Six years after expanding Anglicare Sydney services to the Armidale Anglican diocese, Anglicare will serve the Bathurst diocese as Anglicare Central West.

“We took a service (in Armidale) that was fairly small, that was fairly limited and we've grown at 10-fold since then,” Anglicare Chief Executive Simon Miller told the ABC. “So 10-fold customers, 10-fold staff and we've really made an impact into each and every corner of that diocese. And so when we spoke to the Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, we said, we'd love to be able to partner with you to do the same thing in the Central West.” 

The joint announcement with Bishop Calder was conveyed to the Sydney Synod on its first day of sitting and also to the weekend sitting of Bathurst Diocesan Synod.

Above: from left - Simon Miller, Anglicare Chief Executive, Dr Andrew Ford, Anglicare Chief Executive Community and Mission congratulate Bishop Mark Calder

"We're so thankful to God for this exciting opportunity to establish Anglicare Central West,” Bishop Calder said. "We are looking forward to seeing how the work grows and develops, especially around parish partnerships. We want to do better at loving and serving our communities and sharing with them the hope Jesus brings. We launched Anglican Central West at our synod on Saturday, and there was great excitement in the room!" 

Mr Miller said Anglicare Central West would look to strengthen partnership with local churches and opportunities to provide services such as food and financial assistance, emergency relief, foster care, counselling and mental health services. Among its first areas of focus will be prison chaplaincy in Bathurst jail.