There will be plenty of fanfare this Friday as Community Carers Accommodation South East officially celebrates the completion and opening of stage one.
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On December 15, the public is invited for a walkthrough of the accommodation facility as it is handed over to Southern NSW Local Health District to operate.
“This is a huge milestone for us and definitely worth celebrating!” CCASE president Lynne Koerbin said.
“What started as the seed of an idea from Janet Brandon while she was president of the Rotary Club of Pambula in 2012 has transformed into a community project that has been embraced across south-east NSW and resulted in a fantastic facility being available at our new hospital.”
CCASE was established in 2012, made up of representatives from a number of key service clubs in the local area, including Rotary, Lions, Eden Lionesses and CWA. The task was to raise funds, design and construct an 18-bed carers accommodation facility, to be handed over to the Local Health District to operate.
In the five years since inception, CCASE has raised enough funds to build the first two of three stages of the facility, and Friday will mark the opening of stage one – the first wing of six motel style rooms, each with their own ensuite.
The carers accommodation has generated a huge level of support from members of the community, local businesses and all levels of government.
Ms Koerbin said the project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the NSW Ministry of Health and its contribution of land, the National Stronger Regions Fund and a substantial funding grant and Bega Valley Shire Council and its concessions with fees.
Bega Cheese and the Pambula and Districts Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) have been major corporate sponsors of the project.
“Both were instrumental in contributing substantial funds that helped guarantee success with an application for a matching government grant, which ended up being the tipping point for being able to get started on construction in 2016,” Ms Koerbin said.
Small local businesses involved in the design and construction of the facility have contributed via discounted prices and in kind contributions and a huge amount of funds have come in through service clubs, community groups and individual donors from across the region.
As part of the official proceedings on Friday, the facility will be handed over to the LHD to open it up for bookings. The facility will be available for people wanting to stay close to loved ones in hospital, and to people traveling from a distance for health treatment who might need to stay close to the hospital before or after their procedures.
“The need for a carers accommodation facility has really resonated with so many people – many have experienced the need first hand, while others have got behind the project simply because they recognise how important it is for our rural area to have a facility like this available,” Ms Koerbin said.
“This has been a community driven project for the benefit of the community – and it’s absolutely wonderful to see it come to fruition”.
The official opening will take place at 11.30am and the open house runs from 2-5pm. This is a great opportunity to have a look through the new building and help the CCASE committee and Local Health District celebrate a major milestone.