Mates4Mates, one of the country’s leading charities providing physical, psychological and social support services to the Defence community, today opened the first veterans’ health and wellbeing centre of its kind in the Territory, welcoming all former and current personnel, and their families, impacted by service.
The Mates4Mates NT interim centre is open a year ahead of schedule, with strong demand and support from the NT veteran community since services commenced last October prompting Mates4Mates to create an interim site in Palmerston.
"We recognised a need within the community which is why we were determined to open the doors on an interim site as soon as possible, and with more than 100 Mates already registered in the NT the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“We have already been running a great schedule of social connection activities with our local veteran liaison officers Chris and Jack who are here to welcome everyone, and with a place to call our own now you can expect to see those services continue to grow,” said Mates4Mates Northern Territory Regional Manager Jan Peters.
Northern Territory Minister for Veterans Affairs, The Hon Paul Kirby MLA, welcomed the news of doors opening at the Mates4Mates NT interim centre.
“The Territory is home to thousands of Defence personnel, Veterans, and their families, and the mental health and wellbeing of those community members is extremely important to the Northern Territory Government – that’s why we’re proud to support Mates4Mates in providing much needed support services to the Defence community,” Mr Kirby said.
Mates4Mates services already in the Territory include psychological support, Telehealth, social connection activities, and tailored skills for recovery programs, including a three-day wellness program scheduled for later in the year.
The permanent site for the Northern Territory Veterans and Family Wellbeing Centre remains on track for 2022.
Anyone interested in joining Mates4Mates or looking for more information can simply visit the site at 1A/11 Palmerston Circuit, email nt@mates4mates.org or go to www.mates4mates.org.
The centre will be open Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
