Feros Village Wommin Bay celebrates 20 years in residential aged care excellence

Feros Village Wommin Bay celebrated 20 years of providing excellence in residential aged care on Wednesday 19 November. This leading aged care facility – based in Kingscliff – today accommodates up to 70 residents with varying care and support needs. While Wommin Bay Village celebrated its 20 birthday since opening the doors, it has been in the hearts and minds of locals for 20 years before then. It was 1974 when the community first dreamed of and worked together to build an aged care village. Feros Care Chief Executive Jennene Buckley said Wommin Bay Village is proof of how powerful a determined community can be in achieving great things. “Wommin Bay Village is a dream shared by the late Wally McKissock who was secretary of the Coolangatta Senior Citizens, and Ivan MacKay. Both were quite visionary in their realisation of the need to provide accommodation for the local area’s growing aged population. “The local community fought for what they believed in and never stopped fighting until it was done. As a result, a very passionate community created a facility of choice – particularly at a time when aged care facilities didn’t have a great name. People chose to come to here. It was and still is a beautiful place. “Today, I applaud and acknowledge the many great people behind Wommin Bay. This includes the original Wommin Bay Board consisting of Ivan MacKay, the late Mavis Gilmore, Jeff Dobb, and Pat Coneybear – who were affectionately known as the ‘gang of four’ – and were the core of Wommin Bay. They spent years lobbying, writing funding submissions and development approvals, and fundraising to have this facility approved and built,” she said. Other greats behind Wommin Bay becoming a reality include the dedicated Ladies Auxiliary who began raising money to help build long before the first sod was turned, and the Bingo volunteers who have run the cash bingo at Tweed Heads Bowls Club every Saturday for more than 20 years. In 2012, Wommin Bay Village joined Feros Care where it continues to provide quality, community based care for seniors on the Tweed Coast. Feros Care worked closely with the then Board members – Anne Stewart (Chair), Kay Friezer, Mike Hogan, Margaret Hayes and Carl Petersen – who worked tirelessly to help Wommin Bay transition into Feros Care family. Ms Buckley said “Feros Care was fulfilling the Tweed Coast community’s dreams to provide quality, community based care for seniors in the Tweed and to promote residential aged care as a lifestyle choice. “Wommin Bay’s transition into the Feros Care family has allowed residents to become even more involved with decision making relating to clinical and lifestyle choices.” To mark the 20th birthday celebrations, Feros Care hosted a party at Wommin Bay Village on Wednesday 19 November from 4pm (NSW time), and was joined by the residents, staff, local businesses and community members who have been involved with Wommin Bay throughout the years.