BUSINESS 50 years

Fifty years ago, Anglicare WA began with a simple but courageous idea: that people deserve to be seen, understood and supported — no matter the complexity of their circumstances.

Supplied by Anglicare WA

TODAY, as we mark our 50th year, that commitment has grown into a statewide movement — one that reached more than 100,000 people last year alone, across communities stretching from Kununurra to Albany and east to Kalgoorlie.

Across Western Australia, Anglicare WA now delivers 101 services supporting mental health, parenting and relationships, housing stability, recovery from family and domestic violence, suicide postvention, financial counselling and more. But at the heart of every service is the same enduring belief that has guided us for five decades: to see the whole person and to respond with compassion, dignity and a deep commitment to justice.

That belief has shaped how we respond when needs emerge and systems fall short. Over time, many of Anglicare WA’s programs have become recognised as leading models of care, designed not just to support people in the moment, but to create lasting change.

Foyer Oxford, for example, remains one of Australia’s most successful youth housing programs, supporting young people to achieve stability, education and independence for more than a decade. Services such as Young Hearts provide specialised counselling for children recovering from trauma related to family and domestic violence, while Mums and Dads Forever has transformed outcomes for separating families, earning the respect of the Family Court and Western Australia’s Chief Justices.

Our commitment to young people leaving state care led to the pilot of Home Stretch in 2019 — an evidence-based response to one of the most challenging transitions a young person can face. Just two years later, Home Stretch became a State Government election commitment and is now delivered across Western Australia, changing what’s possible for young people as they step into adulthood.

Over 50 years, Anglicare WA has also used its voice where it matters most — advocating for fairness, dignity and inclusion when our community needs it. From standing in support of marriage equality to engaging thoughtfully in the Voice to Parliament referendum, we remain guided by our values and our responsibility to the people we serve.

We are proud to be leaders in reconciliation and self-determination. Since establishing the Elders Council in 2002, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have played a central role as decision-makers and stewards of programs that support their communities. We know that a just and fair Western Australia cannot be realised without a sustained commitment to Closing the Gap.

From metropolitan beginnings to a truly statewide presence across right across Western Australia, Anglicare

WA’s work today is strengthened by the generosity, trust and partnership of people like you. Donors and partners have walked alongside us through decades of change, helping us respond to emerging needs and stand firm in our values.

Fifty years on, our impact cannot be measured only in the number of services delivered, but in lives changed, futures reshaped and hope restored.

And as we look ahead, that hope continues to guide us — until everyone in our community has the opportunity to thrive in a just and fair Western Australia.