Newtown Town Hall transformed into the Inner West Pride Centre and opened to the public on September 9. It is being managed by the respected support service Twenty10.
In 2018 the Inner West Council investigated hosting a Pride Centre in the Inner West and consulted with the community, inviting locals to help create a vision for the Pride Centre. After consulting with the local community, it was discovered that 87% of Inner West Locals believe it was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important to have a Pride Centre in the Inner West.
Newtown Town Hall was identified as a prime location for the Pride Centre that aligned with the community vision.
The Inner West Pride Centre is intended to:
Provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community.
Address social isolation of all risk groups within the LGTBQ+ community by providing a safe, accessible space to connect, gather, and support.
Provide access to services and programs (with particular emphasis on services and programs responsive to the Inner West LGBTQ+ community).
In 2023, Inner West Council invited Expressions of Interest from suitable organisations for the management/operation of the Inner West Pride Centre at Newtown. Following a rigorous Expression of Interest process, which saw applications received from a number of high-calibre community organisations, in December 2023 the appointment of Twenty10 was announced.
Established in 1982, Twenty10 initially began as a crisis accommodation service, but has since expanded to offer broader support, including mental health services, counselling, social programs, and housing assistance. They are known for providing a safe space where young people can seek advice, connect with peers, and access health and welfare services.
Twenty10’s vision for the Centre is a safe, accessible hub for connection, care, creativity, and collaboration for LGBTQIA+ communities. In addition to running their own core programs, Twenty10 will bring the Pride Centre to life through partnerships with other grassroots LGBTQIA+ organisations, groups and communities.
Internal remediation works were taken by Council at the Newtown Town Hall site, to ensure a fresh and welcoming building was available for the whole community. The Pride Centre began services on September 9, 2024.
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