New head for Saltbush

MAREE Feutrill was last month made CEO Saltbush Balnarring Beach, a not-for-profit group that provides respite holiday accommodation to families in need and parents with children who have disabilities.

Her appointment follows the resignation of Rachel Connor who had been with the organisation for a decade.

Feutrill joins Saltbush after spending four years working with remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory developing preventative health programs. She is the former area manager for YMCA Camping, and previously led Camp Manyung at Mount Eliza for two decades where she specialised in camping and outdoor education for people with disabilities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and vulnerable young people.

“The stewardship of Saltbush to ensure accessibility for those who need it most is one of my key priorities. This will mean focussing on our long-term financial sustainability, while at the same time delivering a service to our clients that provides dignity, hope and respite,” Feutrill said.

Saltbush was established in 1989 with a vision to provide short-term holiday accommodation for people from disadvantaged backgrounds including those with disabilities, physical or mental illness, asylum seekers, refugees and families recovering from domestic violence.

The organisation, which this year marks its 35th anniversary accommodates more than 1600 people each year for short-term stays in its six purpose-built houses and arranges holiday programs for children to provide a break for struggling parents and carers.