The Park Orchards Community House & Learning Centre Incorporated is a vibrant community based non-for-profit organisation that provides quality community engagement through social, recreational and learning activities.
In 1978, under the auspice of the Park Orchards School Council, a community relations subcommittee organised a leisure time program, making use of the school art room. Four courses were presented in term 1, 1979, using local tutors, and Park Orchards Leisure Time Activities, POLTA was born.
One of our aims is to provide an environment in which community members can enjoy lifelong learning. Park Orchards is a unique community – it has been described as a village in suburbia – and to maintain this situation it was seen as essential to foster the growth of POLTA. The success of POLTA led to the eventual establishment of the Community House in 1983 at 572 Park Road, Park Orchards.
In 1986, incorporation took place and we became Park Orchards Community House Inc. Three extensions have been made to the building due to the growth of our programs. We offer a wide range of courses, further education, art/craft, after school activities, health, fitness and self development programs.
In 2007, the name of the organisation was changed to Park Orchards Learning Centre Inc. and in 2013 we became the Park Orchards Community House & Learning Centre Inc., recognising both the educational stream and the community development programs offered by the organisation.
Park Orchards Community House & Learning Centre is a Registered Training Organisation offering Vocational Education and Training. We also offer pre-accredited courses that offer learners a pathway to employment or future education.
Our Childcare Centre is well respected and patronised by the local community. We offer care that provides families with an opportunity to study or work whilst offering the children an educational program in a nurturing, supportive environment. In 2019, we installed a new community / childcare building on the vacant land behind the community house. This purpose built facility was the culmination of many years of hard work by the Staff and Board of Management. We provide parents with a drop off and pick up service from the Park Orchards Kindergarten.
We are ideally located adjacent to the local Primary School and next door to the Kindergarten. We use rooms at Domeney Recreation Centre to run our Nationally Recognised Training and use Warrandyte South Hall for our health and wellbeing classes.
We are governed by a volunteer Board of Management selected from the House membership. They provide governance support to the organisation and determine its strategic direction.
Staff include the Manager, Assistant Manager, Finance Administrator, VET Co-ordinator, Program Coordinator, Learn Local Co-ordinator, Office Administration Staff , Early Childcare Co-ordinator and Early Childhood Educators.
We employ a range of Trainers and Tutors to deliver courses, classes and workshops to the community.
Manningham City Council own the buildings in which we operate and we are very grateful for their ongoing support.