North Richmond Community Health

22/10/2025

Find out what support is available to you – Information Day on now!

Come down to The Hub, 110 Elizabeth Street Richmond, for our Information Day – on now until 2:30pm.

This event is for North Richmond residents moving into the new community housing.

Meet local service providers, ask questions, and find out what supports are available to you.

✅ Energy and bills: Karl from Uniting Home Energy Support Program can help you understand your bills, save energy and get bill assistance.
✅ Government support: The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is here to help residents struggling with energy bills.
✅ Vietnamese-speaking support: Phu and Linh from the Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association are available to help Vietnamese-speaking residents with aged care and NDIS.
✅Legal issues: Fitzroy Legal are here to assist residents with any issues or concerns about the move or other legal matters.
✅ NRCH support: Ali (NRCH Occupational Therapist) can help you get set up in your new home, while Hamsa (from our NRCH Counselling & Casework team) can support anyone feeling stressed or overwhelmed during the move.

Come say hello, have a chat, and discover what supports are available to you. All are welcome! We’re here until 2:30pm today.

15/10/2025

October is World Menopause Month

Many women in our community are going through, or have already experienced, menopause. It can bring many changes – some easier than others – but you don’t have to go it alone. There are many ways you can look after your health and wellbeing during this time.

Want to know more?
Find reliable information about menopause, including symptoms and treatments:
➡️ Health Translations has accessible information in many languages: http://bit.ly/3WJS9Jz
➡️ are also a great resource and have multilingual resources too: http://bit.ly/3W8QwoH

Staying active and connected with NRCH
Looking after your health during and after menopause is critical. Join our weekly Hub activities, from an energetic Zumba class to a calm, relaxing Strength and Balance class.

See what’s on here: nrch.com.au/groups-and-events/

15/10/2025

The Inclusive Pop-Up Richmond Toy Library has returned to North Richmond Community Health.

It will run on:
📆 1st Friday of each month (12pm–1:30pm)
📆 Last Monday of each month (10am–12pm)

See details in the post below:

The upcoming sessions are: Mon 27 Oct | Fri 7 Nov | Mon 24 Nov | Fri 5 Dec

09/10/2025

Don’t have time to shop? You can now order a fruit and/or vegetable box online from the Richmond Community Grocer Market!

It’s easy:
1️⃣ Visit 👉 openfoodnetwork.org.au/tcg-richmond/shop
2️⃣ Choose your box (fruit, veg, or a mix – various sizes available)
3️⃣ Add extras like eggs 🥚 or orange juice 🍊
4️⃣ Select your pick-up time & location
5️⃣ Place your order and check your email for pick-up instructions

🕘 Orders open Thursdays at 9am and close Tuesdays at 5pm, for pick-up on Wednesdays.

Fresh, local and convenient!

25/09/2025

Looking to cater your next event? Cultural Catering is here to help, and they also have some new menu items 🌟

Cultural Catering is a social enterprise owned and operating out of North Richmond Community Health, dedicated to empowering our community while serving mouthwatering cultural food from around the world.

With an extensive menu, Cultural Catering is excited to introduce two new additions:

Pogaca: a soft, cheese-stuffed Turkish baked bread 🧀🥖
Orange cake: a deliciously moist cake bursting with citrussy flavour 🍊🍰


Discover new menu items and see how Cultural Catering is creating job and training opportunities for people on the Yarra Housing Estates at 👉https://www.culturalcatering.org.au/

22/09/2025

🚨AFL Grand Final Public Holiday Hours🚨
We will be closed this Friday 26 September for the public holiday. The Medically Supervised Injecting Room will remain open from 9am to 6:45pm. We will reopen as usual on Monday 29 September.

If you need urgent help:
👉 Medical emergencies: Call 000
👉 After-hours healthcare: Call 13 74 25 (they'll tell your NRCH doctor)
👉 Dental emergencies: Call the Royal Dental Hospital on 9341 1000

Stay safe, and we’ll see you after the long weekend!

10/09/2025

Meet Sam: on the frontline of overdose prevention.

Sam, an outreach and harm reduction worker at North Richmond Community Health, was recently featured in this Victorian Department of Health post for International Overdose Awareness Day.

Each week, he and his colleagues check in with people, respond to overdoses, and connect people with vital supports. Outreach and harm reduction are essential programs to reduce drug harms in the community.

We are so grateful for the incredibly important work Sam and the Outreach and Harm Reduction team do.

Every year on 31 August, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) brings people together across the world to take action, remember those lost, and strengthen our communities.

For Sam, an outreach and harm reduction worker, this day is personal. Every week, he and his colleagues walk the streets, checking in with people, responding to overdoses, and offering pathways to everything from health and housing support to legal and mental health help.

"We walk around chatting to people, and some who are familiar with us will come up and say ‘Hi’. We offer a variety of pathways to support for a variety of things from health to legal issues, housing, NDIS and mental health support," he explains.

"Sometimes we’ll have to respond to an overdose – members of the public, or local businesses may call us if they’re concerned about someone. We also have a caseload of people that we help with ongoing care – people with really complex needs who need the extra support that we can provide."

Since January, it's estimated that outreach services across Melbourne have delivered nearly 9,438 critical harm reduction supports and supplied over 735 naloxone products.

"When a person who has had an overdose – can have that reversed by someone who has naloxone handed out by us – that’s pretty amazing. It is so important that naloxone is being used to reverse overdose, when you think about the numbers."

Sam has seen the impact first-hand. But for him, IOAD is not only about the tools and policies that prevent overdose, like the Medically Supervised Injecting Room and free naloxone programs – it’s also about honouring those lost and holding space for grief.

"Every family, every part of society has been affected by overdose, or will know someone affected by overdose. I think it is important to remember them – and pay tribute to the people who have died from overdose," Sam says.

And despite the heaviness of the day, Sam insists there’s a message of resilience at the heart of it.

"On IOAD, I think it is super important to maintain hope. Many of our clients are the most resilient people I’ve ever met. The things they have to overcome, from such a young age sometimes – and to remain positive, maintain hope – it is just incredible."

Because, as Sam reminds us, overdose is not the end of the story for many. It’s also about prevention. Stopping harms before they happen, and making sure every person has the chance to live with dignity and hope is vital for improving health outcomes for everyone in the community.

07/09/2025

Meaningful change starts with honest conversations.

The weekend coverage of the MSIR in The Age reflects where we are as an organisation: committed to our life-saving work while working with the State Government to actively address the community impacts that come with operating in Australia's largest drug market.

The 2023 Ryan Review told us what many in our community already knew - that our focus on "saving lives" messaging had left residents feeling unheard when they raised legitimate concerns about the impact of the drug market on daily life, safety, and running businesses in North Richmond.

We heard that feedback. Over the past two years, we've been working to show that saving lives and being good neighbours aren't competing priorities - they're both essential to who we are now and who we want to be in the future.

The numbers also tell the story: 10,000+ overdoses managed without a death, ambulance callouts nearly halved in our area. But so do the $1.7 million in landscaping works (courtesy of the State Government) partly to address congregation issues, working closely with Richmond West Primary School, our partnership with St Vincent's for mental health services, and clearer expectations for client behaviour around our facility.

Our community has carried an unfair burden for too long. They deserve both the life-saving health service we provide and genuine efforts to address the amenity challenges that come with the historic profile of the area.

We're not perfect, and we're not done. But we're listening, we're learning, and we're doing the work - because that's what being part of a community means.

Read the story in The Age, featuring comments from our CEO Simone Heald, to learn more about where we're heading.

04/09/2025

MJ (pictured centre) is a Criminology student, writer, and harm reduction advocate whose substance use began as a way to cope with chronic pain from a neuromuscular condition, and later, trauma. What started with GHB and other substances eventually led to he**in, bringing both hardship and resilience.

She shares:
"Alongside everyday struggles — finishing assignments, getting to work — I also wake up every day wondering if someone I know has overdosed, or if my next hit could be my last. By speaking openly, I hope to show that behind addiction is a person, and that dignity and compassion save lives."

"Drawing on my lived experience, I advocate for ending the stigma faced by people who use drugs and creating spaces where honesty, compassion, and dignity replace shame and silence. I believe that every life lost to overdose is preventable, and I am committed to changing the way society views drug use — shifting the focus from punishment to care, connection, and human rights."

At our recent International Overdose Awareness Day 2025 event, MJ shared the words of fifty MSIR clients in a heartfelt letter to society. The letter underlines the vital role of services like the MSIR in keeping people safe, reducing harm, and offering connection and care to those often left behind.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter:
"We are part of your community. We are your neighbours, your workmates, friends, and family members… We are you."

Also pictured: Sally Mitchel (Chair), Belinda Bravo (Head of Alcohol & Drugs), Simone Heald (CEO), Dr John Furler (MSIR Medical Director), and Laura O’Shea (COO & Chief Nurse). We’re so proud of MJ for giving voice to our clients.
Read the full letter here: www.nrch.com.au/open-letter-to-society

04/09/2025

Yesterday we held a special event for Women’s Health Week 2025.

We were thrilled to welcome the amazing team from Jean Hailes for Women's Health. Jess, a nurse from Jean Hailes, spoke about why regular health checks matter. She also covered the key checks every woman should know to stay healthy.

Jean Hailes also kindly provided show bags for attendees and spent time answering the many questions community members had about their health.

A big thank you to Jean Hailes for Women's Health for supporting our community. Women’s health is so important, and together we can empower women in our community to take charge of their health and wellbeing.

03/09/2025

Not sure what to say to your doctor? You are not alone. Having the right knowledge and tools can make all the difference.

This Women’s Health Week, North Richmond Community Health Is proud to be a community supporter of Hailes for Women's Health. We’re sharing tips and resources that help the women in our community feel confident, informed, and ready for their appointments.

We’re committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all women in our community -including women from culturally diverse backgrounds, First Nations women and women experiencing social and economic challenges. We make it our priority to provide tailored services and resources that empower all the women in our community to achieve better health outcomes.

With ’ new digital tool Her Health Check, you can:
📋 Answer a few quick questions from any device.
✅ Receive a personalised list of recommended health checks.
📅 Stay up to date with every appointment.

👉 Try the tool here: https://bit.ly/47nScl9

Take The lead and Say Yes To You 🌟

02/09/2025

Your Health Matters, Every Check-Up Counts.

Health is much more than staying active and eating well. It also means having regular check-ups to understand what is normal for your body.

To kickstart this Women’s Health Week at NRCH, we are sharing a new tool from Jean Hailes for Women's Health that makes it easier to stay on top of your health needs.

To use this tool,
✅️ Start by answering a few short questions about yourself,
✅️ Receive a personalised list of recommended health checks,
✅️ Learn when to get them done.

Expert advice on topics like bowel health, breast health and cervical screenings is also available.

You can try the tool here: https://checks.jeanhailes.org.au/

And don’t forget - we’re also hosting a special Women’s Health Week event tomorrow at NRCH. Join us from 10:30am–12pm in the NRCH Community Rooms for a health talk by Jean Hailes, plus the chance to connect with others in our community.