Veterans and their families living on the South Coast of NSW will continue to have access to sport and recreational activities with our new Invictus Australia Veteran Engagement Coordinator, Abbie Quinn, hitting the ground running this year.

One such opportunity was the recent Bowls Event at Worrigee Sports, thanks to a long-term partnership between Invictus Australia and Bowls Australia, and the ongoing support of Shoalhaven Ex Services Group. Abbie has been delivering a raft of fun and engaging activities aimed at supporting veterans & their families getting active & connected, with this latest endeavour attracting over 30 sailors and their families who experienced coaching, Rookie Rollers games for the kids and a traditional sausage sizzle.

“It has been a really great start to the year. As well as this wonderful Bowls event, we’ve had several booked-out yoga classes at the Nowra Veteran Wellbeing Centre, and plenty more activities to come,” Quinn noted.

“All the events are providing such a great opportunity to connect with the local community and networks”, Abbie continued.

“I’m really excited to diversify the sports and opportunities we offer. There is so much to do on the South Coast and I really want to get our veteran community involved.”

There’s a very strong veteran community on the South Coast, including over 2,500 serving members from HMAS Albatross and HMAS Creswell alone. Nowra is also the home to one of eight Veteran and Family Wellbeing Centres, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and managed by RSL LifeCare. Invictus Australia was one of the first service providers to commence operations as part of the initiative and has established strong relationships with both sport and other ex-service organisations in the region. Abbie will be based in the Wellbeing Centre for ease of collaboration and holistic support for the community.

Michael Hartung, Chief Executive Officer of Invictus Australia said:

“We are very grateful for the support and foresight of Shoalhaven Ex Services Group who, through their generous support, has allowed Invictus Australia to appoint Abbie in their community to support their veterans and families through the power of sport”

“There are thousands of veterans on the South Coast of NSW, and it’s a large community that we see embrace every opportunity we help to create and we see some amazing outcomes for the individuals getting involved thanks to the wonderful health benefits of sport.”

Connecting with our community 

Looking to get involved in sport on the South Coast? Connect with Abbie through the regions Facebook Group or email support@invictusaustralia.org