Lincoln & Districts Community Care Association Inc.

Welcome to Lincoln & Districts Community Care Association Inc

First established in 1978, L&DCC is very active in this rural community, providing help, guidance and a degree of counselling to the Community. Our area is bounded by the Main South Road (including the Templeton township) Halswell Junction Road, the Hilltop (near Akaroa) and the Selwyn River to the south. This is an area of some 1,000

square kilometres and a population base of more than 19,000, which continues to increase at a very steady rate. Lincoln and surrounding areas have approximately 55 different nationalities living in the communities. Many of these are families of staff working for the Crown Research Institutions, teaching or students at Lincoln University. Many of the nationalities new residents, particularly the partners need considerable help in adjusting to a different life and community. Lincoln and Districts Community Care run social groups and give advice on shopping, medical contacts and the like.

33 years ago a group of local people, (led by a General Practitioner and the Rotary Club of Lincoln), with interest in community welfare met to consider requirements of Rural Health because their belief was that it had always been inferior to that provided in urban areas. Lincoln and Districts Community Care Association became established very shortly after that initial meeting. The part-time staff are highly respected by the community they serve. The Association relies very heavily on volunteers for the distribution of services to the communities. Our present accommodation was purpose-built more than 30 years ago by the Rotary Club, using funds donated through the generosity of the community and sterling canvassing undertaken by the members of the Lincoln Rotary Club. The building was handed over to the Lincoln and Districts Community Care Association debt free. The Association is managed by a Board of Management (usually numbering around ten members) which is made up of representatives from the local townships and churches within the area serviced by Lincoln and Districts Community Care. In addition the Rotary Club of Lincoln has of right an automatic position on the Board, as does the Lincoln Medical Practice. As a result of the recent earthquakes Lincoln and the surrounding area has grown more rapidly then had previously been predicted bringing many new families into the area. This in turn has increased the demand for services from L&DCC. The staff have been working with many external agencies to bring outreach programmes into the region to cater for the new cross section of people that are making up the community. The Co-ordinator is particularly interested in providing new services for families and children.