We had an update this morning from Jim regarding the Brollie Brigade. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo, but I found one from last year that I'm re-using.
He spoke about the ongoing work that they do for people in need. Some are homeless, some just want someone to say a kind word to them. They are all people in need. The numbers of people needing support appear to be growing. It is a real cost of living issue that is not going to go away.
They are expanding their work, but want to do it in a sustainable way so that they have volunteers to assist them when they are able to. Currently they are in Vic Park each week, in Bentley every fortnight; in Merriwa twice a month with their shower, laundry washing facilities and other services for those in need. They are looking to expand into Swan and the northern suburbs as the need there appears to be increasing.
Unfortunately it seems that this issue is much bigger than any one Government Department and as a result it is often 'too hard' to deal with. The Brollie Brigade currently work with about 24 different community groups and agencies.
Their spot that they also work from within the City of Perth is going to be re-developed in the near future so they will be displaced from their current location. At this point they are not sure where they will be able to go. They are working on trialling new venues in a number of areas to see what the need is and whether they have enough volunteers who can support the programme.
During the session this morning we talked about some ideas for going forward and they include the need to have some research done into the extent of the issue within our catchment area; talking to local groups to find out what needs to be done; perhaps organising an event similar to one done in Albany to get the various agencies together with the people who need support so that they can know who they can get assistance from.
If you want to find out more about the work of the Brollie Brigade - check out their Facebook page; or if you want to donate funds to their cause check out this website. I'm sure any donation will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Jim for giving us an update on the work you do. We appreciated it very much and hope that we can continue to provide support into the future.