A safe space for a collective of cultures

By Bree Harding

Oct 11, 2024

St George's Rd Primary School Community Hub leader Liz Arcus sits in a welcoming corner of her hub, which displays a world map on the wall behind her that is pinned with all the countries the hub’s attendees hail from. Photo by Bree Harding

Liz Arcus has a long history with the multicultural community, so when she became leader at the Community Hub within St George’s Road Primary School when it opened six years ago, she knew what kind of space she wanted to create.

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A world map on the wall has pins placed in several countries across it.

They were put there by hub attendees as each new culture joined the community that meets inside one of the buildings at the southernmost end of the brightly decorated school grounds.

Ms Arcus said her hub ran on a community development model. It’s demand-driven, with programs based on the exploration of attendees’ strengths and passions.

Those are many and varied, with 22 different cultural backgrounds.

Some of their first programs included gardening, cooking, English classes and playgroup, all of which are still on the agenda today.

Also a photographer, who has been involved in many projects with the Goulburn Valley’s multicultural residents, Ms Arcus said she found comfort in being surrounded by other languages, foods and cultures.

“It’s been part of my life since birth; it’s what I choose to do,” she said.

The hub used to run four days a week, but increased expenses without any further funding have reduced it to three days a week.

On those days, 95 families engage with around four programs.

The hub primarily caters to women and children aged naught to five.

While Ms Arcus understands a little of a lot of languages, she said the several different dialects didn’t create too many barriers, with the activities themselves a way of communicating and bringing cultures together.

“It prompts a lot of English development, especially in gardening or cooking,” she said.

“English is the one common language, even if it’s only a couple of words.

“The gold in our hub is the curiosity in each other’s plants and how to cook or use them. It builds that connection.”

Ms Arcus said throughout the years, while the garden had grown and thrived, participants had learned to swim through programs funded by Kidsafe and the Hunter Boyle Swim Program, as well as Lifesaving Victoria, which granted money for Afghan women after the fall of Kabul.

Participants have attended one-off events, been on excursions and recognised various cultural events celebrated by one another and joined in.

“All our ideas for programs come straight from the conversations with women,” Ms Arcus said.

In addition to the activities on the menu, Ms Arcus helps connect hub attendees with other services, using translator support if needed, making around three service calls every day.

“I treat this very much as a wellbeing space,” she said.

“No healthcare card, any visa, no problem. There are no barriers in that way.

“You can just come in and join in with activities and be connected with others.”

Among the arts and crafts, cooking and gardening, storytime and playgroup, visitors from community services come in to educate the groups on what they do and how they can offer support.

Exposure to workers in authoritative uniforms also helps familiarise participants with them and alleviate any fears they might have due to past trauma associated with such in their countries of origin.

Some of the regular contributors include refugee nurses, emergency service personnel and police community liaison officers.

Sixteen volunteers help run programs, including some past participants.

“Hubs offer opportunities to gain confidence and much more,” Ms Arcus said.

She spoke of one participant who came to the hub, engaged in English studies, volunteered, minded children and was now employed full-time at the neighbouring language centre.