Visitors to the Extended Community Help Organisation (ECHO) facility are now greeted by a refreshed interior with improved accessibility, thanks to funding from the City's $5.09 million local economic and social stimulus package.
Enhancements to the aged care service facility on Toowong Street in Bayswater include painting of the walls and ceilings, new flooring and furniture throughout the offices and day centre.
City of Bayswater Mayor Dan Bull said the ECHO facility refurbishment was one of the City's Community Capital Grants Projects fast-tracked as part of its $5.09 million local economic and social stimulus package.
"It's really rewarding to see the City's stimulus funding have a real impact on our community, and enable organisations like ECHO to support our older residents in a bright, modern and accessible facility," he said.
"The interior of the building has undergone an incredible transformation into a vibrant, cheerful and functional space with a new office layout, fresh coat of paint, new carpets and multi-use furniture."
ECHO provides aged care services to the community by helping people live independently in their own homes and with day care, and supports more than 900 local City of Bayswater residents.
ECHO CEO Jonathan Smith said the building improvements enabled the organisation to continue to provide high quality aged care services to the Bayswater community.
"The modifications support ECHO in fulfilling its purpose to enrich the lives of people living independently in their own homes, through connection to services and community," he said.
"Having a fresh and contemporary space which is safe, accessible and welcoming for our clients has made a huge difference to the experience for visitors in our day centre and we've received a lot of positive feedback.
"Demand for our services has seen ECHO triple in size over the past 5 years and we now support more than 1,500 clients, so this was a much-needed facelift."
Mayor Bull said community organisations would typically be required to contribute funding towards these projects, however, the City had funded the works in full as part of the 2020/21 stimulus package.
Mr Smith said the City's full financial contribution assisted the organisation in funding additional improvements to the facility that otherwise would not be possible.
"Thanks to the City's funding contribution we've made other essential improvements, including electrical rewiring and data cabling to reduce potential safety hazards, and incorporating new technology to increase the efficiency of our operations," he said.
"Our employees and clients are over the moon with the refurbished facility and it's been a major boost for staff morale and the overall culture of our organisation."
For more information on the City's local economic and social stimulus package, visit bayswater.wa.gov.au/stimulus.