General News
20 August, 2025
Sympathetic hub for carers
A NEW drop-in centre for unpaid carers has opened in Cairns, offering support, connection and respite for those looking after loved ones with disability, illness or age-related conditions.
The Cairns Carer Hub, operated by Wellways Carer Gateway, is already being welcomed as a vital resource for a community where many carers feel unseen and unsupported.
The hub at 141-144 Abbott Street, includes a sensory room, creative spaces, vocational coaching, counselling, a quiet zone and a community computer. The space is designed to help carers recharge, connect and feel heard.
“I’m a carer myself,” said Wellways Carer Gateway director Rachael Lovelock.
“We can support you with navigating the system. It is the trickiest thing to do,” she said.
“You can walk in off the street, talk face-to-face and be seen. Sometimes you just need someone to wrap their arms around you.”
The Cairns hub is part of a growing network of Carer Gateway centres across Queensland and New South Wales.
Hub navigator Donna Raymond said the Cairns centre was created as a “home away from home” where carers could take a break from their responsibilities and feel supported by others who understood.
“This space is not just about Wellways saying what you need. It’s about listening to the needs of the carers so we can create a lived-in community space,” she said.
To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/41h8Uyx
