TIME TO CLEAN UP THE MORNING MESS

 

Business owners in the Fremantle CBD have been complaining for many years about homeless people sleeping in their shop entrances. It is not so much that they don’t want the poor bastards to find some shelter, but that many of the rough sleepers leave their rubbish behind. Bousfield in High Street had signs on the windows asking not to urinate and defecate in their shop entrance, and I have heard many reports from shop owners finding crap on their doorsteps when they want to open for business.

These problems are not unique to Fremantle, as the same issues arise in Perth, Midland, etc, but that means nothing to our Freo business owners who are keen for our council and state government to come up with solutions.

Business owners assume it is local council’s responsibility to clean up the mess, but that is arguable, because the mess is left on private property. However as far as I know the City of Fremantle will send a cleaner if business owners request it.

Homelessness is a huge problem for our society. More than 5,000 people sleep rough in Western Australia every night. Perth Lord Mayor wannabe Basil Zempilas has declared that if elected he would forcefully remove homeless people from Perth, but that would be unlawful. As senior WA police have pointed out many times, it is not illegal to be homeless. Question is though if sleeping on private property/doorways is trespassing and hence unlawful.

I absolutely sympathise with affected business owners, as it is disgusting to have to clean up the stinking mess many homeless people leave behind, but I also feel extremely sorry for those who have to sleep rough when it is wet and cold.

There is not enough social housing and we are not making inroads, with more and more people sleeping on the street and the waiting list for social housing growing yearly.

When walking through the West End of Fremantle most mornings I am annoyed how messy it looks with rubbish all over the place and in the doorways of businesses, so Fremantle Council should consider a cleaning strategy, because even as late at 10am on a Sunday there is still rubbish everywhere along High Street. We can’t just put this in the too hard basket and business owners deserve support! The City of Fremantle can make a start by extending the early morning cleaning of the Cappuccino Strip to High Street.

Roel Loopers

FREO MEN’S SHED A GREAT COMMUNITY HUB

 

 

The Freo Men’s Shed is not at all a meeting place for grumpy old men, but instead a real community hub were people gather, relax and do handy and community work together.

Of the 330 members the shed has 50% are under the age of 50 and there are 50 female members among them. I heard there was a meeting in Booyeembara Park yesterday to start a women’s shed.

I had a chat with president Mark Thomas and lifelong member Bill Johnstone on Friday and they told me about the many things the Freo Men’s Shed has been involved in, from woordworking classes for Christian Brothers College students, to looking after the organic vegetable gardens, helping out at the women’s health centre, supporting the Hilton PCYC, doing handy services for single women who need support, making a book tree for a local school, assisting with mental health programs for youth, music jam sessions, etc.

There are wood and metal workshop spaces, a music space, and they are happy to help out and give handy tips

They also have a team removing non spray graffiti every Tuesday around Fremantle, and told me they are very disappointed about the bad and incorrect press they have been getting lately.

The official name is the Fremantle Men’s Community Shed, and one can see why, because the shed is a place to hang out, meet mates, help out in the community, tend to the gardens.

They also make beautiful woodwork for the shop, which is in an old railway carriage, so if you are looking for great handmade cheese or cutting boards, etc. make sure to visit the shop.

Find out opening times by emailing freomenshed@iinet.net.au or give them a call on 9337 8614

 

Roel Loopers

ART AUCTION TO HELP THE HOMELESS

 

HELP THE HOMELESS online art auction 5pm Sunday 21 June – 5pm Sunday 5 July

Online at https://www.artistschronicle.com

Soroptimist International of Fremantle is holding the eleventh annual Help the Homeless Art Auction – online for the first time. Previously held at Fremantle Town Hall, the Covid-19 forced move to an online event will open up the availability of purchases to a wider audience.

Beneficiaries are the Freo Street Doctor, Multicultural Futures and The Starlight Hotel Choir. See the 50 second video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m08opHvwcns&feature=youtu.be

Freo Street Doctor is a mobile health clinic serving the physical and mental needs of homeless, at-risk and marginalised people with low or no income, transients, substance abusers, and those with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental illness.

Multicultural Futures crisis and short-term accommodation program assists migrants and refugees who are homeless or about to become homeless.

The Starlight Hotel Choir is so-called for its reference to the night view of the homeless. The Choir is administered by St Patrick’s Community Support Centre in Fremantle. Members are homeless or at-risk of being homeless, and through music discover a sense of community and social inclusion.

Included in the Auction this year are works by Tony Jones, Jo Darvall, Greg James, Stewart Scambler, Miik Green, Sandra Black, Julie Podstolski, Lesley Barrettt, Anne Gee, Sheryl Chant, Carol Clitheroe, sisters June and Jean Pastore, Shirley Clancy, Madeleine Clear, Claire Davenhall, Susie Marwick, Lesley Whitham, Amok Island and Luda Korczynskyj.

Roel Loopers

NEED HELP? GRANT GURU IS THERE!

 

As we are currently operating in unprecedented times both in the community and the economy there are more funding opportunities being made available to community and not for profit organisations, with a focus on responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Grant Guru is a database of available funding opportunities at both a state and national level and is a really helpful resource in accessing grants. The City’s Grant Guru site is as follows: https://fremantle.grantguru.com.au/.

Lotterywest have also established a COVID-19 Relief Fund, that has a large emphasis on community level response and recovery, for information in accessing this funding please visit their website. https://www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au/lotterywest/covid-19/covid-19-grants

If the City can assist you in applying for grants with a letter of support please get in contact with our grants officer: SOPHIED@fremantle.wa.gov.au

BRILLIANT ST PATS DOORSTEP DINNERS

 

Fremantle Ports has come on board as a sponsor for the St Patrick’s Doorstep Dinners food relief, with a $ 10,000 donation.

Doorstep Dinners is the idea of St Pats CEO Michael Piu and will deliver 200 meals a day for 45 days to the most vulnerable in the Freo community. Main sponsors are the Minderoo Foundation and McCusker Foundation.

Fremantle restaurants La Sosta, Benny’s and the National Hotel will cook the dinners at cost, which are delivered to the door by St Pats volunteers.

The initiative is not only support for the needy but also for some of the kitchen staff of the three restaurants, who are now back at work, and for the suppliers of the venues.

It is a heart-warming project that deserves all the support and praise it can get. Well done all!

Roel Loopers

ST PAT’S NEEDS FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!

 

The stupid and selfish Coronavirus panic buying is affecting Fremantle’s St Patrick’s, with donations of fruit and vegetables almost drying up, so they have difficulties feeding those in need.

Galatis on Wray Avenue often has great specials on where one can buy a box of fruit or vegetables for next to nothing, so if you want to help St Pat’s please seriously consider doing it NOW! A kilo of apples costs $ 3.00 at Coles, so you can buy a lot of apples for just fifty dollars.

St Pat’s CEO Michael Piu writes: We normally have a wide variety of fruit and veg available for clients. Whatever would be convenient and easy to obtain for donors would be gratefully received. We are open mon – thurs 7.30-2pm; Friday 7.30-9.30, and donations can be dropped in those times at the Day Centre, 12 Queen Victoria Street, Freo.

There are now people who need toilet paper who can’t buy any while others buy ten packs. Take note that 60% of toilet paper is made in Australia, not China!, and that the manufacturers are running 24/7 to make up for the shortage in the supermarkets.

And my advise for panic buyers. Get a life! Think about others and be considerate!

Roel Loopers

TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS IN NORTH FREO

 

There is an interesting development proposal that has a lot of merit before the Fremantle Planning Committee this evening.

Approval is sought for a temporary housing development as an interim use on disused land owned and reserved by the State Government for public transport (Railway) but currently not required for that purpose. The proposal involves 18 Self-contained single bedroom units to be managed by Foundation Housing.

Approval is sought for a housing development (18 Self-contained single bedroom units) to provide temporary housing (15 years) on land that is owned by the State Government and has been identified for long-term public transport uses. The proposal seeks to make use of (currently) surplus public land in suitable locations as an ‘interim use’ to provide housing for those in need through services offered by Foundation Housing. This initiative is known as ‘My Home’. Use of lightweight and ‘flat pack’ construction allows removal if and when the land is required for its reserved purpose.

Foundation Housing is a WA developer and manager of affordable housing for people in need. The ‘My Home’ is a new initiative to provide housing for homeless people at no cost to government. ‘My Home’ is a proposed 3-way partnership between government, not-for-profit and the private sector, and is based on the Housing First model.

This proposed development will be tenanted by homeless women over 55 years of age. Homeless people are from all walks of life, from many socio-economic backgrounds and all demographics. There is strong anecdotal evidence that a growing “hidden” group of people becoming homeless in Australia are single women aged over 55 years of age. Women in this age group may have spent many years raising children and are less likely to have accumulated sufficient superannuation to support themselves. Death of a spouse, divorce, lack of confidence to re-enter the workforce, outdated work skills and poor financial management all contribute to an older woman finding herself homeless.

Each unit is single storey in form and 30m2 in area with a bedroom, kitchen, living and bathroom space. There is also a shared laundry and storeroom facilities. The site is to be landscaped with vegetable gardens, fruit trees and outdoor living spaces. The development is to be configured in a side by side row housing design. Eight (8) communal car bays are provided for the development to the south of site.

Roel Loopers

MAMA KIN AND JOHN BUTLER AT FREO LONG TABLE!

 

There are still a few tickets left so the announcement that Mama Kin and John Butler will be guest artists at the Freo Long Table charity event is another reason to make your booking now!

Roel Loopers

TICKETS FOR THE BEST EVENT IN THE WEST!

 

 

Have you got your tickets for the Freo Long Table?

Don’t wait too long or they will all be sold and you really don’t want to miss the very best event in Fremantle and the whole of Western Australia.

Order your tickets today-NOW! at:  http://www.fremantlelongtable.com.au

Roel Loopers

FREO LONG TABLE TICKETS GO ON SALE

 

 

Tickets for the fabulous Fremantle Long Table will be for sale from this coming Monday September 2 on, so make sure to be fast and order some, or you might be too late to be part of this very popular fundraising event for St Pat’s that will be held on November 28

Go to: http://www.fremantlelongtable.com.au

Roel Loopers