Looking back on our history

Toukley Neighbourhood Centre Incorporated has been in existence as a Community Centre since 1984 and became incorporated in 1987. In the past the Centre offered services such as Toukley Police Citizens Boys Club and a Food Co-op. The centre is situated in Heador St Toukley and was built before the Toukley Aquatic Centre and preschool on the Ray St complex.

The Op Shop has been operating for numerous years started by staff member Anne-Marie and it’s first commercial premises was at the Trading Post in East Toukley and then it has been in the Ron Alt Lane location since 2017 near the Village Green in the centre of Toukley. From 2006 to early 2011 our Food Co-Op was supported solely by the funds raised by our Op Shop. This food program and social enterprise has evolved in numerous ways over the years.

In April 2011 Toukley Neighbourhood Centre Inc. in partnership with Lakes Food Care officially opened their Food Care service in the East Toukley shopping district, which at the time assisted 280 families per week with rescued food. In July 2011 the service increased its operating hours from one day to three days per week to meet the increasing community demand.

In 2017, we were forced to relocate Lakes Food Care again due to re-development of the site. Today, we are occupying a premises at 199 Main Rd, Toukley and providing food to over 550 customers each week. In 2020 during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chairperson of the Board of Management built an online shopping platform on Shopify.

Today, the Toukley Neighbourhood Centre manages numerous community programs, projects and social enterprises with approximately 80 volunteers involved in all aspects of the Centre's programs and social enterprises. The Centre is a registered charity with ACNC and depends on fund-raising for many of its activities.

Without the dedication and support of so many hard working volunteers with incredible leadership skills, we would not be able to meet the growing capacity building and social strengthening of our community.