A Newcastle-born charity that grew from a local pub meeting into a national support powerhouse is this week celebrating a remarkable milestone: 30 years of breaking down barriers and helping Australians reach their full potential.
From Darby Street to a National Force
Life Without Barriers, one of Australia's most experienced disability and community support providers, officially marks its three-decade anniversary. The organisation's story began not in a boardroom, but at the Delaney Hotel on Darby Street in Newcastle in 1995. A group of concerned community members gathered, united by a shared belief in people's right to access essential services.
"Our founders had witnessed the obstacles that friends and loved ones faced accessing support and came up with solutions," said Life Without Barriers chief executive Claire Robbs. "It is a powerful legacy - a community looking after one another."
From those humble beginnings, the charity has expanded to support over half a million people across the country. Its services now extend far beyond disability support to include children, young people and families, people with mental health needs, older Australians, and people seeking asylum.
Music, Community, and Empowerment
The 30th-anniversary celebrations were fittingly marked by music and community spirit, embodied by The Fire Flies. This vibrant band grew out of the charity's Broadmeadow music program, which started as a casual group getting together to play instruments for fun.
With encouragement from support workers who were performers themselves, the group began busking in the community. Front man Robbie Deaves, who has been with the group for around seven years, and fellow members recently brought their infectious energy to Nobbys Beach, performing hits from Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Green Day.
"My favourite song is either Firework or Roar by Katy Perry," Deaves said, highlighting how the group has helped him make friends and build confidence. The band now busks at Nobbys most Thursday mornings, a testament to the program's lasting impact.
A Lasting Commitment to People and Voice
The core mission of empowering individuals remains unchanged after thirty years. John Green, the former chair of Life Without Barriers' Disability Services Advisory Council, has been supported by the organisation for about 18 years. Based in Manning, Green has also used his voice on committees to help shape the charity's services.
"The purpose of those groups was mainly about empowering clients and giving them a voice to help identify what was and wasn't working, and advocate for change if it was needed," Mr Green explained.
He credits the organisation's longevity in his life to being able to self-advocate. "I've had some great carers that have been with me for years... Life Without Barriers has helped me be able to do the things I wanted to do, and go places I wanted to go."
CEO Claire Robbs emphasised that the local connection remains vital to the now-national organisation. "Now, it is a national organisation that continues to support people on a local level, and that - along with our commitment to our core values - is a big part of why the organisation is so essential in the Australian context," she said.
As Life Without Barriers looks to the future, its foundation remains the same: a simple, powerful idea born in a Newcastle pub that everyone deserves a life without barriers.
