Veteran & Family Hub Highlights – 2025 Wrap Up

The Veteran & Family Hubs are true places of connection and community for veterans and their families. Whether visiting for a chat, making use of the facilities, or accessing tailored support — from claims and advocacy to wellbeing, financial, housing, and education — the Hubs are here to help. 

January to November 2025 at a glance: 

• 8,273 visitors welcomed
• 797 on-site events attended by 9,313 people

Here’s a snapshot of some of the key moments from our Hubs this year: 

Queanbeyan Veteran & Family Hub

Since opening in April, we have hit the ground running: 

• 1,750 visitors signed in at the Hub.
• The Hub welcomed many ESOs to use the space including Wounded Heroes, Partners of Veterans (including Lady Lynn Cosgrove), Invictus Australia, Military Wives Choir, Kookaburra Kids, and more.
• Delivered holistic support through partnerships with Open Arms, Honeybrook Psychology, JB Rehab Exercise Physiology, Dr Robarts, and (from January) South Coast Community Law.
• The Hub hosted 113 events, from yoga, tai chi, craft and guitar groups to cyber security sessions, Remembrance Day lunch, women’s health activities, St John’s First Aid, and Open Arms coffee catch-ups. We also launched the Interagency Working Group with ESOs and government agencies across ACT and NSW.
• Minister Keogh enlisted actress Rachael Griffiths to call the Hub for support in launching her film When the War is Over at the Australian War Memorial.
• And one of the most important points – the team happily served 1,296 cups of coffee!

What’s Next? 

We’re planning our Community Service Day on Sunday, 8 February at Queanbeyan Showgrounds. Expect Defence displays, local emergency services, SES, and Disaster Relief teams.  Book your tickets for a great event.

To stay up to date on Queanbeyan news, please click here.

Shoalhaven Veteran & Family Hub

2025 has been a fantastic year for the Hub, continuing our strong connections with the local veteran community.

We were thrilled to hear that Savannaha Wells, Hub Manager, was recognised at this year’s National Veteran Employment Awards, as Partner Employee of the Year.

In October we celebrated our annual Open Day, welcoming 137 visitors, some for the very first time. The event showcased 24 stalls from ESOs, community organisations and Defence businesses. Guests enjoyed the mini market and heard inspiring talks from Talk2MeBro, Kookaburra Kids, and RSL LifeCare on employment opportunities.  Gateway Life also started an 8 week exercise physiology program at the Hub, for all community members to enjoy.  Our Hub team were thrilled to be involved with the 723 Squadron Family Open Day at HMAS Albatross, hosting a stall to raise awareness of the services available in the Shoalhaven region. 

Our standout event in November was Forge in Valour – a weekend camping and forging adventure supported by an Ex-Servo’s Group ClubGRANT. Veterans and partners enjoyed 4WD tracks, forging workshops, and a dip in the Shoalhaven River. We also wrapped up the year’s Sunday Brunch Club with a festive Hogwarts-themed Christmas celebration.

Local schools honoured Remembrance Day with ‘A Field of Red’, raising funds to support Hub activities for veterans and families.

December marked the Hub’s third birthday with lawn bowls and a thank you celebration for our incredible supporters. Other highlights included the Women in Defence Network lunch, a Veterans’ White Card support day, and a soothing Sound Bath to close the year.

Coffee catchups, Lego group, gaming sessions and Invictus Australia sports continue to bring people together. 

A heartfelt thank you to Ray Silverstone, Coral Miller, DMFS Nowra, and Nowra RSL sub-Branch for their outstanding support in 2025. 

To stay up to date on the Shoalhaven Hub, please click here.

Riverina Veteran & Family Hub

2025 marked another successful chapter for the Hub, reinforcing our strong ties with the local veteran community.  Here’s just a sample of the Hub highlights from this year:

• Weekly Gaming Nights remain a hit, with over 609 veterans and family members joining since April – a fantastic way to connect and socialise.
• Yoga returned in October, thanks to our partnership with Invictus.
• Our emotional support initiative featuring three adorable lambs was a huge success and loved by all!
• Riverina got their hillbilly on at the Marrar Madness Rodeo, engaging with veterans across the rural Riverina.

In exciting news: the Hub secured $10,000 from a Wagga RSL ClubGRANT to expand our popular modelling and painting sessions in 2026.

To stay up to date on the Riverina Hub, please click here.

Central Coast Veteran & Family Hub

During the year the team at the Central Coast Veteran and Family Hub: 

• Continued their outreach program, visiting Toukley, Woy Woy and Gosford to connect with veterans and families across the region.
• Hosted the annual ‘Peninsula’ BBQ, bringing together veterans and families from the southern end of the Coast for a day of socialising and community spirit.
• Delivered a two-day ASIST course (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) in November, equipping attendees with vital tools to support those in crisis, a potentially lifesaving initiative. The course was well attended by ESO and RSL LifeCare team members.
• Wrapped up the year with celebrations for International Volunteers Day and a festive Christmas party, attended by 80 people.

To stay up to date on the Central Coast Hub, click here.

Northern Beaches Veteran Wellbeing Centre

This year has been an outstanding one for the Hub, as we continue to deepen our engagement with the local veteran community.  The team continues building strong partnerships with ESOs and the Northern Beaches community, to help more local veterans access support and services.
Key highlights of the year include:

• 2025 Veteran Expo at the Anzac Memorial – an amazing opportunity to bring together ESOs from across Sydney, providing veterans and their families a simple way to access education and information on the support available to them.
• Inaugural Navy veteran session – bringing Navy veterans together to share experiences, build networks and explore pathways for wellbeing and support.
• Easter Egg Hunt – a joyful family event fostering connection across generations.
• Visit from Dr. Sophie Scamps MP, Federal Minister – a chance to showcase our work and reinforce the importance of government engagement in veteran wellbeing.

Looking Ahead
Building on this year’s success, we’re committed to growing our programs, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring every veteran and family feels supported, valued, and connected. 

To stay up to date on our Northern Beaches Veteran Wellbeing Centre, please click here.

Hunter Veteran & Family Hub

As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on an incredible year of progress, connection, and community spirit. 

The journey to create a permanent, purpose-built space for veterans and their families has been shaped by consultation, collaboration, and persistence. Located in Maitland, the Hub has been under construction for several months and is now edging closer to completion. The handover is scheduled for early 2026, and will be followed by a grand opening! 

The team continue to foster strong relationships with local organisations, including RAAF Base Williamtown, DMFS, Defence School Mentors, councils, RSL sub-Branches, Task Force Veteran. 

A few community highlights 

• Hosted a site visit of our future Hub for key stakeholders, offering a preview of the welcoming environment we’re creating. 
• Despite a 40+ degree heatwave, our Christmas in the Park event was a huge success, complete with slushies, lawn games, and live music from Rutherford Technology High School. 
• Partnered with Invictus Australia for a festive Barefoot Bowls event.

For news and updates about the Hunter Hub, please click here.

Hawkesbury Veteran & Family Hub

The Hawkesbury Veteran and Family Hub Team held their inaugural annual Charity golf day, raising vital funds for the hub. 70 players on the day started with a bacon & egg roll breakfast and shotgun start, finishing with lunch, presentations and our golf ball drop raffle.  

Although the Hub has only recently opened, it’s already buzzing with activity: 

• Guitars for Veterans jamming three times a week
• Members of the local RSL sub-Branch are using the space for an array of regular meetings
• Weekly Invictus Yoga classes
• Mindfulness matters every fortnight helping veterans and their families navigate the mental health space.  
• The Defence Member and Family Support book club holds regular meet and chats.  

And that’s just the beginning! The team will be rolling out a range of new activities in the new year, including Defence tabletop gaming nights, an end of the month sausage sizzle and, in collaboration with Windsor RSL club, Veteran and seniors low impact exercise classes.

To stay up to date on Hawkesbury Hub news, please click here.

North Coast Veteran & Family Hub

2025 has been a year of exciting progress and community connection for the North Coast Hub. 

The permanent office location is under construction, but that’s not stopping the team from growing & supporting the local veteran community.   

The Hub’s community spirit is flourishing. The Wednesday Walkers have become a local institution, exploring the Tweed café scene with enthusiasm, while our monthly Veteran’s Roll-Up lawn bowls continues to be a highlight. The final event of the year brought festive cheer with Christmas-themed games and costumes, a fitting close to a year of camaraderie and fun. 

Early in the new year, we’ll move into our permanent Hub, followed by a grand opening celebration. Construction momentum remains strong, and every step reflects our commitment to creating a Hub that not only serves but celebrates the veteran community.

To stay up to date on North Coast Hub news, please click here.

Like to know more about all of our veteran support team updates? Read our Year End Wrap Up.

Veteran Services Update - 2025 Wrap Up

Our efforts are proudly supported by funds from RSL NSW and its sub-Branches. The services we provide would not be possible without the generous support of our donors.  

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, get in touch with us at [email protected]. Or call 02 8088 0388.

To stay up to date on what the team is doing, please subscribe to our regular newsletter updates.

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