Central Coast Welcomes New Veteran and Family Hub: A Beacon of Support and Community

In a significant step toward enhancing the wellbeing of veterans and their families in and around the Central Coast, RSL LifeCare has officially opened its newest Veteran and Family Hub at a ceremony attended by NSW Minister for Veterans David Harris MP and Federal Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, in Wyong today.

RSL LifeCare, in partnership with RSL NSW, will offer comprehensive support services at this Hub to over 12,000 veterans and their families currently living on the Central Coast, a large and rapidly growing veteran community. The Central Coast Veteran and Family Hub has been brought to life with the support of a one-off grant of $1.7 million from the Commonwealth Government. This funding will significantly boost the capacity of veterans’ services by expanding infrastructure, enhancing support services, and broadening the reach of wellbeing initiatives tailored to the unique needs of current and former servicemen and women, and their families.

“Today, we proudly open a welcoming space for veterans and their families to find support and connection to community. The hub will be a beacon of hope for so many veterans on the Central Coast and will be accompanied by specific outreach services across the broader region, extending our reach and impact, and ensuring that no veteran is left behind,” said RSL LifeCare CEO, Janet Muir.

“I extend my deep gratitude and appreciation to the Commonwealth Government, RSL NSW, and various ex-service organisations who have worked with us tirelessly to bring this hub to life. The unwavering support of the Central Coast District Council and its sub-Branches has not gone unnoticed,” said Ms. Muir.

The holistic and veteran-centric set of services that will be offered at the Central Coast Veteran and Family Hub include:

• DVA claims and advocacy support by an experienced, trained and qualified team, ensuring free support to all veterans
  and their families
• Financial assistance
• Connection and referral to transitional accommodation and homelessness support
• Employment services and assistance
• Wellbeing programs and events for veterans, their families and the broader community

Minister Harris said, “As the Member for Wyong, Minister for the Central Coast and Minister for Veterans, I am thrilled the new Veteran and Family Hub has opened on the Coast. The Central Coast is home to more than 7,600 veterans who, along with their families, will benefit from the wide range of support services now available at their local hub. It will also serve as a safe place for the veteran community to get-together to access the many services and activities, or simply to catch up.”

RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge said that RSL NSW sub-Branches are a critical component of the hub-and-spoke model.

“RSL NSW is committed to supporting the network of Veteran and Family Hubs across NSW because we know they work”.

“RSL NSW has donated over $9.1 million to RSL LifeCare to ensure that veterans and their families can continue to access the free, vital support they need.”

RSL LifeCare, in partnership with RSL NSW, now operates five hubs in the Riverina, Shoalhaven, the Northern Beaches, the Hunter region and on the Central Coast. Last year, the Commonwealth Government also awarded RSL LifeCare funding to develop new hubs in Queanbeyan, the Hunter, Tweed/North Coast, Hawkesbury and the Southwest Sydney corridor.

More information about RSL LifeCare’s veteran services can be accessed here: https://rsllifecare.org.au/

MEDIA | Mark Colin-Thome, Herd MSL | 0435 015 995 | [email protected]