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Walcha Council Community Care Menu of Services 2023

The Walcha Council Community Care (WCCC) is auspiced by the Walcha Council and managed by the Walcha Council Community Care Advisory Committee. WCCC provides services for people who are frail aged, or people with disabilities, and their carers, who need additional support to enable them to live comfortably in their own homes.

Some of the services provided by WCCC include Day Programs, Voluntary driver transport, buses to Armidale and Tamworth, Access bus around Walcha on Thursdays and Meals on Wheels (available 5 days a week).

If you are in need of any of these services or would like to volunteer your time, contact the Co-ordinator at the Walcha WCCC office on 6774 2471 Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm.

With the beginning of a new year always comes change or, in this instance, clarification. Walcha Council Community Care runs a wide range of programming and this can be confusing when trying to understand what is on offer.

To make this clear, I will try to explain how the program is funded. While we are under the auspices of Walcha Council, we do not receive funding through them. Instead we get state and federal funding that pays for the program that we operate. In order to receive this funding our clients have to qualify for the program. This is an easy two step process:

1. Be over the age of 65yrs (or 50yrs if you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander)
2. Register with My Aged Care

When you are registered we then get the funding that allows us to put on the monthly events that we offer.

While we do try to assist our clients in every way we can, we are limited by our number of staff as well as our budget. To avoid any misunderstandings, we have put together this detailed list of our services to show what we can provide.

We are very happy to help you in your application to My Aged Care and can explain the process to you at any time.

Our office hours are 9am– 5pm Monday to Friday. There will be some occasions we will be unable to answer the phone due to being on excursions. Please leave a message and we will get back to you within 24 hours.

All morning teas are held from 10am– 11:30am at the centre.

Every month we endeavour to have a Women’s Group excursion, a Men’s Group excursion, a Wanderer’s Group excursion and a Mixed Group excursion.

Friday takeaway is held at McHattan Park unless the weather is too poor.

Bingo is held at the WCCC centre every second Saturday from 12:30pm.

Our art program is run by Sue Jackson who recently completed a degree in Fine Arts.

Individual Social Support is designed to be flexible to fit your needs.

We can assist you with nutrition by delivering a hot lunch to your house Monday to Friday between the hours of 12pm– 1:30pm.

Our volunteer drivers are available to take you to medical appointments when it is required.

The community bus travels to Armidale every Thursday.

Our volunteer drivers are available to take you to medical appointments when it is required.

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All morning teas are held from 10am– 11:30am at the centre.

Transport is available for pick up and drop off.

Booking in is essential as it informs our catering. If we don’t know how many are coming, we can’t ensure we have enough food for everyone so please book.

Morning tea includes unlimited tea and coffee and a variety of sweet and savoury options.

There is also a lucky door raffle that includes two prize winners.

Every month we endeavour to have a Women’s Group excursion, a Men’s Group excursion, a Wanderer’s Group excursion and a Mixed Group excursion. These excursions are designed to be an opportunity to explore the New England region and to give us an opportunity to stretch our legs. The Wanderer’s excursions are for our First Nations members. We do attempt to ensure that the excursions are appropriate for people of all abilities and have the equipment required to assist anyone that may need it, including walkers and a wheelchair.

Pick up and drop off to and from your home is available and bookings for excursions are mandatory.

When there are over 10 people attending we book a larger bus. These are 25 seat buses and we do work to fill all of the seats to make sure that it is financially viable to go so please be mindful that it could be a smaller, full bus and we may be travelling for a number of hours.

Friday takeaway is held at McHattan Park unless the weather is too poor. When we can’t go to the park we hold it at the centre.

Community Café is held at the centre. Transport to and from is available for both. You will be asked to choose your meal for certain takeaway such as Chinese.

The café is a set menu and will be described in the newsletter. Booking is essential for this service.

Bingo is held at the WCCC centre every second Saturday from 12:30pm.

The Bingo is run by Joy Hayes and is a community group that she has developed. All of the WCCC clients are welcome to attend and can book in through us or turn up on the day.

The dates of the sessions will continue to be listed in our monthly newsletter.

Our art program is run by Sue Jackson who recently completed a degree in Fine Arts.

The program is held in the centre on the second and last Wednesdays of the month.

The sessions go from 9:30am– 12pm and include instruction on new art techniques as well as time to work on independent projects. Morning tea is also provided.

Individual Social Support is designed to be flexible to fit your needs. It can take many forms and we will happily work with you to ensure you have the support you need to do everything you can as independently as possible.

Some examples of Individual Social Support are:
• Assistance with grocery shopping
• Support with learning to use technology
• Welfare checks
• Assistance with paperwork/ documentation
• 1:1 catch up (cup of tea and a chat)
• Provide venue for online funeral services with support
• Accompanied outings of your choice.

Please call us if you have a support option that you require and we will do our best to meet your needs.

We can assist you with nutrition by delivering a hot lunch to your house Monday to Friday between the hours of 12pm– 1:30pm.

There is a rotating roster of options over a 5 week period with two choices each day. There is also a dessert option available and you can also receive frozen meals for evenings and weekends.

Main + Frozen Meals- $8.50 Desserts- $2.10

Our volunteer drivers are available to take you to medical appointments when it is required. It is imperative that you book as early as possible.

Due to the limited number of drivers you may share the service with another person/s.

If you wish to shop as well as go to a medical appointment there is an additional charge of $13.60 and you need to notify us of your intention when booking.

Our drivers are very busy and also volunteering their time so a limit of 1 hour additional shopping is made to ensure that everyone has access to the service when they need it. If you do wish for longer time there will be an additional fee of $13.60 and we cannot guarantee this option will always be available.

The community bus travels to Armidale every Thursday. It departs Walcha by 9am and arrives back in Walcha at 4pm in summer, 3pm in winter. The cost is $18 return.

The bus also does transport around the Walcha LGA every Friday– a 10am trip that typically includes transport to the food pantry and a 2pm trip for any additional trips that are required. The cost is $4.20 each way.

The 4th Tuesday of the month will be the new date for trips to Tamworth, departing Walcha by 9am and returning to Walcha by 4pm summer, 3pm winter.

The cost is $21 return.

All bus trips will begin at your home for pick up and can take you to your appointment at the destination if required. Otherwise there is a set drop off and pick up point that will be identified to you upon arrival.

Clr Gregory Schaefer

Ward A

First Elected to Council on 04 December 2021.

Clr Schaefer has been elected as Walcha Council’s Delegate to the following Committees:

  • New England Bush Fire Management Committee
  • Walcha Local Liquor Accord Committee

Clr Aurora Reilly

Ward D

First Elected to Council on 04 December 2021.

Clr Reilly is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Beautification Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Youth Advisory Council
  • Walcha Council Audit Risk & Improvement Committee

And has also been elected to be Council’s Delegate on the following organisations:

  • NSW Public Libraries New England Zone Committee
  • Central Northern Regional Library Committee
  • Walcha Community Consultative Committee

Clr Anne-Marie Pointing

Ward B

First Elected to Council on 04 December 2021.

Clr Pointing is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Beautification Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Preschool Advisory Committee

Clr Eric Noakes

Ward B

First Elected to Council on 10 September 2016.

Elected as Mayor on 28 September 2016. Re-elected unopposed on 22 December 2021.

Councillor Noakes is Council’s Delelgate on the following Committees:

  • Namoi Councils Joint Organisation
  • Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA)
  • Mid North Weight of Loads Group
  • Walcha Local Health Committee

And is also a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Arts Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Aboriginal Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Capital Advisory Committee

Clr Scott Kermode

Ward C

First Elected to Council on 10 September 2016

Elected as Deputy Mayor on 22 December 2021

Councillor Kermode is Council’s Delegate on the following Committees:

  • New England Weeds Authority

And is also a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Capital Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Aboriginal Advisory Committee

Clr Nena Hicks

Ward C

First Elected to Council on 04 December 2021.

Clr Hicks is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council’s Art Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council’s Audit Risk & Improvement Committee
  • Walcha Council’s General Manager’s Performance Review Committee

 

Clr Hicks is Council’s Delegate on the following organisation:

  • Arts North West

Clr Kevin Ferrier

Ward A

First elected to Council in 1991.

Was elected as Deputy Mayor from 2000 – 2012.

Councillor Ferrier is a Member of the following Walcha Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Community Care Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Motorcycle Rally Advisory Committee

Contact Details

Walcha Council
Phone: 02 6774 2500
Fax: 02 6777 1181
E – council@walcha.nsw.gov.au

Clr Mark Berry

Ward A

First elected to Council on 04 December 2021.

Clr Berry has been elected to the following Council Committees: