After more than 20 years of looking after Canberrans in trouble, Safety House ACT will be closing its doors due to a lack of volunteers.
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From a bustling organisation of more than 25 staff at its peak, Safety House now is down to a committee of just five.
President Craig Woodburn said that while the announcement was sad, they were just bowing to the inevitable.
''Safety house has done its job,'' he said. ''It was essential at the time it was created, and that need has grown less and less over the years, but now is a time to celebrate what it was able to achieve in the time it was around.''
The Safety House program was first founded in the ACT in 1993 and gave children and adults who were in trouble a safe place to go in their community.
But Mr Woodburn said over the years Safety Houses had been needed less and less as the community changed.
''For example, if my child had a problem with his bike, I'd expect him to give me a call on his mobile and I'd go and help him out. Whereas back 20 years ago, somebody would have had to go to a house and call,'' he said.
''Communities these days seem to just keep to themselves more … It's a bit sad.''
Former president Chris Liddiard said she was devastated that Safety House was closing down and disagreed that there wasn't a place for it in the community.
''I think that Canberra does have a rather dire lack of community spirit. I've found that quite disheartening over the years,'' she said.
Despite being very passionate about the cause, Chris had eventually been convinced that there was just no hope for the Safety House program.
''I think there's still a place for it in Canberra, but you have to have people who believe in it and want to make it happen,'' she said.
''I really wanted to try to make it work, but you need an army of people, not just a few.''
Former Safety House co-ordinator for Gungahlin Christine Coulthard said the program had not just been for children, it was also important for the territory's senior citizens.
''A lot of our older people walk around without identification, and particularly in hot weather they can have a dizzy turn or need some water,'' she said. ''Their mobile is going to be no need to them then because help is too far away.''
Mrs Coulthard, who was awarded an Order of Australia medal for her work with the community, said people do not have the time to volunteer any more.
''There is a lack of a volunteering mentality in the community at the moment,'' she said. ''It's sad, but people are time poor nowadays so what spare time they have they want to spend with their families.''