Viv: "We are a local not-for-profit facility. We commenced in 1954, thanks to a small group of members of the Islington Baptist Church who would spend weekends taking elderly ladies from a small local hospital to church and social outings. They always left feeling alarmed at the scolding some nurses would give the ladies, so they decided to take steps to start a special home for them where they would be respected. They also saw the needs of elderly widows within the church. These folk mortgaged their homes to buy a ten room house in Mayfield, an old maternity home."

"They agreed in those early days not to rely on the church for financial assistance and that the church would not seek funds from the home, and that is how it has been ever since. Support in kind and in practical ways from the church has been phenomenal since Maroba's inception."

"I joined the Maroba team in 1994 as director of nursing and was appointed CEO in 2000. My background includes a wide range of clinical and managerial nursing experiences; my qualifications also include a Masters of Health Services Management."

"We now have 162 people onsite and we provide ongoing care from the retirement village to the hostel and nursing home, including dementia specific services. We have a volunteer board which has remained very stable; in fact, we have only had three chairmen in the 52 years since Maroba commenced."

"I am trying to build up the value - how much we charge - of the village side of our business so that it can help support the aged care side. I don't have a problem with that, as it is the ongoing care that many of our residents find appealing about our service."

"If you look around the marketplace, we still provide a very good deal. Our cost for a dwelling is very manageable compared to the local market and if you work out the rent comparison you won't get much for under $200 per week, yet here you get a good quality unit, with security of tenure. There is plenty of change from the pension for folks to kick up their heels."

Expansion into The Hunter

Capitalising on its proven management systems, Maroba has accepted the appointment to operate a new village community in the Maitland region. Titled Brokenback Ridge in Gillieston Heights, it will comprise 43 contemporary two-bedroom villas. This is the first known example of a private developer approaching a not-for-profit organisation to manage a facility. Maroba identifies this appointment as an opportunity to develop a second revenue stream to support their mission and a career development opportunity for their staff.

For more information on Maroba Terrace please click here.