WHAT SACOSS SAYS ABOUT SOCIAL PARTICIPATION
To be poor is not just to lack food, housing and health but to be deprived of the support networks many take for granted and the ability to engage actively with the life of one's wider community.
Being poor is complicated, and it takes you out of the loop of a whole range of things most of us take for granted-being able to buy enough food (and therefore stay healthy); being able to get around the city easily when you need to; being able to see a doctor or dentist when you need it.
If you're out of the loop, it's called social exclusion, and currently nearly one quarter of South Australians live that life. This doesn't impact just on them, but on every South Australian.
Communities that can work together and advocate for themselves and not only produce tangible results for their members but experience a sense of well being and confidence and, importantly, strengthen their social capital.
HOLBROOKS
In 2001 a group of residents of Holbrooks, a public housing development in Brooklyn Park formed a community committee to lobby on their own behalf for appropriate programs and developments within their own community. The culmination of the group's work has been the opening of The Hub which is run by the resident's group and houses a free internet cafe, as well as a daily itinerary of programs and activities creating an incredible sense of community amongst the 300+ residents. The diverse range of films, photos and text produced by the residents reflects the diversity of cultures, age and ideologies found within the community.
