ONE of Kingston’s “great community leaders” has headed off to new pastures in retirement but says she will still keep in touch with the Chelsea community.
Lorna Stevenson, the outgoing manager at Longbeach PLACE, finished a 16-year stint at the neighbourhood house on Friday (29 July) and was awarded a certificate of appreciation at this month’s Kingston Council public meeting in recognition of her service to the community.
“Lorna has done so much for Kingston but her positive impact has been felt really very much around Chelsea where she has made a huge difference to the lives of many of the locals there,” Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said when presenting the certificate.
Starting her neighbourhood houses career in 1993, Ms Stevenson worked her way up to become manager of the then Chelsea Neighbourhood House in 1999.
“She successfully advocated for the House’s relocation to a new facility established by Kingston Council in 2004. Lorna secured the name of Longbeach PLACE,” Cr Bearsley said.
The PLACE in Longbeach PLACE is an acronym for Professional Local Adult Community Education.
“Lorna has been a great advocate for supporting Kingston’s vulnerable youth and has strived to provide them with additional and alternative education opportunities,” Cr Bearsley said.
Ms Stevenson said she and husband Hugh are moving to Pottsville in New South Wales, “another seaside place”, but will regularly return to visit family and friends in Chelsea.
“It’s been a very rewarding time representing the community of Chelsea,” Ms Stevenson told councillors.
“When I was originally employed I said I’d only be there for three months to test the waters.”
She credited the neighbourhood house’s “committee and lovely staff” for making her decide to stay for longer.
“I’ve really appreciated the friendships I’ve made,” Ms Stevenson said.
The help of council and politicians to establish a community renewal funding partnership with state government for the Chelsea area was an important step forward for the community according to Ms Stevenson.
“The community got behind it and there’s been some outstanding achievements.”
After such a long time in charge at Longbeach PLACE Ms Stevenson said a successor as manager will not be immediately decided upon but she knows the community centre will keep kicking goals in its work and partnerships with organisations such as Kingston Youth Services, Youth Connect, Chelsea Community Renewal and Family Life.
“Change is always good and it is hard but if we don’t accept change and we don’t work positively with it then we will never move on in life.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 3 August 2016
