WaterWombats is a small for purpose charity that focuses on providing early intervention services through aquatic therapy, explicit water safety instruction and adapted learn to swimming programs. The WaterWombats staff and volunteers are a multidisciplinary allied health team that have expertise in Aquatic therapies. The program has a service capacity for approximately 50 families per school term with the majority being early intervention water safety enrolments for under 11s. This program was created to assist in the mitigation of the distressing increase of drownings for youth between the ages of 0-14years in Australia. Teen social aqua aerobics, teen swimming and hydrotherapy are the other currently offered programs. The charity provides sponsorship opportunities for families that need to attend the program. Funding for these sponsorships come from donations, organisation sponsorships and fundraising.

How your donation will help

The project aim is to deliver critical family, domestic and sexual violence services that includes trauma informed counselling and social work to meet the increasing demand for support from the out of pool team. Both research and clinical evidence demonstrates that the family dynamic has a direct influence on children, and more so those with additional needs, challenging behaviours and/or cognitive functional capacity.

The funds raised through the Canberra Day Appeal will support WaterWombats to upscale and expand its response to the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 pandemic, financial and relational challenges on family welfare and safety through the establishment of innovative trauma informed service response focusing on the family unit.  Funds will directly benefit program development, staffing hours and family resources.