Funding agreement secures Library Connect future

The future of an award-winning program that places a community support worker at the Fremantle Library has been secured with the signing of a co-funding agreement between the City of Fremantle and St Patrick’s Community Support Centre.

The Library Connect program was launched as a one-year pilot program in September 2020.

It uses Fremantle Library as an intervention setting for identifying and supporting people experiencing homelessness, hardship and other disadvantages, with the community support worker providing advice, referrals and support on the ground where it’s needed.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed today, the City of Fremantle has agreed to an annual contribution of $41,000 per year to support the program for the next three years.

Fremantle Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan said the success of the program was due the library being seen as a safe, non-judgemental and inclusive place.

“The City is very proud of its partnership with St Pats in delivering Library Connect, and is delighted to be supporting Library Connect for another three years,” Cr Sullivan said.    

“The program is the first of its kind in WA, and the results after the first year have been very encouraging.

“A lot of the people who have sought assistance through Library Connect over the past year are people who haven’t been a position of hardship before.

“For them accessing traditional community support services can be intimidating, so the library is a safe and familiar place where they feel comfortable getting help.

“The library is also open at times when other support services are closed. When the Walyalup Civic Centre opens in a few months our new library will be open into the early evenings and on weekends.

“We look forward to continuing to work with St Pats to deliver this valuable program.”

St Patrick’s Community Support Centre Chief Executive Michael Piu said he was grateful to the City of Fremantle for its ongoing commitment and significant additional support to the award-winning partnership.

‘’It’s not just the sheer number of people the program has assisted but the mix of people that have come through the door that has proven the worth of this service,’’ Mr Piu said.

“Many people in our community who might not have otherwise accessed support they need, with the risk of becoming entrenched in disadvantage and homelessness, have benefited from Library Connect Fremantle.”

Mr Piu also acknowledged St Patrick’s valued partnership with the Dorothy and Bill Irwin Charitable Foundation, whose significant financial support was critical in making the Library Connect Fremantle project a reality.

So far Library Connect has had direct contact with 424 people in need. Most interactions are from women, Aboriginal people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Services provided include referrals to health services, community legal services, housing providers, financial counsellors and other local community agencies, as well as advocacy with housing providers, government agencies, educational institutions and migrant services and emergency relief payments.

In May this year Library Connect was recognised with a prestigious Library Board of WA Excellence Award for Innovation and Collaboration.

For more information about St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, visit stpats.com.au.

For more information about Fremantle Library, visit fremantle.wa.gov.au/library.