Coast Shelter is set to expand its services thanks to $818,000 in funding from the NSW Government as part of The Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF).
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch joined Coast Shelter CEO Michael Starr to announce the expansion project recently.
It will repurpose an existing storeroom into a multi-purpose open plan space in which to run targeted wellbeing programs for females experiencing homelessness, domestic and family violence, and other trauma.
Starr said the funding would be an “absolute game-changer” for the Central Coast community and the services provided at Coast Shelter’s Community Centre in Gosford.
“We will be able to accommodate and service more women with accompanying children, people who need access to mental health support, people who need access to alcohol and other drug counselling, and people who are feeling more vulnerable than in any other time in their life,” he said.
“As the rising costs of living start to bite hard for people across the Central Coast, we are seeing people access our services that we have never seen before in 30 years, but we are here to support them.”
Crouch said the Stronger Country Communities Fund has been a “godsend” to regional communities like the Central Coast, delivering funding to grassroots projects.
“Coast Shelter already does a fantastic job, providing a range of services and personal support for people experiencing homelessness or domestic and family violence,” he said.
“This funding will further enhance their services by helping Coast Shelter develop The Retreat, a wellbeing studio specialising in support for those in our community who need it most.”
The Stronger Country Communities Fund is part of the NSW Government’s $3.3B Regional Growth Fund, designed to support growing regional centres, activate local economies and improve services and community infrastructure in the regions.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said in the past five years the Fund had delivered more than 2000 grassroots projects, benefitting every Local Government Area in regional NSW.
Terry Collins