A few Tawnies ago, I shared how well the Manly Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice (AYAH) on the old Manly Hospital site is going and put a call out for organisations that wanted to help support the service as it continues to grow. Community Bank Freshwater Bendigo Bank and Manly Rotary got in touch and have dug deep for the Hospice!
Part of the magic of the Hospice is the respite that it provides to family and carers of people with life limiting illness. Caring for a loved one who has complex needs can be incredibly distressing and tiring. Staying at the Hospice not only provides Hospital level 24-hour care, but as we all know, Manly, Freshwater, Curl Curl (to name a few), are beautiful areas to explore and enjoy when you need to relax.
However, when you are travelling from far away and don’t have an easy means of getting around, especially if you need to travel with a wheelchair, it can be a challenge. So, the Hospice identified the need for a specially designed bus. The bus can transport clients and families staying at the Hospice, meaning they can get around our town and truly enjoy a week or so of deserved respite. However, a bus doesn’t come cheap, particularly when it needs to be converted to become wheelchair friendly.
Step in Community Bank Freshwater and Manly Rotary. The two organisations have donated $50,000 each to purchase a bus for the Hospice! It was a Christmas present from Manly Rotary, and a way for Community Bank Freshwater to celebrate their own 21st birthday.
I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude to Trevor, Julie, Simmone and the team at Community Bank Freshwater and Susie, Ken, Ted and the team at Manly Rotary for generously purchasing the $100,000 bus. They heard the call for help, and decided to do something, and in only a matter of weeks got the job done. The true embodiment
of community.
The $19.5 million Hospice is a state-of-the-art facility, it is the only one of its kind in the country, and something we can all be proud of. In many respects it is a continuation of the proud history of healthcare that has been provided on the old Manly Hospital site.
It is worthwhile remembering that the Hospice welcomes people who are experiencing the toughest of times, from right across NSW. I believe it is Manly’s way of sharing our beautiful location and generosity with the rest of the state. A huge thanks to the nurses and team that run the Hospice, as the care they provide is world-class.
Throughout 2024, there will be opportunities big and small for individuals and groups to help support the work of the Hospice and I look forward to sharing that with you. Again, a huge thank you to Community Bank Freshwater and Manly Rotary.
In other news, I have continued to lobby the Government and ensure the funding that was committed to demolishing the old Aquarium site to create open public space is retained and the project proceeds. I have been advised by the Minister herself, that demolition should commence in the first half of 2024.
Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!
Authorised by James Griffin MP. Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements.
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