The power of community organisations to provide care for those who are struggling is immense, especially children. Centipede Out of School Hours Care (COOSHC) located within Glebe Public School plays an integral role in offering a safe and enjoyable haven every weekday morning and afternoon. Starting with just a gold coin donation in the mid 80’s, after-school care became formally organised under the Centipede name in 2012. Working in conjunction with the state government, Centipede is able to provide experiences many of the Glebe students wouldn’t normally get.
“We aim to broaden our horizons to new experiences, learning opportunities and challenges”
– Centipede Website: Philosophy
Centipede also places a significant emphasis on their connection to the local Indigenous community, acting as an arm of support for organising events such as community BBQ’s and education sessions. With a proportionally high number of Indigenous families attending the centre, the week-to-week programming of activities include Dot Painting and Aboriginal sports. An emphasis on engagement as well as respect creates a sustainable and mature environment for the children which attend.
In this current day and age, primary school children are being loaded with activities both before and after school – whether it be sport, music, tutoring etc. As part of Centipede’s philosophy, it aims to provide a space where children can use their imagination and count on having the resources to learn and grow. Cooking, self-led art, free play and incursions create an environment which kids look forward to coming to before and after gruelling school days.
– Images Supplied by Centipede
Undertaking a project such as this, I hope to collate a collection of oral histories from a number of pivotal people in the organisation. In correspondence with coordinator Keryn Jaos, the brief is relatively open – in her own words “I am excited to see what you find”.
The website is suitable at current, but with the introduction of an “about us” or “our history” section with work collated in this project, the significance of the service will be promoted far more. Along with this, I hope to publish the content in a bulletin of the Glebe Society (a community newsletter) in order to seek further donations and support. Selfishly, its fascinating learning about the history of such a pivotal local organisation – but to think that maybe my work can help its financial viability, makes me more excited to do a thorough job.
An important feature of Centipede is its recognised status by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. This means, that while fees are included, the service goes above and beyond to support disadvantaged children within the community. This may simply be in the form of subsidised attendance allowing parents to have more flexibility with work opportunities OR serving up to three meals a day for those who don’t receive it at home. Creating a space such as this which offers a wide array of services is integral in the function of the Glebe community.
The service counts on community organised fundraisers – often through the Glebe Society – as well as individual donations to keep providing these opportunities to kids in Glebe.
If you would like to donate, you can do so through this link:
https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/b15ece7b-39af-e811-a963-000d3ad244fd/profile
OR email the Brian, the treasurer at treasurer@centipede.org.au
“A small amount of money can go far to assist with the cost of a child’s before, after school and vacation care programs”
Chloe Groom – Glebe Society Bulletin 9, November 2023
