The Breakfast Club of Redcliffe has been granted a lease of a hall – their first home in 15 years

AFTER more than 15 years of paying high rents a southeast Queensland council has given a group, dedicated to helping the homeless, its very own space.

The Breakfast Club stalwart Ros Thomsen, right, during her last morning with the group with chairwoman Michelle Gilchrist and support worker Helen Bambling. Photo: Alan Quinney

After more than 15 years The Breakfast Club of Redcliffe has its very own space.

The club, run by volunteers, assist those struggling to get by and the region’s homeless.

It currently runs out of the Redcliffe CWA Hall and The Hub at Oxley Ave.

From next month they will operate out of the former Pensioner’s Hall on Portwood St, Redcliffe, under a new Community Lease agreement with Moreton Bay Regional Council.

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The council had previously been working with a different group – Redcliffe Drop-in Centre, in a bid to establish a homeless drop-in centre, in a nearby precinct.

Plans for this, which had been in the making for five years, fell through after the group disbanded last year.

Moreton Bay Regional Councillor Koliana Winchester (Div 6) said it was a short term licence.

“While the arrangement is only for the next six months, it will save this important volunteer group close to $5000 in hire fees,” Cr Winchester said.

Redcliffe Breakfast Club offer a host of services to help homeless people in the community. Including centerlink, housing support, breakfast, laundry services, health services and food. Helen Bambling (right) Picture: Chris Higgins

“The Breakfast Club will be able to instead invest those funds into providing their important frontline services, which is where the money is needed most.”

Breakfast Club social worker Helen Bambling said they did not plan to use the space as a drop-in centre. They will continue to provide meal services and support services and eventually expand its offerings.

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Ms Bambling said the space, which includes a large hall, carpark, storage and a commercial kitchen, offered a lot of potential.

“We have a bit of cleaning to do but we plan to develop as we go along,” Ms Bambling said. “The commercial kitchen is exactly what we always wanted. In the future we hope to deliver life-skill classes, such as how to cook.”

Overall the aim is for the space to become a safe space for everyone in the community.

The hall is across the road from Encircle, and Ms Bambling said the groups could now improve how they worked together.

Breakfast Club provide food and supplies to the homeless in Redcliffe need a new location after the CWA raised rent at the hall. Breakfast crew, Allan Young, Helen Bambling, Grant Davis, Ros Thomsen Picture: Chris Higgins (2016)

The big move will happen on January 31 with the first breakfast being served from the new hall on February 3.

Cr Winchester said the council had made an application to the State Government seeking funding assistance to upgrade the hall.

“We also have meetings scheduled with the Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works to discuss this and other matters related to the growing housing and homelessness issues throughout the region.

“The reality is we are going to need some significant assistance from the State or Federal Governments for the building to be brought into line with modern standards,” Cr Winchester said.

Ms Bambling said they would keep The Hub open at Oxley Ave, as it had signed a two-year lease on the building. To volunteer, search The Breakfast Club of Redcliffe on Facebook.