Counterpoint's Doutney Centre
A place for Glebe to connect, grow and belong
Help bring a community-led centre to life, where families find support, neighbours build connections and local ideas become lasting opportunities.
A royal visit to the ground-up development at 29 Cowper Street, where innovative social housing meets grassroots community infrastructure.
A community asset shaped by local needs
Counterpoint Community Services is working to establish the Doutney Centre as a lasting place for the Glebe community to connect, participate and thrive. Shaped by community consultation and years of planning, the centre will bring people, programs and local partners together to strengthen confidence, leadership and resilience. By working alongside residents, government and community organisations, we aim to build local capacity and respond to shared priorities. Independent advocacy, transparency and evidence-informed practice will help keep the centre accountable to the people it serves.
Anchoring Our Place in Glebe: The 29 Cowper Street Partnership
The Doutney Centre is home to the transformative redevelopment at 29 Cowper Street, Glebe. Delivered in partnership with Bridge Housing, this visionary project reflects a deep commitment to the local community—integrating high-quality social and affordable housing with the grassroots support networks that help neighbourhoods thrive.
By embedding the Doutney Centre in this vibrant new precinct, we ensure that as Glebe evolves, its social fabric, community leadership, and resident-first spaces grow alongside it. Partnering with Bridge Housing allows us to build a shared foundation where housing security and community connection go hand in hand.
Why the Doutney Centre?
Counterpoint proposes naming the centre Counterpoint’s Doutney Centre Glebe in recognition of the late Irene Doutney.
Irene was a former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, a long-term community activist, a public housing advocate, and a passionate supporter of community participation, social justice, and neighbourhood empowerment. She spent decades advocating for public housing residents and ensuring local communities had a voice in decisions affecting their lives.
As a public housing resident in Redfern and Waterloo, Irene worked alongside local organisations, including REDWatch and Counterpoints Factory Community Centre, championing community-led action and resident participation. She later served as a City of Sydney Councillor and became Deputy Lord Mayor, while continuing to advocate for social housing communities.
Counterpoint also benefited from Irene’s experience, wisdom, and commitment through her involvement with the organisation before her passing.
The proposed name recognises not only Irene’s contribution but also the values she embodied:
- Community participation.
- Social justice.
- Strong neighbourhoods.
- Community leadership.
- Inclusion and belonging.
- Giving people a voice.
While the naming remains subject to final endorsement, Counterpoint believes the centre offers an opportunity to honour a person whose lifelong commitment reflected the kind of community the centre hopes to support.
How We Work
Community Development
Supporting people to work together to identify needs, develop solutions and create positive change within their communities.
The centre will create opportunities for residents to shape activities, identify priorities and lead community initiatives that matter to them.
Community connection
Local events, volunteering, resident networks and community-led projects will create more ways for neighbours to meet and contribute.
Collaboration
Working alongside residents, government, community organisations and other partners to maximise collective impact.
The centre will provide a platform for partnerships and shared action to address local issues and opportunitie
Community
Creating welcoming and inclusive environments where people feel they belong and can actively participate in community life.
The centre will provide a safe and welcoming place where people can gather, learn, celebrate and contribute.
Community support and Capacity
Building the skills, confidence, leadership and resilience of individuals, families and communities.
Programs, activities and partnerships will help develop local capability and support people.
Credibility
Maintaining community trust through independent advocacy, accountability, transparency and evidence-informed practice.
Counterpoint is committed to ensuring the centre remains responsive, accountable and guided by the needs of the community it serves.
Why the Doutney Centre Needs Support
Over that time, we have seen increasing numbers of Glebe residents seeking support, participating in programs and accessing services outside their own neighbourhood because there is currently no equivalent independent community centre in Glebe providing the combination of community development, family support, counselling, community participation and neighbourhood-based services that Counterpoint delivers.
The opportunity to establish Counterpoint’s Doutney Centre Glebe would change that.
Located within the new Cowper Street redevelopment, the centre would provide a permanent local base where residents can connect, access support, participate in community life and help shape the future of their neighbourhood.
The Reality Behind the Vision
While the vision is exciting, the reality is that establishing a new community centre is neither simple nor inexpensive.
When the project was first conceived, approximately $120,000 was allocated towards establishing the facility.
As planning, design, compliance and market testing progressed, the reality became much more complex.
Requirements relating to flood mitigation, accessibility, sustainability, building integration and other compliance obligations have significantly increased the cost of establishing the centre. Builder quotations now indicate that the fit-out cost could be three to four times higher than originally anticipated.
This is not unique to Glebe. Many community organisations across Australia are encountering similar challenges as the costs of delivering community infrastructure continue to rise.
Counterpoint Is Backing This Project
Counterpoint is not waiting for someone else to make this happen.
We have already invested years of planning, consultation, project development, design work, approvals and organisational resources into creating this opportunity.
We are also prepared to commit a significant portion of our own reserves because we believe Glebe deserves a strong and independent community centre.
However, while Counterpoint can help establish the centre, long-term success will require broader community support.
Unlike many government-funded facilities, there is currently no dedicated ongoing operational funding committed to the Doutney Centre.
To establish and sustain the centre, we will need a combination of:
- Grants and philanthropic support.
- Community fundraising.
- Sponsorship and business partnerships.
- Volunteers and community participation.
- Supporters who believe strong communities need strong community infrastructure.
What’s At Stake?
The opportunity at 29 Cowper Street is unique.
The space could become a permanent community asset serving local residents, families, children, volunteers and community groups for many years to come.
It could provide a place where people find support, access opportunities, build relationships and contribute to community life.
Or it could become another commercial tenancy, office or service with little connection to the wider community.
Counterpoint believes Glebe deserves better.
We believe communities need places where people feel welcome, valued and connected.
The Doutney Centre represents a rare opportunity to create that kind of place.
What the Centre Will Support
The Doutney Centre is intended to mirror our other centres and support a broad range of community outcomes, including:
Children and Families
- Parenting and family support activities.
- Community learning opportunities.
- Children’s activities and programs.
- School holiday activities.
- Early support and referral pathways.
Community Connection
- Local events and celebrations.
- Volunteer activities.
- Community-led projects.
- Resident networks.
- Opportunities for social participation.
Learning and Participation
- Workshops and training.
- Meeting and gathering spaces.
- Community leadership development.
- Digital inclusion initiatives.
- Skills and confidence building.
Community Support
- Access to information and referrals.
- Community development initiatives.
- Partnership programs.
- Local service connections.
- Place-based support and engagement.
The Journey So Far
The Doutney Centre has progressed from a community facility concept through consultation, detailed design, approvals and builder market testing. Each stage has clarified what it will take to deliver a safe, accessible and sustainable space—and how additional requirements affect its cost and complexity.
Initial planning
A Community Need Takes Shape
Counterpoint began developing the centre concept around local opportunities for connection, family support and community participation. Consultation and early business planning established the case for a shared place in Glebe.
Design development
The Design Responds to New Requirements
As plans became more detailed, flood mitigation, accessibility, end-of-trip facilities and environmental measures were incorporated. These improvements strengthened the proposed facility while adding scope and cost.
Approvals phase
Compliance Shapes Delivery
Building systems integration, certification obligations and other approval requirements brought further complexity. Counterpoint updated its business case to reflect current costs, risks and delivery options while the construction certificate process continued.
Market testing
Builder Submissions Inform the Next Step
Three independent builder submissions were received and assessed. A preferred delivery pathway has been identified, with value engineering discussions underway to balance the centre’s community purpose, quality and affordability.
“A place where people belong, families find support, local leadership grows and positive change begins.”
Counterpoint Community Services
Our vision for the Doutney Centre
Stronger Community Centres Across NSW
Across New South Wales, community centres and neighbourhood houses are being asked to do more while navigating rising operating costs, growing compliance requirements and uncertain funding. Yet these local places remain essential: they connect neighbours, support families and create opportunities for people to participate and lead.
The challenges facing the Doutney Centre reflect a wider need for sustainable investment in community infrastructure and the people who bring it to life. Counterpoint supports sector-wide advocacy, including work led by the Local Community Services Association, to secure lasting funding for community centres, neighbourhood houses and place-based community development.
Help Bring the Doutney Centre to Life
We know community centres are built by more than bricks and mortar. They are built through partnerships, relationships, volunteers, supporters and local people who believe in the value of community.
How You Can Help
- Becoming a founding supporter.
- Making a donation.
- Introducing potential sponsors, funders or partners.
- Volunteering your time, skills or expertise.
- Sharing our story.
- Supporting fundraising activities.
- Advocating for stronger investment in community centres and neighbourhood organisations.
- Writing to local representatives about the importance of sustainable funding for community infrastructure and community services.
Every contribution helps move the Doutney Centre one step closer to becoming a reality.
Email us at Info@counterpointcs.org.au