The Ainslie
St Margaret’s is well known for its support of people with disabilities and their fami-
lies; think of Stepping Stones For Life (SSFL) and Ross Walker Lodge (RWL). But
there is another one that shouldn’t be forgotten; the Ainslie House.
St Margaret’s Church Council appointed an Aged & Disability Committee (ADC) in
late 2001 for the purpose of supporting people with disabilities and their families. The
ADC set up the ‘Stepping Stones For Life’ (SSFL) project that started with nine partic-
ipating families. After several years three of those families felt that it was time for their
daughters to move out of the family home and become more independent. They were
addressing the question that haunts all families in similar circumstances; ‘what will
happen to our son or daughter when we are no longer here or able to care for them?’
Their preferred solution was a supported living house that their daughters could
share.
The ADC took up the challenge and Ed Miller, one of its members, took it under his
wing and became the lead player. He, together with Annette Matheson, the SSFL
Facilitator at the time, worked tirelessly and spent countless hours with the families
and ACT Government ministers, officials and agencies. ACT Housing recognized the
need and was very cooperative and helpful. It agreed to build a new, purpose-built
house with all parties, including the three ladies and their families, being involved in
the planning process. The outcome was a fine, architect designed, environmentally
friendly, 4-bedroom house on a battle-axe block in Ainslie, designed and built to meet
the specific needs of the 3 young women.
The next and equally important task was to obtain adequate funding for the support
services. Disability ACT, to its credit, agreed to do this and did so for some years until
the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which then took
over this role.
Another careful and exhaustive process was followed to find the best agency to
manage the home and provide the house keeping and support staff. Hartley LifeCare
was selected and it has proved to be an excellent choice.
There was great excitement when the 3 ladies first moved into their new home. Rev
Harvey Smith, our minister at the time, together with the Catholic Church’s Bishop
Pat Power, conducted a ‘blessing of the house’ ceremony. A number of St Margaret’s
folk attended the Sunday afternoon event and took the opportunity to inspect the
house.
The death of one of the original residents, Jeanette Davy, a few years later, brought
great sadness to the home. It was then that the remaining two residents and their
St Margaret’s News
2
December 2017