An Exciting Move Around the Corner for Bendigo’s LGBTI Communities

The new year will see a new location for Thorne Harbour Country’s Community Hub. Thorne Harbour Health is investing in Bendigo for 2021 — purchasing a new site just around the corner from its previous premises.

Following in the footsteps of the Country Awareness Network (CAN), Thorne Harbour established a Bendigo-based service focused on preventing blood-borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections as well as supporting both people living with HIV (PLHIV) and LGBTI communities in the Loddon Mallee Region in February 2016.

“After over 20 years of serving the community in Bendigo, the Country Awareness Network left some big shoes for us to fill, and I believe we’ve risen to the challenge,” said Thorne Harbour Health CEO Simon Ruth.

The new two-storey site will allow Thorne Harbour Country to re-establish the Community Hub for peer workshops, events, and service delivery. The new location on Mundy Street is just around the corner from the program’s original site and the former home of CAN.

“The Bendigo community is passionate about supporting LGBTI individuals and people living with HIV. We’ve been proud to work with the community over the years, and we’re excited to create a new space where they can be better supported and empowered to look after their ongoing health and wellbeing,” said Thorne Harbour Country Coordinator Claudia Validum.

“We hope the new site can serve as community centre for regional Victoria. After all, we know from the recent Victorian Population Health Survey that our LGBTI communities are located throughout the state,” added Simon Ruth.

The Thorne Harbour Country Community Hub is expected to open in early 2021 in time for the fifth anniversary of the program.