BEST Interclub is a Ballarat based social club that provides people with a disability the opportunity to participate and interact in social activity in a setting that facilitates the building of friendships and networks that in-turn contribute to a sense of belonging in the community.
Open Monday to Friday, Interclub members can enjoy interaction in an informal, relaxed, fun, safe and supervised atmosphere. The objectives of Interclub are to:
A fully accessible, centrally located facility, the Interclub building has been modernised to ensure a 'home away from home' atmosphere that is warm and inviting. Interclub facilities include 8-ball, darts, table tennis, board and electronic games (including a Wii-fit), television with Austar connection and assorted DVDs, music and karaoke, computers with internet connection, magazines, cards and cooking facilities.
An Interclub committee, comprising of members, meets regularly with a BEST Community Development staff member to make decisions about the direction of their social club.
A vibrant part of Interclub is the Ballarat Northern Knights (the Knights) Australian Rules football team, formed in 1993 and since 1997 a member of the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA). FIDA caters for clubs throughout Victoria and provides an environment which enhances fitness, fun, friendship and a sense of belonging. These all in turn enhance players' life skills and self esteem which extends well beyond the actual game.
In order to promote a range of sporting options, Interclub joins forces with other disability agencies and groups to participate in local, regional and state level sporting competitions.
Interclub represents to its members the single most important and consistent element in their lives; unconditional acceptance, encouragement, respect and a safety net against social isolation and rejection.
Assisting disadvantaged youth to maximise their potential
The young people referred to our YouthWorks program are disengaged from mainstream schooling and are experiencing multiple vocational and non vocational barriers to participation including, but not limited to, mental health issues, anti-social behaviour, low income households, homelessness, a history of abuse and violence, criminality and drug and alcohol dependence.
BEST YouthWorks provides strong pathways for continued education and training for disengaged youth not attending main stream schooling. It achieves outcomes for youth through an applied learning environment which simply means to achieve learning in literacy and numeracy in a real and practical way with outcomes that can be seen and used.
It is an approach which empowers and motivates young people, while assisting them to develop key skills and knowledge required for employment, further education and active participation in their communities.
Outcomes of this innovative program include:
Youthworks participants support the broader community by actively 'giving back' undertaking community project such as building and donating toddler's chairs in different animal shapes for local groups.
Through the completion of YouthWorks program each young person will achieve a VCAL Certificate at Foundation level (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning), a Certificate I and II in Furniture Making and a Certificate I in Automotive, along with many other skills including airbrushing, music, painting and cooking - to name a few.
The Youthworks program provides an holistic service by engaging community and other agencies to eliminate barriers to participation such as criminality, can assist our clients to explore the most appropriate further education options to suit their skills, interests and learning styles.
BEST Interclub is a Ballarat based social club that provides people with a disability the opportunity to participate and interact in social activity in a setting that facilitates the building of friendships and networks that in-turn contribute to a sense of belonging in the community.
Open Monday to Friday, Interclub members can enjoy interaction in an informal, relaxed, fun, safe and supervised atmosphere. The objectives of Interclub are to:
- Offer members the opportunity to play a major role in the management of the club
- Provide recreation and leisure activities which are appropriate to the expressed needs and wishes of the members
- Provide staff support which is sensitive to the needs of members and offers friendly support through listening and advice
- Provide information on a range of services
A fully accessible, centrally located facility, the Interclub building has been modernised to ensure a 'home away from home' atmosphere that is warm and inviting. Interclub facilities include 8-ball, darts, table tennis, board and electronic games (including a Wii-fit), television with Austar connection and assorted DVDs, music and karaoke, computers with internet connection, magazines, cards and cooking facilities.
An Interclub committee, comprising of members, meets regularly with a BEST Community Development staff member to make decisions about the direction of their social club.
A vibrant part of Interclub is the Ballarat Northern Knights (the Knights) Australian Rules football team, formed in 1993 and since 1997 a member of the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA). FIDA caters for clubs throughout Victoria and provides an environment which enhances fitness, fun, friendship and a sense of belonging. These all in turn enhance players' life skills and self esteem which extends well beyond the actual game.
In order to promote a range of sporting options, Interclub joins forces with other disability agencies and groups to participate in local, regional and state level sporting competitions.
Interclub represents to its members the single most important and consistent element in their lives; unconditional acceptance, encouragement, respect and a safety net against social isolation and rejection.
Assisting disadvantaged youth to maximise their potential
The young people referred to our YouthWorks program are disengaged from mainstream schooling and are experiencing multiple vocational and non vocational barriers to participation including, but not limited to, mental health issues, anti-social behaviour, low income households, homelessness, a history of abuse and violence, criminality and drug and alcohol dependence.
BEST YouthWorks provides strong pathways for continued education and training for disengaged youth not attending main stream schooling. It achieves outcomes for youth through an applied learning environment which simply means to achieve learning in literacy and numeracy in a real and practical way with outcomes that can be seen and used.
It is an approach which empowers and motivates young people, while assisting them to develop key skills and knowledge required for employment, further education and active participation in their communities.
Outcomes of this innovative program include:
- Improved student motivation and commitment
- Learning the generic skills that are valued in the workplace, e.g. problem solving, working effectively with others and in teams, leadership and personal responsibility
- Improved self esteem and confidence for those involved
- Improved transition for students with different preferred learning styles
- Re-engagement into mainstream schooling or further education such as Apprenticeships or Traineeships
Youthworks participants support the broader community by actively 'giving back' undertaking community project such as building and donating toddler's chairs in different animal shapes for local groups.
Through the completion of YouthWorks program each young person will achieve a VCAL Certificate at Foundation level (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning), a Certificate I and II in Furniture Making and a Certificate I in Automotive, along with many other skills including airbrushing, music, painting and cooking - to name a few.
The Youthworks program provides an holistic service by engaging community and other agencies to eliminate barriers to participation such as criminality, can assist our clients to explore the most appropriate further education options to suit their skills, interests and learning styles.
Are donations tax deductible? Yes
Will I receive a receipt for my donation?
Yes, immediately sent to you by email when approved.
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