FOR more than 20 years, the North East Riverina Rural Counselling Service (NERRCS) was a godsend for farming families desperate for support during one of Australia’s worst-ever droughts.
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Now, with the service coming to a close one of its final acts will be to support regional families through a $10,000 donation to the Forrest Centre Palliative Care Hospice Appeal.
“We started in 1991 and finished earlier this year, and in distributing our funds we had to come up with a charity in the area covered by the service – people suggested palliative care,” said NERRCS chairman Bill Thompson.
“We hope this donation encourages people from shires around Wagga to think about palliative care because this centre will be a major benefit not just for Wagga, but the entire Riverina.”
Appeal chairman, Peter Fitzpatrick, thanked the service for the donation and stressed the hospice would be for anyone in need of palliative care.
“What we are doing is for the whole region, the only requirement is need,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the public appeal to help meet construction costs of the 10-bed $5 million hospice had reached $1.85m.
“We are on the cusp of the construction starting, and every bit (of public support) helps, he said.
The project has been granted a construction certificate by Wagga City Council and a builder has been chosen, Mr Fitzpatrick said.