Royal Far West was honoured to receive the NSW 2021 Resilient Australia Community Award for its Bushfire Recovery Program at the 2021 NSW Get Ready Community Award and NSW Resilience Australia Awards virtual ceremony.

The Bushfire Recovery Program has supported some 3,000 children in more than 30 bushfire-impacted communities. Designed to support the wellbeing and resilience of children affected by the bushfires of 2019/20, it is helping to give these kids a voice, making sure their needs are heard and they are supported during the recovery process.

Royal Far West’s CEO Jacqueline Emery says, “I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the incredible dedication of the Bushfire Recovery team and the many other clinicians who are working on this program. I am truly proud of the difference you have made to so many children’s lives as well as the lives of teachers, parents and carers.

“A special thanks to our former CEO Lindsay Cane AM who, as the disaster unfolded over the summer of 2019/20, was determined to respond, knowing our team could make a difference, and a heartfelt thank you to our initial funders UNICEF Australia and Paul Ramsay Foundation for making the program possible.”

The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate and promote initiatives that build whole of community resilience to disasters and emergencies around Australia, as well as images capturing resilience in action. The awards recognise collaboration and innovative thinking across all sectors.

The winners of the NSW Resilient Australia Awards may now progress to become finalists at the national awards, expected to be announced in early December.

Many partners helped Royal Far West make the Bushfire Disaster Program possible, including Charles Sturt University, HP Australia, Little Wings Ltd, GIVIT, NSW Rural Doctors Network Health Workforce Scholarship Program, Emerging Minds Australia, Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service for Birdies Tree Resources and Good Grief (MacKillop Family Services).

Established in 1924, Royal Far West is one of Australia’s most enduring and respected charities dedicated to connecting kids in rural and remote communities to the care they need.

Royal Far West offers health, education and disability services for country children and their families at the Centre for Country Kids in Manly, virtually via Telecare, and in local communities.