Today (18 January), Lives Lived Well celebrates a significant milestone, having secured a $5.445 million grant for the establishment of a new Veterans’ and Families’ Hub in Elizabeth. This announcement was made by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh and Member for Spence, Matt Burnell.
Located close to RAAF Base Edinburgh, the expansion of the Hub network into Adelaide’s northern suburbs will see more than 10,950 local veterans and their families access improved specialist services close to home.
According to Minister Keogh, “While each veteran community around the country is different, Lives Lived Well will be able to bring the experiences and insights gleaned at their Caboolture Veterans’ and Families’ Hub to Elizabeth.”
The Hub will not only be the centre of veteran community connection, it will also feature a range of tailored services seeking to accelerate access to health, advocacy, employment, financial, housing and transition support, as well as referral to other veteran service providers.
Member for Spence, Matt Burnell, emphasised that “this Veterans’ and Families’ Hub will provide a wide range of support services that were developed by Veterans, for Veterans, and their families. Years of in-depth consultation with the relevant communities has helped progress this project, and today marks an important day for the northern suburbs’ Veteran community.”
With more than 40 years’ experience in providing mental health and wellbeing support, Lives Lived Well will bring their expert perspective to supporting the South Australian veteran community.
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Althaus, Director of Lives Lived Well, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to establish and operate the Hub. He highlighted the not-for-profit’s ongoing commitment to work with a consortium of ex-service organisations and local providers, including Open Arms, to make the Hub a comprehensive, one-stop shop for critical services for local veterans and their families.
“Through the business case process, Lives Lived Well has worked closely with Legacy South Australia to gain insights into local needs and build up what service delivery will look like through these northern suburbs,” he said.
He added, “A special thank you to the Department of Veterans Affairs for recognising the importance of these hubs and supporting our plans to launch an accessible, responsive, high-performing hub.”
The expansion of the Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs network in Northern Adelaide is part of the Government’s $46.7 million commitment to deliver ten new Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across the country.
For further details on Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs, visit www.dva.gov.au/vfhubs.
To learn more about the Veterans’ and Families’ Wellbeing Hub in Caboolture, opened by Lives Lived Well in 2023, visit www.liveslivedwell.org.au/veterans-and-families-hub/.