TWEED PALLIATIVE SUPPORT INC. & WEDGETAIL RETREAT
We have been providing award-winning palliative support services in the Northern Rivers since 1998.
OUR STORY
Our origin story began in 1998 with a public meeting that was organised in Murwillumbah, NSW. This meeting involved community members who acknowledged the urgent need for improved palliative care services in the local area.
From this meeting a core group of people got together and established Tweed Palliative Support Inc.
The vision for the organisation was to provide support and practical assistance to people diagnosed with a life-limiting condition who wanted to die at home. We began raising funds to train our own volunteers, purchase and deliver free medical equipment to people's homes, provide respite to family and friends, transport, personal care, emotional care and any many of the other endless tasks required to keep clients in their own homes for as long as possible–we were executing on the vision.
Tweed Palliative Support guests could attend The Bright side of Life (BSOL) at their purpose-built and spacious four bedroom quality-of-life facility for adults, located in Dulguigan, just outside of Murwillumbah in NSW Far North Coast hinterland. The secluded and beautiful retreat centre supported cancer patients and those with other life limiting illnesses.
As fate would have it in 2009, while we were continuing our search for an appropriate property the owner of BSOL became very ill and had to sell the retreat centre. Doug and Margot Anthony, long time supporters of Tweed Palliative Support, provided us with a low interest loan for the $1.2million purchase price and the dream of Wedgetail Retreat, the only stand alone adult community Hospice in NSW was born. The loan was paid off in five and a half years with funds raised through our Op Shop and generous donations from our wonderful community.
In 2005 it became obvious that more care was needed for some clients than could be provided at home by volunteers, and an alternative was needed to a busy hospital. Tweed Palliative Support began investigating options and a community hospice appeared to be the answer. By this time we had partnered with The Bright Side of Life to provide free quarterly “Sunshine Days” to people diagnosed with cancer, these days entailed a dedicated support person plus a day of pampering, laughter, good food and education–the partnering of these two organisations was a match made in paradise that would serve the community well.
WEDGETAIL RETREAT TODAY
In 2015 Wedgetail Retreat Hospice officially opened its doors and our trained volunteer palliative carers and Registered Nurses continue to provide the 24/7 support and care which has already helped thousands of people and their families with both respite and end-of-life support.
Remarkably, we continued to deliver high quality care despite receiving no ongoing government funding. All monies needed to pay our 24/7 Registered Nurses and run the hospice are provided through donations and funds raised through our Op Shops in Murwillumbah.
Our team of trained volunteers assist our Registered Nurses with providing care, comfort and compassion in a beautiful home-like environment surrounded by Northern NSW rainforest. We provide end-of-life and palliative respite care to anyone diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and since 2024 we have also been able to offer voluntary assisted dying support. Our service is donation based: those who can donate are encouraged to do so and all donations are gratefully accepted.
The cost of operating Wedgetail Retreat and providing exceptional end-of-life care in and out of our hospice is approximately $900,000 per year and all funds are raised by Tweed Palliative Support Inc.
A LEGACY OF CARE
Despite lack of government funding, Tweed Palliative Support has celebrated 25 years and Wedgetail Retreat is celebrating 10 years.
Our community service is well known and much loved in the Tweed Shire as well as further afield. We are grateful to all the small and large organisations that support us through promoting our unique service, donating supplies and raising funds to help transform the end of life experience for Australians.
Ours is a unique community-run model in Australia, if you would like to support our mission by partnering with us take a look at our sponsorship and donation opportunities.
OUR PATRON
Margot Anthony was born in Murwillumbah and attended Murwillumbah Public School and Murwillumbah High School before completing her studies at SCEGGS, Darlinghurst, the University of Sydney and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she studied piano.
In 2003, after many years of involvement in the world of art, music, politics and family life, Margot was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for ‘service to the community for a range of arts organisations, particularly the Tweed River Regional Art Gallery and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’.
After her husband’s retirement from politics the Anthony family became permanent residents of the Tweed. Continuing her support for music, Margot has been the Foundation Patron of the Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music since 1991.
In 1988 Margot was elected as the Foundation President of the Friends of the Tweed River Regional Art Gallery and served as President until 1992. From 1992 to 1996 she held the position of Vice-President, and has been the hard-working Patron of that organisation since 1996.
Margot has served graciously as our Patron since 2004.
