"Creating ripples of connection in our communities that benefit us all in many ways" - Opinion piece in The Mercury, 12 May 2025

From 12 to 18 May Tasmanians celebrate 2025 Neighbourhood House Week alongside Australians in every state and territory.  

This year’s theme, Ripples of change, asks us all to consider the impact these places, these hearts of our communities, have on individuals, communities and our state.

Thirty-four Neighbourhood Houses are dotted around communities across Tasmania, from Dunalley to Deloraine, from King Island to Zeehan and the many places in between.  

The bricks and mortar of our Neighbourhood Houses are vital – they provide ‘just around the corner’, safe, warm and welcoming spaces for local people. But these places are also made of even stronger stuff than bricks; they are places built and run through the compassionate determination of people who live in and love their communities.

It would be all too easy to view the accomplishments of Neighbourhood Houses as small. After all, they can appear that way at first:  

A parent in Burnie drops in for a box of vegetables and has a chat with a House volunteer.

A single dad in Kingston talks with a House Community Connector about accessing rental help and navigate the many forms and processes involved.

An older person ventures out of their home for the first time in weeks to share a cup of tea and a communal lunch at Ravenswood.

But ripples start small too. As the great martial artist and ‘philosopher’ Bruce Lee once said: ‘You drop a pebble in a pond, you get ripples. Soon the ripples cross the whole pond.’

The parent who dropped by for some vegetables comes back with their kids to use the House’s play equipment. The kids make friends. Their adults meet, talk and share stories of parenting’s highs and lows.

The single dad returns to volunteer his handyman skills and starts helping out with House maintenance and helping others to access the help he got from the Community Connector.

The older person builds a network of people who check in on each other and make sure they have friendship and support.  

These are the ripples that started in a Neighbourhood House, moving outward to create and shape the vibrant, self-sustaining communities around us.  

By connecting people with each other, with their communities and with opportunity, Neighbourhood Houses strengthen local people and build resilience. We know these kinds of connections also mean that people are less likely to get to a point where they are in crisis and have to navigate complex government service systems.

Just as the ripples of their work broaden and spread, the voices of Neighbourhood Houses also amplify the needs, strengths, and aspirations of our communities to drive meaningful connection and change that benefits all of us.

Every small action in a Neighbourhood House builds on the next small action, and the next, and the next, creating and sustaining these hubs in our neighbourhoods, connecting local people, spreading kindness, sparking new ideas and strengthening communities.

The words of Louise, a community member who walked tentatively through the doors of her local house, say it best:  

“I want other people to experience the same qualities [my Neighbourhood House has] brought to my life … What [the] house has done is actually help me find who I am.”

We encourage you to drop by your local Neighbourhood House. They’re amazing places where everyone is welcome and can volunteer, learn new skills, access support and opportunities, and connect with other community members.

Simone Zell is CEO of Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania, the peak body representing our state’s Neighbourhood Houses. To find your local Neighbourhood House, visit www.nht.org.au.