Partnerships Advancing Community Engagement
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 | District 9800 PACE Steering Committee,
L-R Heather Barton, James Pullar, John Wigley, Revd Dr Peter Hollingworth
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| PACE fits well with Rotary's belief that people in need of our support need more than a hand out - they need a HAND UP.
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| The PACE Initiative – Rotary working differently
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| Partnerships Advancing Community Engagement (PACE) is an innovative project in which Rotary, partnered by the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) and the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), works differently with local communities to form collaborative partnerships and develop sustainable models of community engagement and strengthening.
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| |  | James Pullar explains Rotary's new way of working with local communities
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| Today, an increasing number of families and individuals are finding they are disenfranchised from basic choices – taken for granted by the rest of us – by isolation and lack of resources. Poverty and housing stress are the major issues for many.
The latest ABS figures show that the wealthiest 20 per cent of the community has 61 per cent of total wealth; the poorest 20 per cent have one per cent.
The Affordable Housing Alliance reports that 1.7 million Australians are now paying more than 30 per cent of their income in rent or mortgage repayments, causing significant housing stress.
Research shows others include drugs, alcohol abuse, mental health problems, carer stress, family violence, child abuse, job loss, homelessness, climate change, racial tension and global terrorism.
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| | Rotary leading the way
| Clearly, to remain relevant in our rapidly changing society, Rotary must evolve and work differently with our local communities to understand, and help them meet, the issues and challenges confronting those who could benefit from our support. With PACE, we are already leading the way for others to follow.
Currently, Rotary District 9800 has four pilot PACE projects up and running in four areas of Melbourne. Each is being progressively evaluated by BSL with funding by DPCD. From this process we expect to learn ways to best connect with local communities and achieve better outcomes for all involved.
| A study of the PACE program was launched at the Brotherhood of St Laurence by Peter Batchelor, Victorian Minister for Community Development on 15 April 2008. It evaluates the four pilot projects in central Melbourne, Collingwood, Brunswick and south-eastern bay-side suburbs. These are programs that match the “people resources” of local Rotary clubs with neighbourhood initiatives focusing on long-term change.
| Click here to download a copy of the PACE evaluation report (409KB PDF file)
|  Click here for more information.
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| | Picking up the PACE
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| | What we have learnt so far from engaging with our partners and key stakeholders in local communities, is that:
| - Every project is unique.
- A project driver is central to success.
- Local council involvement is crucial to identifying community concerns and key contacts
- Conducting research and engaging with key stakeholders takes TIME.
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| Rotary working differently
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| | | PACE fits well with Rotary’s belief that people in need of support need more than a hand out – they need a HAND UP. This means:
| - Proactively engaging with the community to learn, first hand, about the problems confronting them as individuals, families, groups and organisations.
- Using our skills, experience, networks and considerable resources to partner with them to achieve sustainable solutions.
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| In adopting the HAND UP approach we will engage with the community through a process of research, consultation,analysis, partnerships, implementation and monitoring.
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| | The benefits to Rotary are many and varied.
By engaging directly with families, individuals, groups and organisations within our local communities Rotary will have a higher profile and so attract new members to increase our capacity.
| Most importantly, Rotary community partnerships will contribute to building healthier, more equitable and confident communities for a healthier, more equitable stronger Australia.
| To engage with PACE, please contact John Wigley on 0402 455 525 or email John now.
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| |  | Rotary District 9800
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