Mark from Merch Promo Signs and Maxine and Carol from Can Assist.

The Harden-Murrumburrah Can Assist branch last week confirmed its permanent move to the Flexible Care Services building, meaning they now have a base to conduct meetings and charity-based work.

Flexible Care Services have donated a room at the back of their building for Can Assist to use whenever they like, allowing the charitable organisation better structure.

Can Assist Harden-Murrumburrah, formed in 2000, having been based at the Kruger Centre, Harden Bowling Club and St Lawrence Home, however, have never had a permanent home until now.

Carol Barker, President of Can Assist Harden-Murrumburrah since 2019, said their new permanent home will provide many benefits to the charity. “We’ve never had a proper place to our own before, we’ve moved around many times,” she said.

“It will be great. It will be nice to have somewhere to have a meeting and call it our own.

“Flexible Care were very kind to give us a room because they knew we were struggling to find a place to have a meeting.”

At the meetings, various topics about upcoming fundraisers as well as reviewing previous events are discussed.

To raise the profile of the new meeting location, Mark from Merch Promo Signs (MPS) – an ex-Young and current Canberran, installed new signage outside the front of the building last Thursday to have a visual presence for residents to drop by for donations or information as well as showcasing the Can Assist phone number.

The office will not be constantly manned, however, so calls to the phone number are first advised.

“Even in such a small town, there’s a lot of people who still don’t know what Can Assist means, and where we are and what we do,” Carol continued.

“So we just thought we could put a sign-up. Flexible Care will help people if they go in there and they’ll put them on to the right person. On the signage is the new hospital number (6308 6600) and that’s what they’ve got to ring.”

Can Assist’s mission is to assist country families affected by cancer by providing financial support with medication, accommodation and practical support while building community-based volunteer networks.

Maxine Davis, former Secretary of Can Assist Harden Murrumburrah said the move will help the organisation be more efficient.

“It’s unbelievable because we are not going to be chasing things around from everywhere because we used to have things stashed in different locations,” she said.

Can Assist Harden-Murrumburrah have various fundraisers including their ticketed Debutante Ball on the 27th of May, as well as their Masquer-ade Ball at the Country Club on the 25th of June, as well as a lot of upcoming raffles.

Tim Warren