Mingara Recognised at State Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Community Health
Mingara Recreation Club is proud to announce it has been named the winner of the Health Care category at the prestigious 2026 ClubsNSW Clubs & Community Awards, held at a black-tie event at the International Convention Centre Sydney on Thursday 11 June.
The award recognises Mingara’s long-standing support of Elsie’s Project / Elsie’s Retreat – a community-led initiative that has transformed access to palliative care on the Central Coast.
What began as a single conversation at a Women’s Symposium hosted at Mingara in 2012 has grown into one of the region’s most significant health outcomes. Inspired by local nurse Elsie Green, the project was driven by a clear need – to ensure people on the Central Coast could access compassionate, dignified end-of-life care close to home.
Today, that vision is a reality.
The Gosford Palliative Care Unit, opened in April 2021, has supported more than 3,500 patients, providing comfort, dignity and choice to families during life’s most difficult moments.
A second 12-bed palliative care unit at Wyong Hospital, expected to open in 2026, will further expand access for the growing northern region, while a dedicated paediatric palliative care service now ensures care from newborns through to end-of-life adults.
Mingara has been a consistent partner throughout the journey, not only as a funding contributor, but as a place where ideas formed, partnerships grew and the community came together.
Since 2020, Mingara has contributed more than $69,000 in cash and in-kind support, alongside hosting key fundraising events, remembrance walks and advocacy forums that have helped drive the project forward.
Mingara Leisure Group Chief Executive Officer, Grant Gladman, said the recognition reflects the power of community collaboration.
“This award belongs to the many people who believed this was possible and worked tirelessly to make it happen. We’re incredibly proud to have supported Elsie’s Project from its earliest days – not just through funding, but by providing a place where connections could form and momentum could grow.”
“At its heart, this is about people caring for people. It shows what can happen when a community comes together with a shared purpose.”
The project, led by the Lions Club of Wyoming East Gosford Centennial, has been built on more than a decade of advocacy, fundraising and community support – including a petition of over 10,000 signatures calling for improved local palliative care services.
Beyond formal funding, Mingara’s role as a community hub has also helped inspire grassroots contributions, with groups like the “Aqua Ladies” raising more than $10,000 through connections formed within the club.
Margaret Pearce, Charter President of the Lions Club of Wyoming East Gosford Centennial and a driving force behind Elsie’s Project, has led the community’s long-standing advocacy for improved palliative care on the Central Coast, said the award highlights the essential role community clubs play in delivering meaningful social impact.
“Clubs are more than venues – they are places where real change can begin. Elsie’s Project is a powerful example of how local partnerships can create lasting health outcomes for an entire region”, Margaret said.
The ClubsNSW Clubs & Community Awards celebrate the outstanding contribution made by clubs across the state to improve the lives of local communities.
This recognition reinforces Mingara’s ongoing commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen health, wellbeing and connection across the Central Coast.