Hospital’s 90th a family affair

By Shaun Inguanzo
A NOBLE Park hospital that specialises in early parenting celebrated its 90th birthday on Monday.
The Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC) in Thomas Street, Noble Park, first began in Richmond 90 years ago before moving to Carlton and then Noble Park just 18 months ago.
QEC CEO Robyn Gillis said the centre moved to Noble Park to service the growth corridor including Greater Dandenong, the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire in Melbourne’s south-east.
She said the centre also provided parenting advice for a lot of refugee families.
With demand for services increasing by 40 per cent in the past three years, Ms Gillis said Monday’s 90th birthday celebration also marked the opening of new facilities at the Noble Park site.
“We will help any family finding parenthood hard work,” she said.
“However, we are specialists at supporting and helping families in our communities who find themselves in vulnerable and difficult circumstances.
The QEC caters for children up to the age of three and allows families to stay overnight or up to a week to receive parenting assistance.
It is a publicly funded, not-for-profit hospital that also relies on community donations and philanthropy so money can be pumped into expanding services.
Ms Gillis said the QEC saw more than 1000 families a year, and that number was always increasing.
“We are seeing lot greater growth in demand for our services,” she said.
“I think it’s a combination of there being a lot more working parents and mums, and a lack of mums and aunts living next door who are able to help.
“There are also a lot of new refugee families.”
To mark its 90th birthday, the QEC had live entertainment including Aboriginal dancing, and released 90 butterflies – the organisation’s logo – into the Noble Park skies.