RSL LifeCare receives $5.445 million in funding to provide holistic support for veterans from Hawkesbury to South Western Sydney

RSL LifeCare, in partnership with RSL NSW and sub-Branches, will today receive a $5.445 million grant from the Federal Government to develop a Veterans’ and Families’ Hub network, connecting the Hawkesbury region to South Western Sydney.

The initiative will establish a corridor of support, bookended by two Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs, one in Richmond in the Hawkesbury region, and one in South Western Sydney, in Ingleburn, to ensure that the 19,200 local veterans in the area can access services close to home.

The announcement follows RSL LifeCare successfully completing the final stage of the bid for the new facilities, part of the Government’s $46.7 million commitment to deliver 10 new Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country. The development complements the recently successful bids for two new Hubs in Queanbeyan and the Central Coast region, as well as existing hubs in Nowra, the Northern Beaches and the Riverina and Hunter regions.

The new facilities will enable RSL LifeCare to implement a ‘hub and spoke’ model, developed in consultation with the local communities and other ex-service organisations, through the network of RSL sub-Branches. Through this model, the Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs act as primary care centres with RSL sub-Branches providing flexible and innovative care solutions for veterans and their families.

RSL LifeCare CEO Janet Muir said that the successful bid was another essential milestone for RSL LifeCare’s commitment to supporting veterans and their families.

“We are thrilled to be able to fulfill our vision of creating a corridor between the Hawkesbury and South Western Sydney that will deliver a comprehensive and efficient support network for veterans and their families across the Hawkesbury and South Western Sydney regions,” Ms Muir said.

“We thank RSL NSW and sub-Branches for their ongoing partnership which helps us collectively bring significant and valuable resources to the delivery of these Hubs.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh said: “We’re developing Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country to suit the needs of the local veteran community. This unique network will support the corridor of veterans living in the beautiful Blue Mountains in the Hawkesbury region, south to Ingleburn, in South Western Sydney.

“We’re working to make sure each Hub around the country is easily accessible and available to local veterans, to support them and their families close to home.

“It’s fantastic to see so many organisations join with RSL LifeCare – including Legacy, Invictus, the Defence and Veterans Legal Service, Disaster Relief Australia, Veteran Gaming Australia and many others, come together to provide the best possible services and supports to local veterans.”

Last year, RSL NSW sub-Branches donated $3.3 million to RSL LifeCare to ensure that veterans and their families continue to receive free critical services and support, including access to local Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs.

RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge said “RSL NSW is committed to supporting RSL LifeCare’s Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs because we know they work.

The expansion of Hubs in locations with significant Defence and veteran communities is a strong step in the right direction to bolstering the support we deliver to Australian servicemen and women, and their families.”

RSL LifeCare Veteran Services, Executive General Manager, David Anderson said this accomplishment supported the organisation’s goal to establish centres of support for veterans and their families across NSW and the ACT.

“Thanks to the generous funding from the Government, we can provide support to even more veterans across two of NSW’s major regions. This unique approach to providing one-stop-shops for vulnerable members of our community is a big step toward giving veterans the support they need and deserve.”

RSL LifeCare Veteran Services will work with a consortium of ex-service organisations and local providers to offer a holistic model for the delivery of critical services and support at the centre of the Veterans’ and Families’ Hub strategy.