Our Community Centre
and Thrift Store
Community Centre
The Loan Service Community Centre in Berakas serves as both our socialising space and our LST HQ.
The space is used for events such as the Winter Ball, arrival of Santa and coffee mornings. It has a children’s space, media room, adult rec room and meeting spaces.
We are always looking at ways to enhance the space and make it work better for our community.
Community Fund
Members of our community pay into the Community Fund every month. The monies from this fund are use to fund two big events annually, usually in the Summer and in the Winter. Plus two small family functions (usually Easter/Summer/Halloween or Christmas).
These two events are open to all the adults in the community and monthly subscribers will get reduced priced tickets.
The current rate is $25.00 per household (regardless of occupants). This is paid monthly into the SA LST.
Coffee Mornings
Coffee Mornings are open to everyone in the community. It’s an opportunity to catch up once a week, with or without children. Living in Brunei can be lonely at times as we are so far away from home. A cup of coffee and a biscuit with people who understand can really help.
Service personnel are encouraged to join if they have scope. It’s a great opportunity for information sharing and asking for recomendations or advice. We are occassionaly visited by the Army Welfare Services and Social Worker from Seria Garrison on an ad hoc basis, which can provide support to anyone requiring it.
Coffee Mornings are supported by the SBSLO.
Hails and Farewells
We try to meet up as a community to coincide with arriving or departing families, so we can say hello and farewell. Sometimes this will be at an event organised by the events team, sometimes it will be at a Community Fund function. If there is some space between events, we will hold a dedicated informal social at the Community Centre.
For Everyone
The Community Centre is there for everyone to use. At various times it has been used for craft mornings, fitness classes and book clubs. It can be used to watch sport, to play darts, have a game of pool or to have a social drink with another Loan Service member. Parents can also use it for children’s parties, play dates and mother and baby groups.
All we ask is that you remember, we are all responsible for its upkeep and maintenance. More info can be found in LSSO 405 and LSSO 406.
Thrift Store
Our thrift store on Berakas Kem is an important part of our community. Open to everyone, we welcome loan service and the local Bruneian community to shop in the store. All monies raised are used to support local charities.
The thrift store is staffed by volunteers from our community, currently Helen, Jenny, Lynda and Jasvita, who do a marvellous job with community engagement, ensuring not only the LST grab a bargain but more importantly our neighbours and wider community.
Transit House
Our transit house on Berakas Kem is available for use by Loan Service personnel for emergency welfare needs, march ins and march outs. It can also be used by personnel from UK and elsewhere officially organised through the LS Team. If not being used for any of these high priority cases, visiting families may hire the house for a stay of not more than 21 days. Please see LSSO 440 for detail.
