Social & Community Participation

Our Social and Community Participation services support you to develop your skills and become more actively involved in the community. It’s about trying new things, finding a new activity that you enjoy and meeting new people.

The choice is yours. Whatever you want to do, we are here to support you every step of the way.

What we offer

Receiving Social and Community Participation services from Mercy Connect is an opportunity to develop your independence and social skills.

We have over 35 different programs each week in our Day Program services, giving you the chance to pick and choose which ones you are most interested in participating in. From arts and crafts, cooking, local excursions and Branching Out (garden maintenance, cleaning), there is something for everyone at Mercy Connect.

St John's Day Program Timetable + Glossary

Timetable

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Art Fun 10am-3pm	Crafters Nook 10am-3pm	Bottlebrush Café 10am-3pm	Art Space 10am-3pm	Tafe 9am-3pm
Meals on Wheels/Arts & Craft 10am-3pm	BBQ Outing 10am-3pm	Art Fun 10am-3pm	Woodwork 10am-3pm	Outing/Pampering 10am-3pm
Supported Wage 8am-1pm	Meals on Wheels/BBQ 10am-3pm	Meals on Wheels/Pen Pals 10am-3pm	Bottlebrush Café-Cooking 10am-3pm	Branching Out – Social 10am-3pm
Coffee Club/Foodshare 10am-3pm	Art/Craft 10am-3pm	Carevan-Mirambeena 10am-3pm	Supported Wage 8am-1pm
Branching Out – Cooking 10am-3pm	Bottlebrush Café 10am-3pm	Branching Out -Shopping & BBQ 10am-3pm
	Supported Wage 8am-1pm	Supported Wage 8am-1pm

Program Glossary

Art Fun / Art / Art Craft /Crafters Nook Participants are able to creatively express themselves by participating in a variety of art activities using a wide range of mediums. Participants are engaged in colour recognition, texture concepts and visits to galleries.	BBQ Outing Participants enjoy the local environment with walks along riverside paths and other semi natural urban settings, then cook a BBQ lunch with supervision.	Bottlebrush Café Tuesday Memo is put out the day before to Head Office staff for lunch on Tuesday. Participants buy the food and cook the meals, deliver to staff, and gain money and social interaction skills.	Bottlebrush Café – Wednesday & Thursday Participants gain experience in finding a recipe, shopping for ingredients, cooking a meal for themselves and cleaning the kitchen.	Branching Out – Cooking Participants gain experience in finding a recipe, shopping for ingredients, cooking a meal for themselves and cleaning the kitchen.
Branching Out – Social Outing Participants and staff agree on a venue for their outing. They travel to the destination and have lunch while out. This gives the participants a chance to mix and communicate with people in the community.	Carevan Care Van Partnership-Participants prepare and cook and package a wide range of meals for the Carevan Foundation in a commercial kitchen at Mirambeena community centre who then deliver to those in need.	Coffee Club The participants enjoy a drink and a chat at a local café while developing their money handling and social skills.	Meals on Wheels This program offers participants to engage in Volunteer work in the community. Small groups of participants and staff deliver meals to elderly and vulnerable members of our community. Valuable social interaction between participants and the recipients as the meals are delivered.	Pampering This program allows participants to release stresses and clear the minds with gentle massage and aroma therapy along with foot spas and nail care
Supported Wage A group of men undertaking gardening, lawn mowing, concreting, furniture removal and general handyman activities to develop pre-employment skills.	Tafe Participants with staff attend Tafe to gain experience in many different facets of life	Woodwork A group of participants working on developing their skills for woodworking. Experience gained using PPE, and correct use tools

Where is this service available and who can I contact?

Our Social and Community Participation services are based in Albury and Central West, NSW. Our qualified and experienced Operations team will support you with what you need to make the best choice for you.

If Social and Community Participation is in your NDIS plan, we would love to how we can support you. Please get in touch with us by calling 02 6043 3500 or emailing us at enquiries@mercyconnect.org.au to speak with our Intake Officer today.

Looking to switch providers?

If you are not satisfied with the service you are currently receiving, you can change to a different provider at any time. We can assist you with switching providers if you are interested in receiving your services through Mercy Connect.

Is this service in my NDIS? / What is the NDIS Support category?

Social and Community Participation is funded under Core – Assistance with Social & Community Participation and Capacity Building – Increased Social & Community Participation in your NDIS plan.