Encircle Ltd. is a community-owned and operated organisation offering a range of North Brisbane support services and activities to people living in the area. We work in active partnership across other areas of the Moreton Bay region.

Encircle has been in operation providing North Brisbane support services since 1987.

We are committed to developing programs and services that support the wellbeing of community members, to encourage and enable community participation, and respond to identified community issues and needs.

Encircle operates across 7 sites – Caboolture, Kallangur, Kedron, Lawnton, Redcliffe, Strathpine and Zillmere.

We have 60 staff and approximately 300 volunteers. Our programs and activities demonstrate a wide variety of integrated options for the people in our region.

Vision

Connected, vibrant, resilient communities

Purpose

Enriching Community

Mission

Enabling and encouraging individuals and families to take informed control of their own lives and together enriching our community.

See also

Our History

On 30th March 1987, a public meeting was called to address the lack of government agencies in Pine Rivers. The turnout was impressive, with eighty-eight citizens attending.

The meeting agreed a centre was urgently needed. Most of the welfare, church and government agencies in the area were represented at that meeting.

Temporary steering committees of eleven people set out to explore what was required and establish a formal organisation. They served for several months. In June of 1987, the steering committee was dissolved, and the first Management Committee of the Pine Rivers Welfare Association was elected.

The mission of the Centre, at this time, was to contribute to the relief of poverty, sickness and other misfortune, and to the promotion of the wellbeing of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.

The Management Committee employed its first social worker as Coordinator to establish the Information and Referral Service and to provide some limited counselling services.

In 2003, the Committee decided to change the name of the Association to “The Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Association”, which reflected more accurately its vision and avoided the negative and outdated implications of the term “welfare”.

Encircle moved to the new Neighbourhood Centre at Redcliffe which was officially opened on the 3rd September 2013.  The Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre was asked by the State Government to support its programs which had been operating out of Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre.

This became permanent in 2015 after Encircle won the tender for the Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre, including its Family Support, Counselling and Older Persons Action Program (OPAP).

The year following in 2014,  Encircle became a Company Limited by Guarantee and the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Association Inc changed its name and status to Encircle Ltd to reflect that the organisation now had programs operating across the greater north Brisbane area.

Today, Encircle is working with other community agencies in the Consortium, growing Partnerships with government departments, business and educational and other institutions.

We are seeking opportunities for further development and expansion while continuing to be a vital part of our local communities which Encircle has served for the past 30 years.

The staff and volunteers continue to endeavour to look for ways to improve the service to the community, check whether community needs are matched by the services offered, and struggle with the ongoing challenges of obtaining sufficient funding, space and time to provide those services.