What We Do
Photo by SB von Lanthen via Unsplash.
Our Organisation
Margaret House has been operating for over 10 years, after a very generous donation by a wonderfully kind-hearted local woman, Margaret Browne. Margaret was instrumental in making the refuge a reality, in combination with other local contributors in the community, allowing Margaret House to be purchased and become operational.
In 2019, after much fundraising and support from the Hilltops community, and a generous donation by the Mostyn Family Foundation, the house was renovated to provide two separate facilities that can now accommodate two families at once and allow more women and children in the Hilltops region a lovely, safe place to stay for emergency accommodation.
The committee is voluntary and is well supported by an extended “friends of Margaret House” network. These friends volunteer their time, work on barbeques, bake and offer help at fundraiser’s or in kind to help maintain the house. It’s all about helping out those in need and is a wonderful example of community helping community.
What We've Achieved
2019/2020 FY
213 clients
38 families
received support from YCAC across Young, Cootamundra. Harden, Temora and Boorowa.
and individuals utilised the refuge provided by Margaret House.
774 total
bed nights were tracked, with one bed night equalling one person receiving accommodation.
20 nights
was the average length of stay per person.
Margaret House is utilised by the Young Crisis Accommodation Centre (YCAC) whose role in the past five years has developed to encompass the provision of accommodation and case management support to women, men, youth and families who are victims of domestic violence and/or homeless. Prior to this, like Margaret House, it was used to capacity for women and women with children only.
Unfortunately, YCAC cannot place all of their clients into emergency accommodation, simply because there is none available in the region. There is a desperate need to find additional emergency accommodation for men, women, youth and families.
The Margaret House Committee is responding to this change and the growing number of clients accessing YCAC by launching a new community initiative to acquire more housing for crisis and short-term accommodation for men, women, youth and families. This accommodation will be an addition to Margaret House. Margaret House will always remain as a residence of refuge and support for women and children who are victims of domestic violence or who are homeless.
Photo by Brittany Colette via Unsplash.