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Like us on Facebook or go to www.thelocalnewcastle.com.au for community news • Issue No 94 • Newcastle’s favourite community newspaper • February 2022 •
Record demand for Lifeline Local Lifeline crisis supporters worked tirelessly over the summer holiday period on the 13 11 14 service to meet record community demand for support. In October last year, 35 new recruits – up from the usual 24 - started on the phones at Lifeline’s Newcastle and Central Coast call centres. Lifeline Hunter and Central Coast now has 134 crisis supporters. Lifeline Hunter Central Coast’s senior crisis support team leader and trainer, Jen Hillis, said New Years Day was the services’ busiest ever, with Lifeline taking more than 3700 calls nationally. “Calls to 13 11 14 are up 25 per cent since the start of the pandemic and this continued through the Christmas period,” Ms Hillis said. “Christmas can be a difficult time for many but this year it was made worse by increased anxiety surrounding COVID 19,” she said. (continued on page 4)
New Lifeline recruit Tammii Suprano in training with Hunter Central Coast senior crisis support team leader Jen Hillis
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