​The NSW Government is investing more than $670,000 to deliver end of life and palliative care initiatives in co-design with the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and far South Coast Aboriginal community. 

As part of the End of Life and Palliative Care Non-Government Organisation Grants Program, Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation has been chosen as one of six organisations to share in more than $3.5 million in funding over four years to increase community capacity to engage with death and dying. 

Waminda is culturally safe and holistic service, providing Aboriginal women and their families an opportunity to belong and receive quality health and wellbeing support. Waminda will use its $670,019 grant to build effective partnerships to improve and coordinate palliative and end of life care for Aboriginal people.

They will also offer specialist training opportunities for existing Aboriginal health practitioners to help them support people and their families at the end of their life while also seeking to increase death and grief literacy by improving awareness through education.

Five other grants were awarded to organisations as part of the End of Life and Palliative Care NGO Grants Program, delivering a broad range of community initiatives across NSW: 

• Bullinah Aboriginal Health Service has been funded $632,250 to deliver End of Life and Palliative Care initiatives in co-design with the Bullinah Aboriginal community. 
• ACON has been funded $610,000 to establish a comprehensive ‘Taking Control’ End of Life and Palliative Care program, building on their existing co-designed LGBTQI+ toolkit for Palliative Care and End of Life decisions. 
• Palliative Care NSW has been funded $671,076 to deliver an expanded Community Conversations program across NSW, which builds community capacity to have conversations about what matters most and to start advance care planning. They will also deliver the PalliLEARN formal learning program, a course-based program designed to cultivate knowledge and compassion around death, dying and grieving.
• Community Broadcasting Association of Australia has been funded $365,203 for the ‘Your Story, Your Decision’ project, using community radio stations to deliver relatable information about end of life and palliative care. 
• The New South Wales Council for Intellectual Disability has been funded $560,119 to deliver training and e-learning for health professionals, people with intellectual disability, their families and carers. 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health and Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park:

“The NSW Government is committed to enhancing palliative care services and supports for all people across NSW, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples on the South Coast. 

“End of life and palliative care for a loved one can be a challenging time and different communities have different needs and expectations during this period. 

“Waminda’s program will work to enhance end of life care for Aboriginal people across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and far South Coast by building partnerships, developing skills and providing culturally relevant education of death and grief.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris:

“This grant for the Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation will be an important step in offering culturally appropriate and high-quality palliative care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living on the South Coast.

​“This is part of the NSW Government commitment to closing the gap and improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people in a culturally safe and appropriate way.”

Quotes attributable to the Member for South Coast Liza Butler: 

“Grants like the NSW Government’s End of Life and Palliative Care NGO Grants Program are so important to local organisations like Waminda. They assist with developing resources that are informed by lived experience and address areas of need within the community.”

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