Hope is rising from the ashes of the beloved Sarina RSL as a crucial mental support service which had been refurbishing the club before it was gutted by fire vows to stand by the town. DETAILS.
Selectability, the not-for-profit mental health charity that worked to transform the RSL into a healthcare hub, has promised to keep battling on for Sarina.
Chief operating officer Aaron Farrell said interim arrangements were already in place to keep providing services.
“When we surveyed the area last year, we found that 93 per cent of respondents said they needed a dedicated facility in Sarina,” he said.
Mudth-Niyleta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation CEO Sam Raciti and (right) selectability Regional Coordinator for Sarina Justin Thompson. Picture: Contributed
“That is something we will continue to act on as we believe all regional Queenslanders have the right to access quality support locally.”
The fire ripped through the iconic hall on Central St on April 26.
More than two dozen firefighters worked furiously to save it but the inferno proved too much.
Sarina business owner Debbie Nielsen described the loss as “devastating” loss for the community.
“It’s a big part of our history,” she said.
“If there was any event, that’s where you went.
Fire crews battled to contain the fire that started in the kitchen of the old Sarina RSL.
Selectability had been in the middle of refurbishing the club, which was scheduled to open up just two weeks after the fire event.
Mr Farrell said the charity was now looking at other long-term options for the town.
“Our goal is to raise funds to develop a new mental health hub that will become a central location for people across the Sarina region to connect to a range of mental wellbeing and suicide prevention support,” he said.
Selectability Regional Coordinator for Sarina Justin Thompson said the service would be temporarily housed at the Mudth-Niyleta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation at 35 Central St.
“We will soon be offering a new timetable of group activities,” he said.