Silver Chain celebrates silver jubilee

On March 21 in 1989, Dee Richardson was sister-in-charge at Silver Chain and appeared in the South Western Times as she inspected the future site of a new Bunbury office.

A quarter-century on and Mrs Richardson and the community health care organisation are celebrating the site's anniversary at the Mitchell Crescent premises.

Receiving funding and the designation of land for an official Silver Chain office was a pivotal moment in history for the not-for-profit organisation, according to Mrs Richardson.

At one stage, staff were working out of a supervisor's house and at another point, the organisation was based at an old house leased by the St John Ambulance association on Symmons Street in Bunbury, she said.

"Silver Chain was getting bigger and bigger - we had about 20 registered nurses," she said.

"We felt as though we needed more space so the committee and staff put our heads together and raised some money."

The Lotteries Commission provided $500,000 for the upgrades and the Department of Health designated the land - next to Bunbury Regional Hospital at that time - for Silver Chain.

Mrs Richardson said the upgrade meant the organisation could have a diabetic clinic and provide palliative care among other services, thanks to the "decent facilities".

Silver Chain staff are deciding exactly how to celebrate the 25th anniversary - but a sundowner event is one idea.

Mrs Richardson said staff she worked with during her time at Silver Chain still had a monthly social gathering.