As we close the year, I want to thank you for helping increase ac.care’s impact.
Your support drives positive change for country people.
Together, we have made considerable strides toward our vision of disrupting cycles of disadvantage and strengthening the fabric of our communities.
Country people living in communities across the Limestone Coast, Riverland, Murraylands, Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula continue to face significant and often complex challenges that affect their lives, including ongoing cost-of-living pressures, a lack of affordable and available housing, loneliness and isolation and increasing levels of family, domestic, and sexual violence.
Our community centres at Berri, Millicent and Mount Gambier, together with the Murraylands Centre, remain central to achieving our mission of ensuring all country people have a safe home, enough money to live on and strong, positive relationships.
These sites provide important face-to-face connections with people experiencing hardship, supporting over 2070 people facing crisis with financial help and food relief over the 2024-25FY period alone.
During this same timeframe, ac.care provided early support to help 573 people avoid homelessness, while 278 people moved from homelessness to stable accommodation.
Our highly skilled family services staff handled the delicate work of supporting 1072 people through challenges in their relationships or families, while 172 people participated in specialised family violence counselling and group programs.
Providing children with the safety and stability they need to thrive is crucial to their futures, and we thank our amazing network of 155 foster carer families for making a difference in the lives of 265 children.
We have also witnessed the growth and resilience of 43 children and young people who received 24/7 care in our nine residential care homes.
You can read more about how ac.care supported country people experiencing hardship across 2024-25 in our latest annual report, available online at www.accare.org.au.
At the heart of this impact is a skilled, passionate team of 233 staff, including 20 volunteers.
It is a privilege to lead these incredible people who work every day to make a positive difference in the lives of so many.
Importantly, ac.care has made investments and matured as an organisation, ensuring our governance, systems, and brick-and-mortar sites continue to provide a solid foundation for delivering life-changing work.
In a year of big decisions, ac.care also determined not to develop further Reconciliation Action Plans, but rather to commit greater resources to building stronger relationships and partnerships directly with Aboriginal people, communities, and organisations living and operating in our regions.
Addressing the issues and challenges facing our communities starts with listening to the people who use our services so we can continuously improve and learn how best to support them.
During this period, we sat down with over 20 people who use our services and are now incorporating their feedback and wisdom to change the way we work.
Looking ahead to 2026, ac.care will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
While this milestone will be acknowledged throughout the year, we remain focused on ensuring ac.care continues to be strong, innovative, and adaptable to changing community needs.
We also look forward to finalising the relocation of our Head Office from the outskirts of Mount Gambier to an accessible, prominent site in Percy Street, in Mount Gambier’s central business district.
Achieving all this work requires strong governance, stewardship, and leadership, all underpinned by our values and our history as an Anglican community organisation.
We support the most disadvantaged but also work to strengthen families so that children have a strong start, young people reach their potential, and adults remain safe and connected.
Thank you for your support in 2025, and we look forward to working together to create positive change in the new year.
Shane Maddocks,
ac.care Chief Executive
