Lady Bowen Trust provides $20,000 support for Roma House

Left to Right: Mr Peter Carne, Public Trustee, Public Trustee of Qld, Ms Jennifer Clark, General Manager – Social Housing, Department of Communities (Housing and Homelessness Services), Her Excellence, Ms Penelope Wensley, AO, Governor of Queensland, Mr Darryl Seccombe, Chair, Board of Advice, Lady Bowen Trust, Mr Tony Stevenson, State Director, Mission Australia.

The Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency, Ms Penelope Wensley AO in her capacity as Patron of the Lady Bowen Trust, today presented $20,000 to Mission Australia to provide assistance to people exiting Roma House to help them make their life-changing move from homelessness into a secure and stable home.

"The Lady Bowen Trust is focussed on providing practical help to people who had been homeless to transition to more stable housing arrangements. Roma House clients in Spring Hill in inner Brisbane were the first beneficiaries of the Trust, and the Trust has now provided over $143,000 to assist people experiencing homelessness throughout Queensland," Darryl Seccombe, Chair of the Board of Advice of the Lady Bowen Trust, said.

"The practical support provided by the Lady Bowen Trust is intended to complement the very important work of charities such as Mission Australia by tailoring help to people who have complex, individual needs. This may be by providing simple items such as linen or household goods to help establish a home or by assisting with education and training costs so that people may re-enter the workforce." Mr Seccombe said.

"In Queensland’s 150th year, it is fitting to reaffirm the reasons why the Trust was named in tribute to Lady Bowen, and to reconfirm that the Queensland community, through organisations such as the Lady Bowen Trust and Mission Australia, continue to strive to help their fellow Queenslanders." Mr Seccombe said. "Lady Bowen devoted herself to working tirelessly for those in the community. Despite her background of aristocracy and great wealth, she was a gracious and natural advocate for the underprivileged, the injured and the infirm. Lady Bowen's commitment to her community continues to be an enduring role-model for us to aspire to today."

"The Trust is therefore delighted to announce that Queenie’s Tea House, as part of its contribution to the recognition of Queensland's 150th, has developed a Lady Bowen tea blend, described as "robust and vigorous" (qualities that may have been used to also describe Lady Bowen herself), and will generously donate a portion of the proceeds from each sale to the Trust, to provide assistance and support to those experiencing homelessness."

The Trust was launched in November 2006 by the Queensland Government, with funding provided by the former Queensland Department of Housing and the Residential Tenancies Authority.

For further information, please visit the Lady Bowen Trust website or contact the Secretariat to the Lady Bowen Trust on 1800 081 698. For information about the Lady Bowen tea, please visit Queenies Teahouse.