Coast Shelter is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing specialist homelessness services and support programs on the NSW Central Coast.
We are a registered Community Housing Provider operating crisis accommodation refuges across the region for people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or experiencing domestic and family violence.
We continue to progress our mission to end homelessness and domestic and family violence on the NSW Central Coast by providing people with a safe place to call home, food and clothing, and access to personal support services.
From humble beginnings, Coast Shelter has grown into an organisation tackling the issues of homelessness, family and domestic violence, and poverty across the NSW Central Coast. Over the last 30 years, we have grown from one refuge in Gosford into a community housing provider with ten specialist homelessness services.
Today, we deliver a number of services designed to tackle the issues of homelessness, domestic and family violence and poverty. Each year we provide crises accommodation through our Specialist Homelessness Services and outreach properties to males, females, children and youth across the Central Coast. Our Community Centre continues to help the most vulnerable people in our Community by providing free meals and access to financial, medical and personal support services.
Coast Shelter is committed to helping people when they need help the most and we thank our generous corporate partners, donors, funding bodies, staff and volunteers for their ongoing support and commitment to ending homelessness on the NSW Central Coast.
Our vision is to end homelessness and domestic and family violence on the NSW Central Coast.
Our mission is to deliver locally designed, innovative solutions to homelessness, domestic and family violence, and poverty to achieve immediate and lasting change.
Four core values drive our work. Trust, Respect, Innovation and Connection.
We are honest, collaborative, responsive, and accountable in everything we do. We believe everyone has the right to a safe, healthier future.
We listen, and we are accepting of others’ differences, cultures, and personal needs.
We are creative, adaptive, and explore new ideas to solve challenges
We develop, value and maintain strong connections with the people we support, our colleagues, and the communities we work in.
Coast Shelter employs staff across the Central Coast. We have a diverse, skills-based Board and Executive team with expertise across government, community and commercial sectors.
Our Board members are responsible for the overall business, management and direction of Coast Shelter. The Board are committed to best practice in governance and accountability.
B Pod, LLB, Grad. Dip Practice of Laws and Migration Agent Grad. Cert.
Kian has been a volunteer at the Coast Shelter Community Centre for the last 14 years, a Director of Coast Shelter since 2015 and is the current President. Kian migrated to Australia in 1993 and has been in private practice as a podiatrist. In 2003, she became a registered migration agent and was admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court in 2004.
Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant/Justice of the Peace, Certificate IV in Business, Certificate IV in Celebrancy; Certificate IV in Community Services (Information Referral & Advice); Advanced Secretarial Diploma.
Margaret has been a Director of Coast Shelter since March 2008 and President from November 2018 to November 2021. Margaret is currently Coast Shelters Deputy President. Margaret's career has encompassed executive secretarial, hospitality, financial management, welfare, aged care, and community services from 2003 to 2017.
Claire is a social entrepreneur and businesswoman based on the NSW Central Coast. She co-founded Women on Boards in Australia in 2006 and in the UK in 2012, following a career in journalism and public relations. She is an experienced Non-Executive Director on small businesses and large not-for-profit organisations and has significant expertise on Board governance in many other sectors.
Alex is an executive with over 20 years’ experience practising in corporate governance advisory and is currently contributing with the boards of several charities. His past experience includes serving as the Group Secretary of The University of Sydney and senior executive roles in large infrastructure corporations, including operations, strategy, capital works, audit, probity and regulatory roles.
Jennifer has served on a number of Central Coast business, community, economic development and not for profit boards and is a board member of the Central Coast Local Health District and sub-committee Chair. Jennifer has many years’ experience in residential aged care and community care and has worked with the industry, government and the community to promote and enhance the quality of aged care to the frail aged and disadvantaged.Â
Rob is an internationally experienced Project Director with over 24 years’ experience working as a Development Manager, Client-side Project Manager and as a qualified chartered civil engineer. Rob has a successful track record managing, planning and delivering complex projects across a broad range of sectors. This includes design and construction delivery for high-quality medium, large scale and mega developments with the ability to add financial and design value in the areas of commercial and sustainable master-planning, recently in government infrastructure.
Howard is a lawyer and public notary. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Sydney and is an accredited specialist in government and administrative law. He is currently employed as a principal lawyer with the NSW Department of Customer Service. He is also an experienced teacher having taught extensively at TAFE NSW. He is an adjunct senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University’s Centre for Law and Justice.
Michael has held leadership roles in the not-for-profit and philanthropic sectors for over ten years, with a particular focus on early intervention services for young people, social enterprises, employment, training and family accommodation services.
Mark is a qualified Social Worker and has worked in the community sector for more than 25 years. Having held senior management roles over the past ten years, he holds significant experience and knowledge in child protection, disability, housing and out-of-home care.
Jason is driven by a passion to make a difference in the community he grew up in and is drawn to Coast Shelter to develop a culture that drives social change and positive outcomes for the vulnerable members of the Central Coast community.
Bachelor of Commerce, Member of Chartered Accountants ANZ
Jason is the Finance Manager and Corporate Secretary for Coast Shelter, where he continues to help the organisation grow as a leading specialist homelessness service on the Central Coast.Â
Krissy’s background is in youth and social work as well as project coordination. Krissy has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over ten years, focusing on vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and communities.
Download our most recent annual reports to find out where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re headed.
2022 Annual Report
2021 Annual Report
2020 Annual Report
2018/2019 Annual Report
Coast Shelter is committed to strengthening our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the sovereign peoples of this land, and that sovereignty was never ceded. We recognise the structural and historic factors that continue impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia and we have a role in contributing to and promoting the reconciliation movement.
By developing this Reconciliation Action plan, we will improve our services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the community more broadly. We aim to cultivate respect and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, histories, cultures and knowledge.
We do this by building key partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations and businesses, participation in reconciliation events across the Central Coast, and strengthening the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within Coast Shelter.
Download our most recent strategic plan to see what we have planned for our people, services and partnerships over the next three years.
