Women’s Space, Coordinated Care and Street Count

23rd – 27th February 2026

This week at Fletcher Street Cottage, we focused on strengthening Women’s Space, coordinating complex support and contributing to important sector-wide efforts. Here’s a snapshot of what happened.

Highlights

• Staff, volunteers and partners at Women’s Space came together to brainstorm ways to strengthen the program. With a diverse range of professional and lived experience across the team, we explored how to better harness these skills to support women accessing the space. The session left everyone feeling cohesive, energised and inspired.
• The Homeless Health Outreach Team visited this week, and our staff worked closely with them to support participants experiencing complex mental health challenges. We also assisted individuals to progress identification documents, a critical step in accessing income, housing and healthcare.
• A woman we previously supported to relocate is now receiving stronger, more consistent assistance in her new location. Through the Byron Shire End Street Sleeping Collaboration’s shared database and consent agreements, we were able to coordinate directly with her new case worker. This meant she did not have to retell her story and could access seamless, trauma-informed support.
• Our naturopathy students from Southern Cross University, led by Isabel, held scheduled appointments with participants, offering holistic health advice and support to those wanting to improve their wellbeing.
• On Friday, members of our team participated in the annual Street Count in collaboration with the Department of Communities and Justice and Homes NSW. This data collection plays a critical role in understanding local homelessness trends and strengthening advocacy for future funding and resources.

‍About Fletcher Street Cottage

Fletcher Street Cottage is a community hub in the heart of Byron Bay, providing essential support for people experiencing hardship. Our services include nutritious meals, access to showers and laundry, advocacy, health and wellbeing programs, and creative initiatives like Women’s Space, all designed to help people move toward stability and self sufficiency. With the support of our volunteers, partners and donors, we continue to make a difference every day.