By Ethan Benedicto
It was all about bringing vibrancy through their aura and colours in celebration of 50 years, as the purple EACH bus landed in Narre Warren on Monday, engaging with the hub’s staff and the local community from 9am to 11am.
The journey, which began in Ipswich, Queensland, was more than just a commemoration, but also an homage to the Eastern Access Community Health’s foundational goal; their dedication to delivering health and support services that improve lives and strengthen communities.
EACH’s manager for mental health and psychological interventions, Derek Fagan, who is based in the Narre Warren hub said that the whole experience was a fantastic way to “meet all the different services, know each of the staff along the way and hear their experiences of working for the organisation”.
“It was also about you know, wearing our t-shirts with the 50th anniversary logo on it and driving on a purple bus and getting a lot of community interest.
“A lot of people in all the communities we stopped at were interested in what we were doing, so we’d stop and talk to them about mental health and aged care, working with young people, NDIS, all the services that we run, so we really galvanised a lot of community interest and support.”
EACH began in 1974, the first site being opened by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and was originally known as the Maroondah Social Health Centre.
It grew steadily, where in 1988 it held 194 volunteers; but it was in 1998 when EACH was born, after merging with the Outer East Council for Developing Services in Mental Health Inc. and Healesville Adult Day Care Centre.
“It really started as a grassroots organisation responding to community needs and health concerns,” Fagan said.
“You know, [it was about] linking people to allied health, their GPs, as well as providing support for you aged care, people with disabilities and young people struggling with navigating life.
“It really started with people caring, and that has really been our ethos that’s come through the organisation.”
The goal of the drive was to ultimately connect with people, and celebrate them, as well as the places that have made EACH the advocate for community-based health and support services.
The organisation’s CEO, Natalie Sullivan, said that the drive “is an incredibly proud moment for us”.
“We want to share our pride in our past and our excitement about our future with everyone who has been part of our journey – communities, customers, government funders and of course our amazing team members, past and present.”
EACH provides clinical, counselling and support services that cater to youth and adult mental health, recovery from alcohol and other drugs, as well as physical wellbeing – including dental, nursing, physios and other allied health.
They also attend to people with disabilities, including children with developmental delays; child, youth and family wellbeing is also a focus, and support for older adults to remain confident, engaged and active.
“We’re really in the whole mix, we work collaboratively in the community,” Fagan said.
“We’re providing real wrap-around support with allied health, support with GPs, Indigenous organisations, cultural and linguistic services, local councils and so on.
“It’s not for profit, we’re not in it just to win contracts, we’re in it to really advocate for the sector, to make sure that funding and the people aren’t forgotten along the way.”
Other hubs in the area were visited; including Ferntree Gully on 30 August, Boronia on 2 September and Ringwood East on 3 September.
Currently, EACH employs 1500 staff supported by 200 volunteers, delivering more than 150 health and support services to 60,000 vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians annually.
Greeted by calm winds and clear skies, Fagan said that the tour was an amazing opportunity for everyone to get together and “be one”, fostering that sense of camaraderie, not just with one another, but also the people they serve.
