Grant boosts online veterans’ resources

SUPPORT and advocacy services are set to be more accessible to Ballarat’s five thousand veterans than they’ve ever been before.

The Ballarat Veterans Assistance Centre has received $7400 from the State Government’s Anzac Day Proceeds Fund to help develop and operate their resource website, bvac.net.au/blog.

BVAC president Greg Green said the grant will cover the site’s costs over the next five years.

“It will pay for the management of it, the updating, and upkeeping, our OneDrive, and as we gain more support from other service organisations such as Open Arms, we’ll get links to them on there,” he said.

“We want it to be a hub all veterans can use with all the information they need to contact us or other organisations. Some veterans have an idea of what they need, but don’t know where to get it, so this website aims to get that information to them.

“If they need more help, they can send us an email or give us a call. Some veterans don’t want to connect with other entities, but we want them to connect with us.”

Since opening in November, 82 new clients have walked through the Centre’s Barkly Street doors with general queries or questions for the in-house Department of Veterans Affairs advocate.

Mr Green said financial boosts, like the BVAC’s new website grant, ensure these people get the help and support they need and are entitled to as veterans.

“We do barbecues and sausage sizzles, but without grants, we wouldn’t have an all-access toilet, or our established computer system. They’re our lifeblood.”

Minister for Veterans, Shaun Leane visited the Centre last week.

“This is an area in veterans’ welfare that there should be more of, and I’m going to go out to other communities and point to what Ballarat is doing in this area,” he said.

“I can’t compliment and acknowledge enough what the volunteers here have been prepared to do to assist some of their comrades and their comrades’ families, so it’s a delight to have been here.”

The BVAS is based at 41 Barkly Street. If the flag is flying, a support worker is on site and available for a chat.