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More than 40 community service organisations from Western Sydney, Nepean and the Blue Mountains will come together today to highlight a growing funding crisis that could force vital local services to turn people away.
The NCOSS Local Connect Forum, hosted by the NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) in Katoomba, will bring together local representatives from across the social services sector to tackle critical challenges, and at the forefront will be a discussion about their urgent funding needs so they can continue to provide essential support for the community.
NCOSS CEO, Cara Varian said, “With the cost-of-living crisis putting more people under pressure than ever, community services are playing a critical role in keeping families and people in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains region supported.
“The Local Connect Forum is about bringing everyone together across the sector, from housing, mental health, First Nations organisations, youth support, food relief and trauma-informed care, to collaborate and find ways to deliver better outcomes more efficiently for the community. In doing so, we can break down silos, build stronger networks and make sure services are coordinated in the best way possible to meet the growing needs of people who rely on them.
“Right now, we’re increasingly hearing from more and more organisations that resource limitations are becoming severe. With cost-of-living pressures affecting more families and people than ever, the demand for social services is growing rapidly. People are having to choose between medical treatment, paying the bills and putting food on the table.
“The Local Connect Forum gives us the space to connect, listen, share learnings and challenges, and work together to inform our advocacy and develop policies and solutions that can deliver vital services for the communities facing poverty and disadvantage.
“But we also need to be clear: without adequate funding from government, more and more essential services will be forced to breaking point, leaving communities without the services they need and deserve.”
Organisations registered to attend include:
AbSec, Advance Disability Services & Respite, Australian Red Cross, Blacktown Area Community Centres Inc. (BACC), Central Tablelands and Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre (CTBMCLC), CHIA (Community Housing Industry Association) NSW, Cumberland for the Common Good, DV West, Fams, GambleAware, Gilgai Aboriginal Centre, Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA), Karabi Community & Development Services Inc., Link Wentworth Housing, Mission Australia, Mountain Community Resource Network, New Life Navigators, Platform Youth Services, Reconciliation for Western Sydney, Gilgai Aboriginal Centre, Removals For Hope, Richmond Community Services Inc, Saints Care Ltd, Shelter NSW, Special Teaching and Research (STaR) Ltd, Survivors & Mates Support Network, SydWest ,The Benevolent Society, The Haven Nepean Women’s Shelter, The Link Foundation AOD, Uniting, Uniting – Maximising the Middle, Uniting Family and Carers Mental Health Program NBM, Wattle Place – Relationships Australia NSW, Wesley Mission, Western Sydney Community Forum, Western Sydney Community Legal Centre, WESTIR Ltd, Yfoundations, Youth Action NSW
Media enquiries: Bron Matherson, 0438 844 765