Council has appointed Northern Rivers-based not-for-profit organisation Social Futures to manage the soon to be revitalised old Byron Hospital facility.
The appointment is one of the first steps towards re-purposing the old site, which Council purchased from the NSW Government for a dollar in 2019, and turning it into a community hub for currently lacking welfare, social, cultural and educational services in the centre of Byron Bay.
"We are very pleased to be taking another step forward in realising our exciting vision for the old Byron Hospital through the appointment of Social Futures as manager of the facility on behalf of Council," Council's Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway said.
"Now the tender has been awarded, we will be working closely with Social Futures to plan towards and negotiate the final terms of the lease and management agreement," he said.
Social Futures CEO, Tony Davies, said the organisation was looking forward to the work ahead.
"We recognise that it's a great opportunity, but also a great responsibility," Mr Davies said.
"We appreciate that many people in Byron Bay have worked hard to preserve this site as an asset for the community. The old hospital served the community of Byron Bay for generations and we plan to continue that legacy of community service.
"We will be working closely with others in the Byron Community to realise a strong vision for the site. Social Futures has been delivering community services in the Northern Rivers, including Byron, for more than 40 years and we see this as a big step to being able to better support those who might need a helping hand in Byron Bay," he said.
About Social Futures
Social Futures is a community service organisation based in Northern NSW with more than 40 years' experience as a regional leader, advocating with the regional and remote communities we work in; working in partnership with others; and providing services that promote inclusion, fairness and social justice.
