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Helping veterans and their families find a way forward in 2021
02 February 2022
At Mates4Mates, we actively changed lives in 2021, one connection at a time. Through our Family Recovery Centres across Australia, plus our outreach and online services, thousands of veterans and their families found a new way forward – and Mates4Mates were here to help them every step of the way.
During the year, we remained united and focused on providing holistic support to help our community every step of the way.
Since Mates4Mates first launched in 2013, more than 7,300 current and ex-serving Defence Force members and their families have directly benefited from our life-changing support services which include psychology and physical rehabilitation, social connection activities and skills-based clinical programs.
In 2021, the number of new Mates who accessed Mates4Mates services grew by 30%. This means, that for the very first time, many veterans and their families received the help they needed. This includes an 83% increase among 18-29 year olds, a 30% growth in current-serving Defence personnel, and a 36% increase in females, all accessing Mates4Mates services.
We provided more than 27,100 connections to our Mates, both face-to-face and online, throughout the year. This includes facilitating 13,209 social connections, a 50% increase compared to 2020, bringing veterans and their families across Australia together to reduce isolation.
Support looks different for everyone and adapting to online services became vital for those who were unable to attend face-to-face services as a result of distance, illness, or injury. We connected with 1,157 Mates through our online social connection activities and clinical services, with 528 psychology and exercise physiology appointments delivered through telehealth, increasing accessibility to our services.
Veterans and families of all ages use our support services with 34% of our members aged between 30 and 49 and a mix of 64% males, and 31% females.
What an incredible year 2021 was. Our staff and the veteran community have worked together to provide holistic support to achieve great outcomes for veterans and their families impacted by service.
We’d like to thank everyone who offered their support through community fundraisers, partnerships and donations. Your generosity has allowed us to continue providing vital services to those who have served our country and their families.
To download our full 2021 Impact Statement, please click here.To support our important work, visit supportmates4mates.org.
