Victorian Socialists - Thomastown

⭐️ Sat the 15th, 3pm ⭐️
Other speakers include: Dr Gary Foley; Ghaith Krayem; Yasemin Shamsili; Omar Hassan.

Link for tickets in bio.

📸 Some snaps from yesterday's letterboxing and postering for the upcoming Whittlesea council by-election for the Thomastown ward. 📸

We had a great day talking to community members about their concerns. Thank you to everyone who has put up yard signs and posters both in their homes and in their businesses.

We also had our monthly branch meeting in which we continued planning for the upcoming council and state elections, as well as the upcoming No To Hanson forum which will be on later this month. We also discussed the upcoming teacher strike on Tuesday May 19th at 10am.

(Authorised by C. Oakley, 83 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056)

Out in Thomastown today getting lots of support for a councilor who will put ordinary people first.

We need more funding for council run childcare, kinder and aged care, more support programs for people at all stages of life- from occasional care for kids to better at home care.

People in Thomastown are sick of cuts and the erosion of community spaces and services. They are sick of migrant bashing and racism. We deserve better.

(Authorised by C. Oakley, 83 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056)

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT for our special public forum and campaign fundraiser on Saturday 16 May, 3pm at Coburg Town Hall - sending a message that 'Melbourne says no to Hanson'. Featured speaker number two will be spokesperson for Muslim Lives Matter Ghaith Krayem.

Get your ticket now via the link in comments.

Neighbourhood Houses are struggling due to government cuts and austerity, with over half at risk of closing and many ceasing vital community programs.

The Keep Our Doors Open campaign is demanding 11.7 million dollars so they can continue providing the same services the Labor government should be providing to our community.

To find out more, visit https://www.nhvic.org.au/post/keep-our-doors-open-campaign

Tomorrow we close the doors on our Occasional Childcare service at Lalor Neighbourhood House.

This is a deeply sad moment for our team and our organisation. It hasn’t been an easy decision, far from it. But like many neighbourhood houses, we simply can’t continue to absorb ongoing financial losses when our margins are already so tight. Last financial year, 48% of neighbourhood houses operated in deficit. We are not alone in this.

The reasons are complex and, in many ways, reflect broader shifts in our communities. The unintended impacts of free 3-year-old kinder. The quiet challenge of reaching families, even with sustained digital and print campaigns. The weight of cost-of-living pressures, with many parents working longer hours or multiple jobs. The increasing reliance on extended family for care. And perhaps, more subtly, a gradual disconnection from local community services.

What makes this especially hard is knowing what we are losing.

Our Occasional Care space was safe, clean, and welcoming, a place where children were known and cared for, and where families felt supported. It offered something small but significant: a few hours of breathing space, connection, and trust. Its closure is not just an organisational decision; it is a loss for the community.

At the same time, we have seen no meaningful increase in state funding over many years, despite steady rises in staff wages and operating costs. The result is a slow tightening, until decisions like this become unavoidable.

Neighbourhood Houses Victoria are currently campaigning for a 25% increase in funding for the sector. With the state budget being handed down this week, we hope this call is heard and supported, because without meaningful investment, stories like ours will continue.

We are incredibly proud of what this service has been, and deeply grateful to the staff, families, and children who made it what it was.

Tomorrow, we say goodbye.

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT for our special public forum and campaign fundraiser on Saturday 16 May, 3pm at Coburg Town Hall - sending a message that 'Melbourne says no to Hanson'.

Featured speaker number one will be Dr Gary Foley - legendary Aboriginal activist, writer, actor, teacher, storyteller, historian, and Director of the Aboriginal History Archive at Victoria University.

Get your ticket now via the link in comments.

The news and global events got you overwhelmed? Want to find out how to get involved, organised and meet like-minded people?

Join us at our next branch meeting where we will be planning for the upcoming Whittlesea council by-election, next school strike and our ongoing campaign against the far right. It's an open space for discussion and we'd love to see you there!

Another successful doorknock for the upcoming Whittlesea Council by-election!

Thank you to all the residents and businesses who showed us support today.

Vote 1 Sarah Garnham!



(Authorised by C. Oakley, 83 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056)