The Mount Beauty Neighbourhood Centre (MBNC) is coming up to its 35th year anniversary.

Since its inception it has become an important community hub providing a large range of community support and social programs.

The original building was the Workman’s Club built in the 1950s to support SEC workers.

It has expanded over the years to the premises it is today.

With a recently upgraded commercial kitchen, Rose Garden Deck, two conference rooms, a large garden with fruit trees and vegetables, it has become a place where Upper Kiewa Valley locals can get Services Australia access, attend workshops ranging from preparing fire plans or cancer support, or attend social events such as the weekly coffee club or art group,

The MBNC is run mostly by dedicated volunteers, with only three part time paid administration staff overseen by centre manager Trish Dixon-Wippell, who has been at the helm since 2012.

Trish’s organisational skills and hard work have led the centre's transformation from a place that was open only three days a week with limited programs, to becoming the five-day community hub it is today.

A key indicator of MBNC's community support capacity is the annual review commissioned by Victoria’s Department of Family, Fairness and Housing which found that in 2025 the centre’s income was $325,961 but its community value was $1,960,496.

“This means that every $1 we get from government funding and grants is transformed into $18 of value to the community,” Trish said.

“All of this is only possible by huge support we get from our volunteers – including paid staff who contribute many hours of unpaid work.

“We offer a large range of regular services, such as being a Services Australia agent and annual outreach services including the Breast Screen bus every two years (coming this November), the Bone Density Bus, and the Flying Doctors Dental service.

"Providing these services is really important because we have no regular public transport to Albury/Wodonga.

“Other outreach services that we have invited to come are the Salvation Army, mental health services provided by organisations such Gateway Health, Upper Hume Riverina Legal Services and many others that pop up throughout the year to bring us information and knowledge.

“Services Australia – our Centrelink agency - is a huge commitment that relies not only on our paid staff, but also volunteers.

"We are also finding that people needing help with accessing My Aged Care has expanded so much that we decided to work with a provider called Homemade where we work with clients and workers to navigate the torturous journey to a safe package to home care.”

Other programs MBNC has developed include working with our local medical centre to introduce the Indigo 4Ms Tool Age-Friendly Health Care Tool, conducting a regular Social Prescribing Group called Talking Café based outside local cafes to encourage free flow conversations about community needs.

Trish said this program operates in partnership with the pharmacy, the medical centre, Alpine Shire and Alpine Health who receive feedback about services and addresses personal or community issues.

“We also have the Green Thumbs volunteer gardening group which keeps our garden and community vegie patch looking immaculate," she said.

“It is a great social connection group that gets together every Tuesday morning for gardening and a morning tea to share.

"It provides free produce that is available at the front door.

“We are also hosting the new gardening project run by Alpine Health and the Mt Beauty Primary School for intergenerational participation.”

MBNC also supports community programs including the Upper Kiewa Valley Support Services (UKVSS) which has helped people in need, supplying food hampers, food and fuel vouchers, and frozen meals, all provided with strict confidentiality.

UKVSS is auspice by MBNC and is run by a small group of volunteers whose workload expanded after MBNC was awarded a large financial wellbeing grant by Department of Social Services.

Trish said that UKVSS is also supported to do their work by money raised from subsidised monthly community lunches.

“We provide two courses for $10 with various guest speakers from organisations such as the Salvation Army," she said.

“We also run workshops such as death cafes and preparing fire plans and we also hold fundraising events like Biggest Morning Tea, International Women’s Day, RUOK, and Light the Night to support cancer, mental health, family abuse, and other issues that affect our community.”

After the 2020 bushfires MBNC received a three-year $90,000 grant from FRRR to build community emergency resilience skills leading to the annual community resilience picnic in collaboration with local and regional CFA, SES, Alpine Shire and Red Cross.

Trish said this led MBNC to find continual funding to keep these programs running and developing new ways of connecting community to be resilient.

"One example is inviting members of the community to spend time at the centre during extreme heat and extreme cold days, to promote a friendly welcoming place to meet with other people over a light lunch or a cuppa," she said.

Courses offered through ACFE (Adult, Community & Further Education) funding provide work skills such are barista training, hospitality, cheese making, preserving, kitchen skills, computer and IT, and first aid.

Trish said the MBNC has annual income of around $300,000 through grants, donations services and contracts - but the value of the work done by staff and volunteers equates to around $2 million.

For further information on Mount Beauty Neighbourhood Centre call (03) 5754 116 or 4email info@mountbeauty.org.au