Ruah

A team that rides together, thrives together! 🚴‍♂️

Our Geraldton team have been keeping the momentum going, starting their all-staff day with a refreshing bike ride along the foreshore, followed by a meaningful ‘Building Resilience in Teams’ training session.

A great way to stay connected, energised, and focused on supporting one another, to better support our clients.

At just 16, Michelle became homeless. By 19, she was facing significant risk and urgently needed support.

Swipe through to see how a coordinated response—and support from Ruah—helped change the direction of her life.

1 in 4 people experiencing homelessness in Australia are aged 12 to 24. Together, we can change the story. 💜

Find out more about our services: https://ruah.org.au/services-support

Content warning: This story mentions su***de and self-harm. For support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Su***de Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000.

We’re on the hunt for young change makers!

If you are aged 18-25 with a lived experience of family and domestic violence, join the Ruah Youth Advocacy Collective: A safe and supportive space for young people to share their experiences, give feedback and help shape how Ruah supports other services involving young people.

If you are interested in being a part of a paid reference group, where your voice and perspective can help make a real difference, get involved!

📧 For more info and to get involved, contact: [email protected]

On Friday night, we were honoured to be recognised alongside our project partners at two major industry awards for the Angela Wright Bennett Centre:

🏆 Australian Institute of Architects Awards
Together with Architectus (), the Centre received:
> The 𝐉𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
> The 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞

🏆 Property Council of Australia Awards
In partnership with Sirona Urban (), we were awarded:
> The 𝐖𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Our heartfelt thanks to our partners for helping bring this vital project to life and a huge congratulations to the other award recipients.

🌈 Happy International Pride Month from all of us at Ruah! 🌈

To our LGBTIQA+ Communities, we see you, we celebrate you, and we’re proud to walk alongside you everyday.

At Ruah, 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴.

Last week the Ruah team were proud to gather at Reconciliation WA’s Walyalup Breakfast, which commenced Reconciliation Week.

The keynote conversation between Yawuru elder and the ‘Father of Reconciliation’ Senator Patrick Dodson, and emerging leader Tremane Baxter-Edwards from Wyndham, offered powerful insights into the meaning behind this year’s theme “Bridging Now to Next”.

We’d also like to specially acknowledge Reconciliation WA’s Co-Chairs Nolan Hunter, and our very own CEO Debra Zanella, for your work in leading this important dialogue and driving change.

Together it’s time we walk forward—bridging generations, truths, and futures, for the benefit of all Australians.

🎉Exciting news! 🎉Ruah and 360 Health + Community are merging to strengthen our impact and deliver more connected, holistic care for our community. 🤝

Building on a strong partnership over the past 2 years, this merger brings together decades of experience in mental health, disability, chronic disease and community-based care — helping us deliver more holistic wrap-around support those who need it most by providing the right care at the right time. 💙

Today we remember the Stolen Generations and acknowledge the ongoing impact of forced removals on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities. We acknowledge that almost 30 years on from the Bringing Them Home Report, and the first national Sorry Day, many recommendations in the report have not been addressed.

Tomorrow marks the start of National Reconciliation Week — a time to learn, reflect, and take action towards a more equitable future, by strengthening our relationship with First Nations peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.

To find out ways you can get involved, head to recwa.org.au/nrw-2025

In celebration of Law Week, yesterday our Ruah Legal Services and Mental Health Law Centre crew braved the balmy morning joining hundreds of other legal professionals for the ‘Walk for Justice’ along the banks of the Swan River.

Held on National Pro Bono Day, this annual walk highlights the incredible pro bono work happening across WA and raises vital funds for Law Access, who match individuals and community organisations seeking legal assistance with pro bono lawyers.

Today marks the beginning of Law Week, an annual celebration acknowledging those working in the legal profession, helping spotlight issues affecting justice in our community.

Join our Ruah Legal Services and Mental Health Law Centre team who will be hosting a powerful panel on ‘Working with and examining vulnerable witnesses.’

All the details are below, and registration closes 5pm TODAY : https://bit.ly/3SdSRwF

REMINDER: Law Week Event – Working With and Examining Vulnerable Witnesses

🕔 Registrations close 5pm Monday 19 May

👉 Secure your spot now: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/working-with-and-examining-vulnerable-witnesses-cpd-panel-discussion-tickets-1334891409139

Join us Friday 23 May for an insightful panel discussion featuring Her Honour Chief Judge Julie Wager and Her Honour Judge Wendy Hughes.
Hear expert insights on working with vulnerable witnesses in our practice areas of Criminal Law and mental impairment, Care & Protection, and Sexual Assault Legal Services.

Plus, a special presentation by Jolin Edmondson from the Communication Partner Program on resources for clients with mental impairment under the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023.
📚 1.0 CPD point in Professional Skills
🍷 Light refreshments & sundowner to follow
📍 In-person only – registration essential

We look forward to seeing you there.

We’re thrilled to share that Ruah was recognised with two prestigious accolades at the Community Service Excellence Awards (CSEA) this week!

🏆 Impactful Large Organisation: Powerhouses of Positive Change award- A proud moment as we were acknowledged for the significant impact we’ve made over the past year.

🏆 Visionary Community-Led Collaboration: Crafting Better Futures Together award- Together with Vinnies WA , Anglicare WA , and Centrecare Inc , we were honoured for our joint WA Rent Relief Program, highlighting the power of partnership in driving meaningful outcomes for those we support.

A huge thank you to our teams, partners, and community for your unwavering support. Let’s keep driving positive change, together.

📣 We’re incredibly proud to share that Samaritans WA and Ruah are merging.

This partnership builds on an existing long-term relationship between our two organisations, reinforcing our commitment to early intervention and prevention programs, such as The Luminos Project – a pioneering initiative providing crisis support for youth experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Through this merger, we strengthen our ability to support our community and drive meaningful change in the mental health space. This partnership builds on the incredible work already happening across our community and will allow us to expand our reach and impact.

We’re excited to welcome the Samaritans WA Team to Ruah. 🎉💙