Centre to host support initiative

A PROGRAM supporting the region’s disabled and vulnerable is set to be rolled out at Meredith Community Centre next year.

Called the Independent Pathways and Living Skills, or I-Pals, program, the free initiative is set to be delivered by Grampians DisAbility Advocacy, or GDA.

Slated to begin from term one in early February, the program is expected to run until the end of term two in June.

GDA’s partnership and projects manager Carol Starkey said the initiative is about offering a comprehensive skillset for the region’s all-abilities community.

“It’s looking at building the capacity of people with any kind of disability to re-engage with their community,” she said.

“We have sort of learning modules that are more to facilitate discussions so people can learn about their human rights, tenancy rights, respectful relationships, how to access services, things like that.

“There’s a whole raft on offer, but the fundamental core is to help people feel more empowered to work and socialise and volunteer within their community.”

The I-Pals program has been delivered in the Grampians region for three years, with Meredith Community Centre set to be the Golden Plains-based sole site for the first half of 2023.

Meredith Community Centre manager Leah Phillips said the program will be a great benefit for people in the region.

“There’s definitely a particular need for this sort of thing here. Where we’re situated in Meredith, there’s not a lot of activities like this available for people with disabilities,” she said.

“If we’re able to provide this, it means they don’t have to travel. We can give them an opportunity to participate at no cost to them, and they gain really valuable skillsets.

“We have a few people here I can think of that will directly benefit from this.”

I-Pals is set to be delivered each Tuesday with an estimated capacity of six to eight attendees.

Expressions of interest to attend the program can be submitted by contacting Grampians DisAbility Advocacy.