Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I had the pleasure of joining the official opening of headspace Lake Haven's upgraded centre, including an incredible garden designed by First Nations Australians, in my electorate on the Central Coast. Headspace is a trusted model of care that, since 2006, has supported more than 770,000 young Australians, providing 4.5 million services to strengthen their wellbeing, support their mental health, help them through challenging times and get them back on track. At Lake Haven, the growth of headspace has been remarkable. The service has grown from a satellite that provided 150 occasions of service to 105 young people in 2015 to now providing 5,000 occasions of service to more than 1,000 young people each year. I thank and congratulate the staff and community for their advocacy and continued commitment to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people on the Central Coast.

Across my electorate of Dobell, 29 community groups received funding through the latest round of the Commonwealth government's volunteer grants. One such community group, We Care Connect, led by Derryck Klarkowski since 2016, has become an institution on the Central Coast. Their volunteers prepare support packages tailored to individual family needs, including clothes, nappies, bedding, cots, prams, car seats, toys, books and other essential items that families of young children need, especially during winter. We Care Connect was founded with the belief that all children deserve the very best, and since then it has gone from strength to strength, helping close to 6,000 kids on the Central Coast through more than 150,000 generous donations from our community. I congratulate We Care Connect, as a recipient of a community grant, and thank its incredible volunteers for the important work that they continue to do in our community.

Last week I was delighted to visit the Warnervale Wellness Centre run by Catholic Healthcare in my electorate. The wellness centre is very close to my heart, as my late father, Grant, was cared for by their dedicated staff, especially the service coordinator, Michelle Webb. Michelle has cared for local people at the centre for over 15 years, providing a safe, welcoming place for older people, including those living with dementia. The service they provide in our community is invaluable. One thing that makes the centre so special and that my father loved was singing. As Nic told me, people sing the words that they can't say. While at the centre, I had the opportunity to meet Margaret, John and Janice, and I tried my hand at tenpin bowling, the Tovertafel and of course a great game of cards. Meeting up with friends, trying something new, and keeping physically, mentally and socially active are all important, particularly in our senior years. I thank the team at the Warnervale Wellness Centre for their commitment to our community.