A major funding boost for not-for-profit charity Little Wings will support families in regional NSW with sick children to access lifesaving treatment.
Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park today announced $600,000 in funding for Little Wings. This funding is in addition to $600,000 provided in 2024.
Little Wings provide free air and ground transportation to medical treatment for children living in rural and remote areas. Little Wings also transport clinicians to rural and remote areas to provide health services to children in those areas.
In 2024/2025, with the support of the Minns Labor Government, Little Wings has to date:
- Transported 439 children from regional, rural and remote NSW to receive medical treatment
- Transported 64 medical specialists to rural and remote NSW who have delivered 170 clinics which have assisted an estimated 3,250 children.
- Flown to 51 locations across rural, regional and remote NSW
Services provided by the charity are available to eligible families living in rural, regional and remote NSW whose children are receiving treatment or support at health services including:
- Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick
- The Children's Hospital at Westmead
- John Hunter Children's Hospital
- Royal Far West in Manly.
Children are referred to the Little Wings service by hospital staff with consideration to the child's medical condition, geographical location and regularity of travel.
For more information visit Little Wings.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
"I am so pleased to support Little Wings in their work which is helping to ease the emotional and financial strain placed on families when they are accessing lifesaving medical treatment for a sick child.
"This important service supports families living in rural, regional and remote areas of NSW to more easily attend ongoing medical appointments, and also offers a welcome break to children during their treatment, by bringing them home for some much-needed quality time with family and friends.
"Little Wings is staffed 100 per cent by volunteer pilots and drivers and I'd like to extend my sincere gratitude to those dedicated staff for their ongoing commitment to supporting these families in their time of need."
Quotes attributable to Clare Pearson, CEO Little Wings:
"Little Wings has been operating for 13 years, working in the background to support regional families caring for a seriously ill or injured child in accessing lifesaving medical treatment that is only available at tertiary hospital.
"With the changing landscape of regional health, it is the support and funding of the NSW Health Minister, Ryan Park, and his vision to partner with purpose to ensure equitable care for families, that will transform healthcare for NSW.
"Little Wings is a proud and deeply grateful part of this vision, providing FREE air and ground transport for regional families, this grant will allow our team to work with urgency and to increase services in line with community needs and to ensure that children in regional NSW have the access to healthcare that they need to thrive."
