Year on year Cobar residents are the biggest users of the Macquarie Home Stay (MHS) accommodation facility in Dubbo and so the Cobar community will be pleased to know plans for Stage 3 have commenced.
For the past six years, MHS has been a home away from home for thousands of patients and their families from throughout Regional, Western and Far Western NSW who travel to Dubbo for medical appointments and treatment.
Some stay for a night, others are there for weeks, some are awaiting the birth of a baby, others are undergoing cancer treatment at Dubbo’s Western Cancer Centre.
Stage 2 of the facility’s expansion was completed in February this year.
MHS managing director Rod Crowfoot said having the extra units means they haven’t had to turn anyone away.
“But it will come one day I guess, and that’s the reason why we’ve now started working towards Stage 3,” Mr Crowfoot told The Cobar Weekly.
Mr Crowfoot said their family units were their highest demand type of accommodation.
The Stage 3 expansion will see five self contained family units constructed along with a children’s playground adjoining to their other existing facilities.
“These units will mean the whole family can stay together in comfort and know that the children will be occupied in a friendly environment,” he said.
Mr Crowfoot said in addition to talking to government, major corporate partners and other potential fundraising partners, community support is part of their funding matrix.
“A new ‘HELP US Build Your Home Away from Home @MHS Campaign’ has been established to gather our co-contribution to build Stage 3.
“When people make a donation to us, they can choose where they want it to go.
“Some are choosing expansion, some people wanted it to go towards our financial hardship account, some want to buy guest consumables, some want it to go into our parkland and playground space. They can choose which bits of Home Stay they would like to support.”
Anyone wanting to make an end of financial year tax deductible donation can go to: www.givenow.com.au/macquariehomestay.
