Carers Victoria

Free travel on trains, trams and buses in Victoria may have finished for the general public now that May is over... but travel for CARERS on Weekends is still free, STATEWIDE, and half-price Weekdays with your We Care Card (aka Victorian Carer Card).

If you support a person with a disability, public transport is free for you all the time, Statewide, with your Companion Card, when you accompany a person with disability.

But remember to carry your cards on you. 🪪

Energy bills can be confusing and stressful. You might be wondering if you’re paying too much or feel nervous about calling your energy company. You don’t have to handle this alone.

The Energy Assistance Program offers free, confidential support from friendly advisers. It is delivered by the Victorian Government with Anglicare Victoria and cohealth.

People call the free Energy Assistance Program for lots of different reasons
• Questions about their bills
• Checking if they could be paying less
• Help calling their energy company
• Help to manage payments or overdue bills

Read more here: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/households/help-paying-your-energy-bills/energy-assistance-program

Many people discover support they did not know was available.

Call the free Energy Assistance Program on 1800 161 215.

Energy Assistance Program The Energy Assistance Program is a free service designed to support Victorians who are having trouble paying their energy bills.

Free Mindfulness program opportunity for carers.

Our friends at Cancer Care Hub are providing a mindfulness program online as part of their research. They are calling for a final carer intake by June 30.

About the program
Carer_MindOnLine is an evidence-based mindfulness program developed by leading experts. It is a free 9-week online program involving short videos and daily meditation practice.

Feedback includes, "I found the program very enjoyable and useful and helpful, not just in relation to cancer, but in all aspects of my life"

Details and to participate, go here. https://carermindonline.org.au/

🤩 Our Kensington Mingle was such a blast earlier this week! With the support of City of Melbourne we hosted over 50 carers in a beautiful sunlit room with a wall of windows into the sensory garden within Kensington Neighbourhood Centre.

☕After a warming cuppa, some pastries and some mingling, the program started with an interactive workshop by Carers Victoria. Each round table discussed why it’s important for carers to consider self-care and shared strategies to make self-care possible.

ℹ️ There was heaps of practical information for carers about supports and assistance from Carers Victoria, Carers Gateway and Services Australia who came along to outline Carer benefits and allowances.

🥗Big thanks to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) who provided a delicious lunch and Joelene Moran, Community Choir Leader and Creative Arts Therapist who led us in a fantastic singing workshop.

🫶 We were very pleased to have Sheena Watt MP for Northern Metro Region join us for lunch and say a few words about her own experience as a young carer. It was great that she could stay and mingle, spending time speaking with a number of carers about issues that matter to them.

Looking for a carer event near you? Check out our calendar of events hosted by us and others:
https://ow.ly/iIp550Z43cM

🥰 Wonderful feedback from a carer of a neurodivergent adult son, who joined our Carer Coaching program “🗨️because I realised I couldn’t keep putting my own wellbeing last. The one-to-one coaching gave me a supportive and non-judgemental space to talk openly about my fears, responsibilities, and hopes. Together, we developed simple but meaningful changes to support my health.”

Participants in our most recent round of Carer Coaching finished the program feeling significantly more confident in their caring role and overall. With amazing improvement to their sense of wellbeing.

If you care for a friend or family member and you need some support yourself, our Carer Coaching program might be what you need.

👉 Learn more https://ow.ly/jxLQ50Z2wLX

Do you know a young carer or are you a young carer attending secondary school in Victoria?

Applications for the Carers Victoria Young Carer Scholarship 2026 close this Sunday.

The scholarship opens doors to exciting opportunities, allowing young carers to participate in school or community-based activities that can enhance skills, boost educational achievements, and empower young carers to fully engage with the community.

Apply now at https://carersvictoria.org.au/information-and-impact/grants-and-scholarships/young-carer-scholarship/

Are you a carer supporting an older person or an older person caring for someone you love?

Join Carers Victoria and Ageing Well Ballarat for a free session that helps you understand the services, supports and benefits available to carers.

✔ Learn what support you can access
✔ Get practical information to make caring easier
✔ Connect with other local carers
✔ Enjoy a relaxed morning tea

📅 Thursday 11 June
🕙 10am to 12pm
📍 Vickers Street Community Hub, Sebastopol
💵 Free event

Register via Humanitix here
https://events.humanitix.com/introduction-to-services-and-supports-for-carers

This morning Carers Victoria chair Susan Alberti AC along with the new Carers Australia CEO Joanna Cave, were pleased to have the opportunity to talk with Federal member for Monash, Mary Aldred MP.

Ms Aldred is an active member of our Victorian community with strong connections to Gippsland. It was our pleasure to meet with her this morning at Parliament House Canberra to discuss how together, we can make carers are recognised, included, and supported.

It was great to connect with Loddon Mallee Mental Health and Wellbeing at our carer event in Echuca 🤩

It’s partnerships like these that help us better support carers, families and people living with mental illness. When we come together, we can create stronger, more connected communities and make a real difference in people’s lives.

Mallee Family Care Mind Australia

Have your say on ageing well in Victoria 👋

COTA Victoria & Seniors Rights Victoria inviting older Victorians to share what matters most to them through their annual pulse survey. Your experiences, priorities and concerns will help shape advocacy, policy and services that better support older people across the state.

The survey is anonymous, and a summary of key findings will be shared on the COTA Victoria website. It only takes a few minutes, but your voice can make a real difference.

The survey is open until 30 June 2026.

👉 Take the survey: https://forms.office.com/r/Efetc9bp0Y