Eight ex-service organisations have divvied up $300,000 in the latest round of funding from the Anzac Day Trust, with Legacy WA and the Returned and Services League (RSL) WA allocated more than $190,000 between them to support veterans and their families.
The Anzac Day Trust was established under the auspices of the Anzac Day Act 1960 and collects part proceeds from race meetings and other organised sporting events held on Anzac Day.
The money from those events, boosted by an annual grant from the State Government, is distributed annually to ex-service organisations.
Legacy WA was the big winner this year with a grant of almost $105,000 to advocate on behalf of veterans and their families through the provision of essential services such as counselling, housing and medical and social welfare support.
The other recipients were:
- RSLWA – $85,000, for advocacy, service pension assistance and welfare services;
- Working Spirit – $30,000, to aid the employment transition of veterans into civilian life;
- Navy Clearance Divers – $28,500, to assist in case study works and facilitate an upgrade of the organisation’s infrastructure;
- Soldier On – $28,400, to help deliver a suite of programs designed for 2018, including the Women’s Adventure and Well-Being Weekend;
- Defence Force Welfare (WA Branch) – $12,500, to support members in remote areas and train assistance dogs to help owners cope with Post Traumatic Stress;
- WA Partners of Veterans (WA Branch) – $5,600, to help deliver ‘Back to the Bush’ day; and
- Australian Army Training Team Vietnam WA – $1,060, to provide social support for members.