Good Friday Appeal Regional Funding Initiative

Our smallest and sickest children will receive world-class care closer to home, thanks to the generosity of Victorians and the unwavering support of the Good Friday Appeal.

This year the Good Friday Appeal and The Royal Children’s Hospital will allocate $3 million in funding to more than 30 regional health services, to ensure every child receives the best possible healthcare, no matter what their postcode is.

As the Good Friday Appeal marks 95 years of community support, sick children and their families in regional Victoria will continue to access world-class care closer to home, thanks to the generosity of Victorians.

This investment will support critical projects such as upgrading lifesaving equipment, offering additional training, and providing scholarships for healthcare professionals.

More than $8.5 million in funding has been allocated to regional Victoria over three years, highlighting the Good Friday Appeal and The Royal Children’s Hospital’s commitment to every child.

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2026 Funding:

This year, the GFA in partnership with the RCH, will contribute an additional $3M to support more than 30 regional health services. This significant investment will continue to enhance the clinical care and outcomes for children in regional areas.

Some of the 30+ health services, within the five regions:

• Barwon South West
  • Barwon Health
  • Colac Area Health
  • Barwon South West Health Services
• Gippsland
  • Central Gippsland Health Service
  • Gippsland Southern Health Service
  • Latrobe Regional Health
  • West Gippsland Healthcare Group
• Hume
  • Goulburn Valley Health
  • Albury Wodonga Health
  • Northeast Health Wangaratta
• Grampians
  • Beaufort & Skipton Health Service
  • Central Highlands Rural Health
  • East Grampians Health Service
  • East Wimmera Health Service
  • Maryborough District Health Service
  • Rural Northwest Health
  • West Wimmera Health Service.
• Loddon Mallee
  • Bendigo Health
  • Dhelkaya Health
  • Echuca Regional Health
  • Mildura Base Public Hospital
  • Swan Hill District Health

There is an equal level of funding of $600,000 provided to the five regions.

The Good Friday Appeal Regional funding initiative recognises both the RCH’s vision to support an integrated paediatric care network across the state and the generous support of regional Victorians to the Appeal.

View the 2026 Regional Funding flyer

click here

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2025 Funding:

Informed by regional health services, the 2025 funding was be used to support the delivery and implementation of equipment, education and training, and projects that are most relevant to the healthcare needs of the local health services and their community.

• Of the 70 health services across the State, funding will be shared across 41 health services from the 2025 Good Friday Appeal,
  • 35 of these services received funding from the Good Friday Appeal for the very first time
  • including over 20 in Hume
  • a focus on the delivery of advanced paediatric programs, including the upskilling of staff and providing access to equipment specifically designed for treating children and young people.

Regional health services have coordinated the granting process across five geographic regions. Through this, the following health services across the five geographic regions will receive GFA funding in 2025-26:

• Barwon South West – Barwon Health, South West Healthcare, Colac Area Health Service, Western District Health Service, Portland District Health Service.
  
• Gippsland – Latrobe Regional Health, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, Central Gippsland Health, Gippsland Southern Health Service, South Gippsland Hospital, Omeo District Health, West Gippsland Healthcare Group.
  
• Hume – Albury Wodonga Health, Alexandra District Health, Alpine Health, Beechworth Health Service, Benalla Health, Corryong Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Kyabram District Health Service, Mansfield District Hospital, Nathalia, Cobram & Numurkah (NCN) Health, Northeast Health Wangaratta, Seymour Health, Tallangatta Health Service, Yarrawonga Health, Yea & District Memorial Hospital.
  
• Grampians – Grampians Health, Beaufort and Skipton Health Service, Central Highlands Rural Health, East Grampians Health Service, East Wimmera Health Service, West Wimmera Health Service, Maryborough District Health Service, Rural Northwest Health.
  
• Loddon Mallee – Bendigo Health, Dhelkaya Health, Swan Hill District Health, Mildura base Public Hospital, Echuca Regional Health.

This funding will make a substantial impact across each region by supporting the following:

• Equipping every region with new, paediatric-specific equipment and technology
• Training and education programs such as short courses and scholarships in four of the five regions
• Enhancing neonatal service provision through training and equipment in Barwon South West
• Upgrade of video conferencing tools and paediatric therapy spaces in Gippsland
• Delivery of a virtual allied health triaging and intake project tailored to meet the needs and demands of the Bendigo community
• Establishing a brand-new play facility in the Grampians to enhance the patient family accommodation facilities
• Advancing paediatric life support and critical care for regional ICU patients in Albury-Wodonga.

View the 2025 Regional Funding flyer

click here

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2024 Funding

In 2024, six regional health services shared $2.5 million from the record-breaking $23,368,724 raised by the Good Friday Appeal:

• Loddon Mallee – Bendigo Health
• Barwon South West – Barwon Health
• Gippsland – Latrobe Regional Health
• Hume – Goulburn Valley Health and Albury Wodonga Health
• Grampians – Grampians Health

The funds raised by the Good Friday Appeal have delivered life-changing improvements and will continue to positively impact countless families across regional Victoria.

Loddon Mallee – Bendigo Health is creating an all-abilities outdoor kids’ rehabilitation play space, co-designed with input from both clinicians and patients.

Barwon Health received new resuscitation training and video equipment for neonatal care.

Latrobe Regional Health has also used the funding to purchase state-of-the-art simulation equipment to upskill the nursing and medical teams in advanced and basic life support.

Goulburn Valley Health were able to offer four paediatric nursing scholarships across a range of specialised teams.

Grampians Health purchased new infant resuscitation cots and ultrasound equipment for women and babies with high-risk health needs.

View the 2024 Regional Funding flyer

click here

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Supporting Regional Care in 2026

“This funding supports the hospital’s mission to extend its reach across the state and helps regional children and their families receive world-class care close to where they live, reducing an enormous stress for so many,” Penny Fowler AM, Chairman of the Good Friday Appeal.

“These funds will support vital projects aimed at enhancing patient care and equipping regional hospitals with much-needed resources. We want to ensure that regional Victorians have access “Regional Victoria is the backbone of the Good Friday Appeal. For decades, regional communities have rallied around the local CFA as they rattle tins, or supported the fundraising efforts of local Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, schools, businesses, and local families to raise funds for sick kids, who now may be able to receive the care they need closer to home.”to high-quality healthcare closer to home. The unwavering support from regional communities has helped us achieve incredible outcomes and we remain deeply committed to continuing this legacy” Rebecca Cowan, Executive Director Good Friday Appeal.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas, said “the Appeal is making a difference right across Victoria – helping more kids get the care they need, when they need it. No matter where you live, everyone deserves access to the very best care.”