Our latest blog posts
Click here for our latest press releases
Back to school vouchers for children affected by bushfires
Students affected by the 2019/20 fire season have been getting a little help with their school expenses thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. Social Futures, along with the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF), worked through 35...
Elise moves into a home of her own
Moving into your own home is a special milestone but for Elise Miller, it holds extra significance. Elise has finally had the birthday party she's dreamed of for so long, with friends, family and other supporters celebrating in her new purpose-built home. The sociable...
NDIS opens up a whole new life for Tasel
FOR many of us, 2020 may turn out to be a year we’d rather forget. But for Maclean woman Jacques Sears, things have never been better. Ms Sears, also known as Tasel, is deaf, but with the help of the National Disability Insurance Scheme her life has changed for the...
How our local services stayed connected through COVID-19
While individuals and households were adjusting to the new reality of social isolation as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, human service organisations were scrambling to figure out how best to keep supporting our most vulnerable community members despite physical distancing...
Madeleine lands her dream job
Madeleine Thompson dreamed of becoming a nurse when she was still in primary school. Now she’s living the dream, having recently secured a permanent role as an Assistant in Nursing at St Joseph’s Nursing Home in the northern NSW town of Lismore. “I’m really enjoying...
Grounds for Celebration
From forever volunteering to paid employment at a coffee shop? That’s grounds for celebration! Sharon Hammond has a wonderful story. From working in volunteer roles all her life, she has finally secured paid employment in a position where she is valued, liked and...
Tackling bullying one class at a time
Schools are looking toward an inclusive future thanks to awareness program, ‘Different on the Outside but the Same on the Inside’. Many of us saw the distraught video of nine year old Quaden Bayles and our hearts wrenched seeing the effect of bullying upon a young...
Northern Rivers transport guides
If you are looking for information about transport options in the Northern Rivers including bus routes, community and medical transport, taxi, coach and other services that operate in your area, visit goingplaces.org.au and download the transport guide for your...
Care factor makes all the difference for Rocky
In 1996, at 29 years of age, Rocky Mileto sustained a severe spinal cord injury from a tackle in a game of rugby union. “I had the ball, it was one on one. Just the wrong angle, wrong timing,” Rocky said. “It was that easy, that simple. Most injuries, rugby or rugby...
Continuing to deliver support services throughout COVID-19
Social Futures is committed to the continuation of delivering support services in a safe, practical and innovative way while navigating COVID-19. What do you need to know: We are taking daily steps to try to make sure our offices and facilities are safe to access We...
Putting family life back in the picture
Many people who have family members with disabilities experience the sadness and frustration of being so busy in their support roles that they can’t enjoy the pleasures of family life. For them, the benefits of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be...
Muscular dystrophy won’t stop Lachie
It has been one year exactly since Lachlan Reardon got his first NDIS plan. Soon to turn 11-years-old, this local Mudgee boy has come a long way in a single year. Lachlan lives with mild muscular dystrophy. He has hyper flexibility and low muscle mass. He’s always...
Everyone has ability. Everyone has a dream.
It has been just over a year since Ability Dreaming opened its doors and like any new business, there have been highs and lows according to Managing Director, Joel Everett. The first 12 months of any business is a notoriously difficult time for anyone, but adding a...
How reflective practice can improve our aged care sector
Social Futures recently made a submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommending all aged care workers are given the opportunity to participate in Wellness and Reablement Reflective Practice in order to continuously improve the quality...
From bugs to hugs – life is looking up
“She always wants to hug you! She hugs you 10 times in 10 minutes!” exclaims Broken Hill Local Area Coordinator Angela Turner, speaking of her National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant Marg. Marg often drops by the Social Futures Office in Broken Hill...
Headspace Forum 2020 – Artwork Showcase Info
Everyone Benefits From Inclusion
Social Futures LAC program staff were thrilled to work with the Murwillumbah Show Society and Tweed Shire Council to make sure people of all abilities had equal access to be part of the Murwillumbah Show. Watch our video discussing inclusion. Everyone benefits when...
Dirty Laundry Day Project 2019
The Dirty Laundry Day Project is a powerful community education campaign to raise awareness of domestic and family violence in our communities. During the last ten years, the Dirty Laundry Day Project has provided a voice for hundreds of people who have experienced...
Interactive map highlights extent of poverty across regional NSW
Regional communities in NSW are doing it tougher than their city dwelling counterparts. That’s the message from new research mapping social and economic disadvantage across the state released by the New South Wales Council of Social Services (NCOSS) today, echoing...
Wording up for a wider world
The world is making much more sense to Catherine Ryan since she was accepted onto the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The 33 year old lives in Orange and has experienced schizophrenia for as long as she can remember, disrupting her education and...
From homebound to outward bound
Nicole was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in December 2009. She tells her story in her own words: I went to the doctor because I had three cold fingers and that's when I got the diagnosis. It was devastating. I was a full-time working mother and it seemed like...
Tailored care helps Joseph spread his wings
Joseph's birthday in November last year was a double celebration - turning 40, and spending his first year as a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant. He marked the occasion with a concert in front of 80 invited guests, singing covers of his...
Opportunity Pathways supports access to study and work
Social Futures is offering a new program called Opportunity Pathways for Rent Choice recipients and social housing clients to help them access education, training and work in the Northern Rivers region. The program offers flexible, personalised support to people who...
Auslan signing comes to Byron Writers Festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6oelxtWYyQ&t=31s This year the Deaf Community will have more access to the Byron Writers Festival, beginning with an Auslan-signed promotional video developed in collaboration with Social Futures’ Far North Coast (FNC) Ability Links....