History of UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide

UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide, formerly the Adelaide Central Mission, has served South Australia since 1901. It was established at Maughan Church, 43 Franklin Street, by the Methodist Conference (now the Uniting Church Synod).

In 1977, with the union of the Methodist, Congregation and Presbyterian churches to form the Uniting Church in Australia, the Central Methodist Mission changed its name to the Adelaide Central Mission. In 2003, Adelaide Central Mission joined a Partnership in Mission along with Port Adelaide Central Mission, UnitingCare Port Pirie Central Mission and Wesley Uniting Mission and became UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide.

In its first fifty years, UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide shifted its emphasis from evangelism to welfare. In its next fifty years, UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide began a further conscious shift to greater social justice for people and working in community. Now at the beginning of the 21st century and a new era, UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide identifies three key strategies to deliver commitment to the vision of fair and compassionate communities that enable people to flourish and contribute to others. These strategies are -· Community Strengthening· Quality Service Delivery, and· Advocacy.

Summary of Important Dates

• 2007 The Anangu Lands Paper Tracker project was launched in July. This online project tracks government commitments to South Australia’s remote Anangu communities. The project aims to make it easier for Anangu (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara peoples) to talk with governments about their future from a position of knowledge and strength. Via the project’s website (www.papertracker.com.au), Anangu and others can access accurate, up-to-date information on key projects, services and inquiries. In September 2008, the project began producing radio programs in the Pitjantjatjara language. Like the website, the programs aim to help Anangu stay informed about key issues so that they are better able to undertake their own advocacy.

• 2006 UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide is strongly committed to Excellence. The organization runs a participative self-evaluation process using the Australian Business Excellence Framework to provide a focus for making organizational improvement. In 2005, UCW Adelaide entered the National Business Excellence Awards, and achieved a Bronze Trophy in 2006.

• 2003 Lifeline Adelaide celebrated its 40th Birthday, having commenced operation on 11th August 1963, just 5 months after the first Lifeline centre commenced operation in Sydney. Lifeline Adelaide is funded and operated by UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide and today forms part of an international network of 257 Lifeline services in 12 countries, 42 of which are in Australia

• 2003 The Multicultural Home Support Programme received Home and Community Care money to deliver community services across the metropolitan area to people from the smaller ethnic communities, in June 2003. This has meant that 80 people who are on the waiting list for a more intensive Community Aged Care Package, have been able to receive services which enable them to continue living in their own home

• 2003 UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide joined a Partnership in Mission along with Port Adelaide Central Mission, UnitingCare Port Pirie Central Mission and Wesley Uniting Mission and became UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide. more...

• 2001 SideStreet Counselling Service commenced operation as a new service providing counselling to young homeless persons who have experienced sexual abuse and consultancy to youthworkers in the youth supported accommodation assistance program

• 2000 Reconnect develops out of the Prime Ministers Youth Homelessness Initiative as a collaborative effort between UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide, the Salvation Army and the Youth Health and Information Service.

• 1999 First announced in 1997, Aldersgate's $5 million redevelopment completed to bring UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide's Aged Care into the 21st century.

• 1997 Strengthening Families begins as a small local program offering neighbourly support to families in the Noarlunga area later to become an integral part of a national parenting program, Good Beginnings.

• 1997 Renewal & Rest looks to the needs of unpaid carers by ensuring respite and brokerage funds are available to help them maintain their capacity to continue their carer role.

• 1997 Post School Options meets a need for young people with a disability make that transition from school to adult life by establishing Lifestyle Explorer Groups.

• 1997 North East Networks picks up on a need first identified by Take 5 - the difficulty some people who have an acquired brain injury experiencing in re-establishing or developing new social networks.

• 1997 North & West Country Carer Respite introduced to provide much-needed respite for carers in the northern and western country areas of South Australia.

• 1997 Illicit Drug Strategy - UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide and Mission Australia get together to provide a community response to young people who finds themselves locked out of mainstream adult drug services.

• 1997 Host Carer for Adults Program established when UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide joins forces with Intellectual Disability Services Council to provide an alternative for people who no longer can or want to live with their birth family.

• 1997 Hospital Links opens up access to medical treatment to homeless and at-risk young people and helps them make the most of this care by linking the community resources of UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide with services provided by the Women and Children's Hospital.

• 1997 Community Support Program assists people who must work through issues that might create barriers to employment and helps get them ready for intensive assistance from Centrelink.

• 1997 Collaborative Action - an innovative tripartite response to people with a mental illness - by UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide, Royal District Nursing Service and Mental Health Services for Older People.

• 1996 Small Business Emergency Service works out of UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide to provide telephone counselling, information, advice and referral to small business operators when the going gets tough.

• 1996 Low Income Support Group established as a joint project between the UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide and the Southern Community Financial Counselling Centre.

• 1996 Kuitpo Community Family Program breaks new ground by offering a place where sole parents can get support to tackle their alcohol or drug dependency and still care for their children.

• 1996 In Your Street works with a community's natural helpers to develop supportive networks between older people, carers, or younger peopled with a disability and their neighbours.

• 1996 BreakEven opens its door to meet a growing community problem - addictive gambling

• 1996 The Research and Development Unit was established under its former name the Advocacy, Research and Media Unit. The Unit is now responsible for Public Policy Statements, Advocacy and Media, Research, Service Evaluation, Organizational Excellence (Quality Systems), Management Performance Indicators, and Archiving Systems.

• 1996 Ace Literacy and Life Skill Classes build on UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide's earlier successes with literacy and numeracy training to offer this important Adult Community Education to a wide group of people who might otherwise miss out.

• 1995 Stepping Out amalgamates with Take 5 and the service broadens to meet the needs of families and young people with disabilities.

• 1995 Multicultural Home Support works with the smaller ethnic communities to provide in-home services to older people thus enabling them to maintain their independence, dignity and important cultural links to their respective communities.

• 1995 Domestic Violence Helpline offered in conjunction with Lifeline. Every year, this service receives over one thousand requests for help or information.

• 1995 Bfriend - a peer support program for newly identifying gay, lesbian and bi-sexual men and women and their families - introduced.

• 1994 English, Literacy and Numeracy program introduced for disadvantaged people.

• 1994 Constant Care "monitoring" introduced to bring a sense of security to isolated or frail aged people living alone in the community.

• 1994 Byron Place - a world class community centre established for men and women in a homeless situation.

• 1992 The Central Community Legal Service commenced operation in December 1992. The Kilburn Community saw a need for a free legal service in the area to support its residents. They applied for many years for funding and in 1992 received Commonwealth funding to establish the service. The Kilburn Enfield Prospect Community Legal Service was set up on Prospect Road at Blair Athol. The centre had a management committee and employed a solicitor, a secretary and a part time administrator. Funding was always very limited, but the service provided much needed legal assistance to people in its area. The service expanded a little in 1996 when it obtained Commonwealth funding to establish the Children’s and Youth Legal Service in 1996.

  In 1997 the Service moved to offices near Sefton Park Shopping Centre. The service also changed its name to Adelaide Inner Northern Community Legal Service, to better reflect the areas that it serviced. In 1997 a joint government review commenced of all the Community Legal Services in the State. As a result of that review in 2000/2001 the Adelaide Inner Northern Community Legal Service put in a joint tender with the then Adelaide Central Mission to provided a legal service to the central region of Adelaide. The tender was successful and on July 1st 2001 the service expanded and merged with the Adelaide Central Mission and became the Central Community Legal Service.

  The Service now provides a Generalist legal service, covering many areas of the law including family, criminal and civil. It also provides the Children’s and Youth Legal Service -legal advice, representation and assistance to children under 18, and the Disability Discrimination Service, which provides assistance to people discriminated against because of their disability. The main office is now based at Medindie Gardens with an office in the City and many outreaches. We cover the Central, east/north eastern suburbs of Adelaide and also the west coast of SA. The Children’s and Disability Services are both statewide services.
  

• 1992 Nativity Procession started.

• 1991 UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide brings to the community's attention the growing problems with compulsive gambling.

• 1990 Take 5 introduced to meet the needs of those with acquired brain injury and their families.

• 1990 PAX established (now Youth & Parent Services) - an early intervention program for young people at risk of becoming homeless.

• 1990 Health Access opened to develop community-based ideas formulated at the Aldersgate Day Centre.

• 1990 Endeavour Supported Abilities replaces the concept of a Sheltered Workshop.

• 1986 Do Care Telelink program established.

• 1984 Two "new look" 16-bed nursing homes built at Aldersgate and the standard set for smaller domestic-size aged care settings.

• 1984 Streetlink established and a new era in services to young people begun.

• 1984 Learning for Life Drug Education Program pioneered.

• 1984 UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide introduces Financial Counselling Services.

• 1983 Ash Wednesday Bushfires damage Kuitpo Colony which is rebuilt as Kuitpo Community in 1985.

• 1981 PLUS Workshops (People Learning Useful Skills) established at Mission House.

• 1981 Do Care befriending program for elderly people living on their own introduced.

• 1978 Goodwill Stores and Goodwill Industries relocate to Dry Creek and offer Supported Employment.

• 1977 Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian Churches reform as the Uniting Church in Australia and the Central Methodist Mission becomes UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide.

• 1976 Walk-in Lifeline Centre opened at Mission House.

• 1976 Services to homeless men transferred to Wright Court.

• 1976 Community House program established with a first house at College Park.

• 1972 Youthline opened as a telephone counselling service for young people.

• 1971 Marriage Counselling Services established at Mission House.

• 1968 Murray Mudge Settlement opened for elderly people at Glenelg.

• 1968 Koster House - long-stay accommodation for men who had left Kuitpo Colony - established.

• 1965 Shaftsbury House established as a "half-way" hostel for people returning from Kuitpo Colony.

• 1965 New Maughan Church/Mission/5KA complex opened and dedicated.

• 1963 Adelaide Lifeline opened and took 500 calls in its first year.

• 1952 First Goodwill Store established in Pitt Street.

• 1946 Kuitpo Colony becomes a treatment centre for people with alcohol related problems.

• 1943 Forsyth purchases Pitt Family property at Felixstow to establish a home for elderly people.

• 1943 Aldersgate opens its doors to its first twelve residents.

• 1943 5KA licence is purchased for 8,500 pounds. 5KA and 5AU opened on December 6.

• 1940 Lentara is the first institution in South Australia to change from dormitory style accommodation to cottage homes established on Magill campus.

• 1939 Kuitpo Colony is used as a refugee camp for Jewish people coming from Europe.

• 1930 Superintendent Samuel Forsyth establishes Kuitpo Colony as a settlement for unemployed men.

• 1912 The child care work moves to Penfold Road Magill. Homes later became known as Lentara (an aboriginal word meaning 'The Dawning of the day').

• 1905 The Roberts family donate a cottage at Largs Bay to be a home for orphan children.

• 1901 Central Methodist Mission established at Maughan Church, Franklin Street.

• 1864 Maughan Church is built in Franklin Street.

• 1863 Maughan and his growing congregation move to larger premises in King William Street -White's Assembly Rooms (now the Commonwealth Bank).

• 1862 James Maughan arrives in Australia to minister to a small Methodist congregation meeting in a room in Hindley Street.