Highlighting its commitment to regional South Australia, UnitingSA celebrates the official opening today of its new home of community services in Whyalla.
Located in Moran Street, the new headquarters accommodates UnitingSA’s trio of co-located services including mental health, NDIS and Wesley Social Enterprises (WSE).
UnitingSA CEO Jenny Hall says the new building replaces an outdated location in Head Street and will help build on the not-for-profit’s long-standing presence in the community.
Earlier this year UnitingSA was successful in a tender to provide non-government support to people experiencing mental health challenges.
Funding for the next nine years enables UnitingSA to increase its services in regional areas by establishing new services in Renmark, Port Pirie, Murray Bridge and across the Barossa-Hills-Fleurieu, while expanding services in Whyalla and Kadina.
“While a lot of our work takes place in the metropolitan area, as an organisation, we also have a growing presence in regional South Australian centres like Whyalla,’’ Ms Hall says.
“To ignore the regions outside of the city, is to ignore that many families and individuals living in country and remote communities face similar challenges to those in the metropolitan area.”
“Some of these challenges include housing and cost of living pressures and the need for quality support services in the areas of mental health, employment and disability.’’
UnitingSA has provided well over a decade of services and commitment to Whyalla. It first launched a service to support Whyalla’s migrant communities in 1990 and since then has expanded its local service footprint.
Ms Hall says that with further economic growth likely in the Whyalla region, especially related to the South Australian Hydrogen Jobs Plan, it is important that social infrastructure development also supports this growth.
UnitingSA’s specialist mental health services support individuals living with a mental illness or mental health concerns, helping them to manage obstacles, form positive relationships and work towards individual goals.
NDIS services operating from the Moran Street site will help local people living with disability take part in everyday activities, as well as build skills so they can participate in the community.
WSE, the third service operating from the new site is an NDIS employment service working with a diverse range of people including: individuals; families and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Today’s official opening will be attended by the Member for Giles, Eddie Hughes MP, Whyalla Mayor, Phil Stone, and the UnitingSA Board.
Media contact: Catherine Bauer 0478 855 367