Regional Victoria

Good Friday Appeal launches $3 million regional funding initiative

Thanks to the generosity of Victorians, our smallest and sickest children will receive world-class care closer to home.

This $3 million investment will strengthen regional paediatric health services by upgrading life-saving equipment, funding specialist training, and supporting scholarships for healthcare professionals — ensuring children get the right care, when and where they need it.

By taking the excellence of The Royal Children’s Hospital into the regions, the Good Friday Appeal is helping families avoid long and stressful journeys for treatment.

From Paynesville to Penshurst, this funding means better access to care, reduced travel time, and improved health outcomes for children across Victoria and southern New South Wales.

How can you get involved with supporting the Good Friday Appeal in Regional Victoria?

View the Regional Tally Board Volunteer in Regional Victoria

The Good Friday Appeal raises funds to enable The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and Regional Health Centres to provide world class care to our children.

Start your own fundraiser

Get involved with the Appeal

Your Impact – where funds go

Fundraising resources

Regional funding areas

Barwon South West – Barwon Health

From saving babies’ lives thanks to resuscitation training and new video equipment, and increasing patient care and outcomes by using specialised ultrasounds, to upskilling nursing staff in response to a surge in eating disorders, funding will support critically ill children and young people of all ages across the Barwon area. Read more

Gippsland – Latrobe Regional Hospital

From upskilling staff to create Gippsland’s first neurodevelopment outpatients’ clinic, and purchasing new equipment to detect and manage eye disease, through to increasing the capability of nursing staff by purchasing specialised training equipment and offering RCH secondments, funding will change and save the lives of Gippsland children, in particular by allowing early detection and management of a range of conditions. Read more

Grampians – Grampians Health Care

Providing care for a catchment area of 250,000 people, Grampians Health requires new state-of-the-art resuscitation, ultrasound and anaesthesia equipment to continue to provide the best care locally for women and babies with high-risk health needs. Read more

Loddon Mallee – Bendigo Health

From building an all abilities kids rehab play space co-designed by clinicians and patients, to prioritising learning and development initiatives across nursing, allied health and intensive care, new funding will foster fun and creative play as an enabler of improved patient experiences and outcomes, while also helping to attract and retain highly qualified staff across the Loddon Mallee region. Read more

Hume – Goulburn Valley Health and Albury Wodonga Health

Funding will enable children to receive highly-specialised, life-saving respiratory care within the Goulburn Valley. It will create two part-time emergency nurse practitioner roles, support scholarships, and upskill staff delivering Hospital in the Home care, thereby keeping more children out of hospital, and servicing increased demand. At Albury Wodonga Health the funding will establish a Paediatric Hospital In The Home Program, invest in advanced medical equipment including an ultrasound machine for paediatric echocardiograms and a polysomnograph for sleep studies. Read more

Regional funding

Regional funding plays a critical role in building the capability and capacity of health services across the state. The aim is to increase the number of children and young people who can receive high quality care closer to their home, making the pathway to specialist care easier. From nursing scholarships to capital expenditure, this investment will go some way to strengthening these services and their invaluable work delivering health care to children, young people, and families living in regional and rural Victoria. Read more

Thank you to Regional Victorians

The impact of regional Victoria on the Good Friday Appeal is nothing short of extraordinary, these communities play a pivotal role in the heart and soul of the Appeal. Year after year, the collective passion and dedication from regional areas contribute significantly to the Appeal. It is through the collaboration and support of these vibrant communities that the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) has been able to help more sick kids across Australia, making a lasting and positive impact on the lives of countless children.

“We would like to acknowledge our 208 dedicated Area Managers and key fundraising partners such as the CFA, Uncle Bobs Club, RCH Auxiliaries, Lions, Rotary, and other committees. Along with our wonderful Volunteers, they have been running fundraisers, shaking tins and door knocking across the state and beyond for many years. Your commitment is truly inspiring,” Rebecca Cowan, Good Friday Appeal Executive Director.

Fundraising Guide

If you are living in regional Victoria and thinking of fundraising, check out our Fundraising Guide for activity ideas and advice. We have over 200 Area Managers across Victoria who coordinate fundraising in their towns. Read guide

Regional Fundraising

Did you know you can fundraise online for the Good Friday Appeal, as an individual or as a town. It is quick and easy to set up a page and share it with your friends, family and community. Find out more