​Whittlesea Community Connections
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Volunteering, Participatory Action and Social Cohesion

Over the past decade, the experience and extent of social cohesion has declined in Australia. The Scanlon Foundation Social Cohesion survey, which has measured social cohesion annually since 2007, has found most recently: increased feelings of discrimination, increased pessimism, increased fear of terror and crime in the community, decreased trust in private and public institutions.
​This is at a time when communities across Australia continue to face many challenges to social cohesion, including unprecedented bushfires, and as we write, the COVID-19 pandemic which continues. At the same time, although Australia has some of the highest volunteering participation rates in the world, the rates of formal volunteering are declining (36 per cent to 31 per cent between 2010 to 2014 (ABS, 2014a) with an estimated further 40 per cent drop during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on movement and assembly.
In seeking to understand the contribution that volunteering makes to social cohesion, the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioned the Centre for Participation and Think Impact to conduct a national research project conducted from June 2018 to August 2020. This work was guided by the National Network of Volunteer Resource Centres (NNVRC) which formed in 2017 to share knowledge and experience from their diverse regions and plan for the future.
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Whittlesea Community Connections

We Live Our Values

Self-determination        Non-judgmental        Not for Profit        Confidential        Diversity        Independence


​​At Whittlesea Community Connections, we aim to identify and break down barriers to accessing information and specialised support services and work towards building individual and community resilience. As a community-led organisation, we work alongside individuals, families and groups to create opportunities, to build and strengthen connections, supporting a community that is better able to support itself.

our location

CONNECT WITH  us

Call: 03 9401 6666
​(Between Monday and Friday, 9am to 1pm)

​Address: Shop 111 Pacific Epping, Epping, Victoria, 3076 
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our Values
    • Meet our Board
    • Meet our Leadership Group
    • Annual Reports
  • Services
    • Volunteer Resource Services
    • Community Information
    • Refugees and New Arrivals
    • Community Legal Services
    • Emergency Relief and Casework
    • Community Transport
    • Road Safety Programs >
      • L2P Driver Education
    • Social Enterprises >
      • Women-in-Work
      • Whittlesea Connect Transport Service
  • Resources
    • Resources in Other Languages
    • Special Projects >
      • Housing Brokerage Project
      • CALD Family Violence Project
      • PREVENTING HARM FROM GAMBLING
      • Industry Connect Mentoring
    • Programs >
      • Free Soccer Program
      • Online Homework Club
      • Weaving Community Harmony
      • Our Friendly Connections Program and Community Visitors Scheme
    • News and Media >
      • WCC in the Media
      • News Archive
    • Research Reports
    • Strategic Plans
    • Annual Reports
    • Family Violence Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer at WCC
    • Employment
    • Make a Donation
  • Contact Us