Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) (15:32):Sadly the experience of homelessness is becoming more common throughout the greater Hunter region. Recognition of this situation has motivated the Maitland Rotary Sunrise group to purchase 20 Shelterbags from South Africa, which they plan to donate to the Maitland Neighbourhood Centre and Carrie's Place to distribute to local people experiencing homelessness. The creator of the bags, Bas Timmer, was moved to action after a friend's father died from hypothermia while sleeping outside. He was sleeping next to a homeless shelter in Africa but it was not open that evening. After much consideration and effort, Mr Timmer launched the Shelterbag in South Africa in 2020.

The Shelterbag is a portable sheltered bed that rolls up into a bag—much like one of our swags. It is waterproof, lightweight and easy to handle, and it has an extra compartment for personal items. It comes with a sleeping bag and a built-in pillow and is adaptable for all seasons. Should this initial step prove successful, the club has said it is intent on undertaking further fundraising to purchase additional bags. I commend Maitland Rotary Sunrise for this action and encourage them in their future endeavours to support community members experiencing homelessness.