PEOPLE with cerebral palsy and their families have access to services closer to home.
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A gathering on Tuesday marked the official opening of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Port Macquarie facility in Lake Road.
The Cerebral Palsy Alliance, a non-profit organisation, provides services to thousands of people with a disability and their families.
Kempsey’s Sharni Bennett and her son Danny Sercombe have previously travelled to East Maitland so Danny could access the Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s services.
The Port Macquarie presence means less time on the road.
“This [Port Macquarie facility] only 40 minutes away is awesome compared to four-and-a-half hours, not including all the stops,” Miss Bennett said.
“Danny doesn’t like being away from home.”
She said the Port Macquarie facility would make a big difference to their lives.
The alliance’s president, Paul Masi, said people would not have to travel as far to access services through the alliance thanks to the Port Macquarie facility.
“The goal of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance is to help build futures for people with cerebral palsy,” he said.
The alliance previously provided outreach services here.
Mr Masi said people in the greater Port Macquarie region would be supported and their future would be improved.
The alliance also works to accelerate breakthroughs by building research networks and providing more funding for the best cerebral palsy research.
Cowper MP and The Nationals’ candidate for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker officially opened the facility.
He said it was all about helping young people to achieve and helping families to have hope.
The four therapy room facility was purchased thanks to a $1.6 million donation from Sargents Pies Charitable Foundation and has been operating for four months.
Mr Hartsuyker said the facility was bringing life-changing opportunities to families close to home and their support networks.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance chief executive officer Rob White thanked Sargent Pies for its ongoing support of the alliance and people living with a disability.
“We listened when locals asked for therapies and supports closer to home so they didn’t have to travel more than an hour,” he said.
More than 100 clients are working with the occupation therapist, physiotherapist, speech pathologist and early childhood therapy facilitator.
Port Macquarie team will support people across the Mid-North Coast.
Sargents Pies procurement and logistics manager Brian Andrews received a framed plaque.
“We have been keen supporters of Cerebral Palsy Alliance, their teams and people living with a disability in rural and regional areas for more than 10 years,” he said.
“Through the foundation we have funded more than 10 facilities so that children across the state receive the best intervention opportunities to have to opportunity to reach their goals.”
