Workshops, 3 Years of Podiatry and Team Wellbeing

From the Cottage: Podiatry, Workshops and Team Wellbeing

6th May – 9th May 2025

This week at Fletcher Street Cottage, we’ve been busy providing essential services to our clients, attending key workshops and focusing on team wellbeing. Here’s a look at what’s been happening.

Highlights:

• On Tuesday, we had Nic, our volunteer podiatrist from Right Foot Podiatry, offer his services to many of our clients. Nic has been generously volunteering at Fletcher Street Cottage once a month for nearly 3 years before heading off to his regular work. A big thank you to Nic for his ongoing commitment to our clients' wellbeing!  
• Maddi, our Assistant Manager, attended the ‘Men Who Use Violence’ workshop, which is key in addressing the complex social issues we face daily in our work.
• Maddi and Suzanne also attended the ‘Responding with Skill’ workshop by Stepping Out, designed to support women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. These workshops help us provide better support and understand the unique needs of the individuals we serve.
• On Wednesday, we attended the ‘Ending Rough Sleeping Service Coordination Meeting’, collaborating with key stakeholders from the homelessness sector. These meetings are critical in helping us coordinate care and find solutions to the challenges our clients face.
• A big welcome to Charli, a new counselling student from ACAP, who has joined us at Fletcher Street Cottage. We’re excited to have her on board and look forward to the positive impact she will bring to the team.
• On Thursday, the team had group supervision with Psychologist Jane Enter. These sessions are vital for maintaining staff wellbeing, addressing potential burnout and vicarious trauma, and ensuring we continue to provide high-quality support to our clients. While reflecting on the challenges of working in this space, we also reflected on how supported we all feel by one another as a team.
• This week, we supported 244 people, providing much-needed services and care to our community.

‍About Fletcher Street Cottage

Fletcher Street Cottage is a community hub in the heart of Byron Bay, offering essential support for individuals facing homelessness and hardship. Our services include nutritious meals, access to showers and laundry, advocacy, health services and more, all aimed at helping our clients move toward stability and self-sufficiency. With the support of our dedicated team, volunteers and generous community partners, we’re working every day to make a positive impact.