Wombat's Wish

05/09/2026

Father’s Day is not a day of joy for everyone. People who have had their dad die or haven’t got a relationship with their father may experience feelings of sadness, anger or guilt.

It is important to remember that grief is unique and individual to you.

On Father’s Day you need to do what feels right to you. Here are some things that may make Father’s Day a little easier:

💙 Talk to a trusted adult about what you need
💙 Visit the cemetery or spend time in nature
💙 Read or get some grief education as it can help to normalise what you are experiencing
💙 Do an activity that your important person enjoyed
💙 Quiet reflection such as looking at photos, watching videos or journaling can be helpful

Overall, be kind to yourself and make sure you take care of yourself. Reach out for professional support if you need to. At Wombat’s Wish, we offer a variety of free grief support services for families that have experienced a death of a parent: https://wombatswish.org.au/

03/09/2026

03/09/2026

💙 A Huge Thank You to Geelong Grammar School Middle School Boarding! 💙

Wombat's Wish would like to say a very big THANK YOU to the students and staff at Geelong Grammar Middle School Boarding for choosing Wombat’s Wish as the charity they are supporting through their incredible 24-Hour Rowing Challenge! 🚣‍♀️🚣‍♂️

We are so grateful to have young people in our community getting behind Wombat’s Wish and taking on such an amazing challenge to help other children and young people.

Wombat’s Wish provides free grief support to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent or primary carer. Our support includes Weekend Grief Programs, Youth Programs, one-to-one counselling, Family Days and ongoing opportunities for families to connect with others who understand.

The death of a parent during childhood can have a significant and lasting impact. Having access to the right support, in a safe and understanding environment, can help children feel less alone, build connections, express their grief in their own way and develop tools to carry with them into the future.

As a charity that receives no ongoing government funding, fundraising like this is incredibly important. Every dollar raised helps us continue providing our programs and counselling free of charge to families across Victoria.

To everyone taking part in the 24-Hour Rowing Challenge – thank you for rowing for Wombat’s Wish! 💙🐾

We’ll be cheering you on every stroke of the way! 🚣‍♂️💪

01/09/2026

If you are in Westfield Geelong today come and say hi to Nicki and please remember to vote for Wombat’s Wish via the QR code.

24/08/2026

Morning all,
I’m asking for a very quick favour today — please jump online and vote for Wombat’s Wish to help us win $20,000!
It genuinely only takes about 30 seconds, and every single vote counts.

https://www.westfield.com.au/geelong/news/5eR55Lx13NtMWMnSquKDaw/local-heroes-2026?utm_source=local-heroes-finalist&utm_medium=owned-other&utm_id=a6251

While my name and my terrible mug shot might be on the voting page (apologies in advance for the photo! 😂), this is absolutely not a vote for me — it is a vote for Wombat’s Wish.
This award belongs to every person who has volunteered, worked, donated, fundraised, supported, advocated for or simply believed in Wombat’s Wish over the past 21 years. Most importantly, it is for the children, young people and families we support following the death of a parent or primary carer.
Winning $20,000 would make an enormous difference to Wombat’s Wish and help us continue providing our grief programs, counselling and family support completely free of charge to families across Victoria.
So please:
• Vote for Wombat’s Wish
• Share the link with your family, friends, colleagues and networks
• Ask them to share it too!
The more people we can reach, the better our chance of bringing this $20,000 home for Wombat’s Wish and the families we support.
Thank you to every single person who has been part of Wombat’s Wish. This nomination represents all of us, and I would absolutely love to see our amazing WW community win this together.
Now please go and vote — and try to look past the mug shot! 😂
Thank you so much for your support.
Westfield Geelong website link
Warm regards
Nicki

20/08/2026

🐾 Freeman is packed and ready to go! 💜💙

The car is loaded, Freeman is buckled in, and he’s on his way to Queenscliff for our Wombat’s Wish Family Weekend Grief Program, starting tonight! 🚗🐾

We are really looking forward to welcoming our families this afternoon and spending the weekend together. Our programs provide a safe, supportive space for children, young people, and their surviving parent or carer to talk about grief, learn coping strategies, connect with others who understand, and, most importantly, realise they are not alone. 💜

For some families, arriving tonight may feel a little daunting, but over the weekend new friendships will be made, stories will be shared, memories will be honoured, and plenty of fun and laughter will happen too.

💙 Do you know a family who may need Wombat’s Wish?

Families can self-refer, or referrals can be made by family members, schools, counsellors, health professionals or other support services. If a child or young person has experienced the death of a parent or primary carer, simply visit the Wombat’s Wish website and complete our online referral form. Our team will then contact you to talk through the support available, including our Family Weekend Grief Programs, Youth Programs, and one-to-one counselling.

👉 Make a referral: https://wombatswish.org.au/programs/make-a-referral - Our next weekend grief program is the 16th to 18th October 2026 at Mt Eliza - Camp Manyung

All Wombat’s Wish services are provided free of charge to families across Victoria.

Safe travels, Freeman! 🐾🚗
We can’t wait to see everyone in Queenscliff tonight. 💜💙

18/08/2026

Our Winter Newsletter is out 🩵

In this quarter's Newsletter, we would like to feature some of our hardworking team members, new staff and introduce this year's upcoming events and fundraisers, including the Wombat's Walk and Wombat's Wish Birthday Celebration! You will also be provided with the latest news on our Weekend Grief programs, recent donations and how you may become a corporate sponsor. We provide a list of further support services and you’ll also find a grief exercise and grief book recommendations for you to review or complete as a family.

You can read the full Winter Newsletter here:https://mcusercontent.com/6e24a28754133dd10ec69d345/files/8a6ccca1-e9e5-9c36-eb38-ce5c4a4a0bb2/Newsletter_August_2026_Winter_Edition_compressed.pdf

Wishing you a lovely week,
The Wombat's Wish Team

11/08/2026

Do you know a child or family who has experienced the death of a parent or primary carer?

At Wombat’s Wish, we understand that grief can feel incredibly isolating — particularly for children and young people who may not know anyone else who has experienced the death of a parent.

Wombat’s Wish provides free grief support for children, young people and their families across Victoria, helping them understand their grief, express their feelings, develop coping strategies and, importantly, connect with others who understand.

Our support includes Weekend Grief Programs, Youth Camps, individual counselling and Family Days, providing ongoing opportunities for connection and support.

💜 You can self-refer your own family, or you can refer someone you know who may benefit from our support. Referrals can also come from schools, counsellors, health professionals, community organisations, family members and friends.

Sometimes hearing from families and young people who have been there says it best:

“I thank Wombat’s Wish for giving me and Jameel the chance to feel that we are not alone and for reaching out when I had hit rock bottom in my life… It was so beautiful to meet all those parents and their kids on camp and I now feel I’m not alone.”
— Maria, parent

“Wombat’s Wish changed my life. The Weekend Grief Program helped so much after the death of my parent and helped me become who I am today. I wouldn’t have gotten through the tough times if I didn’t have the support from Wombat’s Wish.” Skye now 23 years old

“I was really nervous at first, but the staff were so nice and I had so much fun and made new friends. Now I don’t feel like I am the only person who knows what it is like to have a parent die.”
— Emily

If you or someone you know could benefit from Wombat’s Wish, please reach out. You don’t have to wait until things become overwhelming to ask for support.

💜 Self-refer or refer a family: https://wombatswish.org.au/programs/make-a-referral
📞 03 9069 0314
📧 [email protected]

Connection can make an enormous difference in grief. Help us make sure families know Wombat’s Wish is here when they need us.

06/08/2026

We have 7 tickets available for the Cats v Essendon game on Saturday.

If you would like tickets please email [email protected] with the number of tickets you would like by Friday 12noon.

🏉 Geelong Cats Community Bay – Wombat's Wish Family Invitation! 💙
Wombat's Wish has been generously allocated 75 tickets to the Geelong Cats Community Bay, and we'd love to share this fantastic opportunity with our Wombat's Wish families!

Round 22 - Geelong Cats vs Essendon Bombers
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Game starts at 4:35pm
GMHBA Stadium
370 Moorabool Street, South Geelong, Victoria 3220

Come along for a fun afternoon at GMHBA Stadium, enjoy the excitement of AFL football, and spend time connecting with other Wombat's Wish families.

🎟 Tickets are free, but numbers are limited.

To secure your tickets, please RSVP by Tuesday 4th August 2026 to [email protected]

Please include the number of tickets you require and your email address.

We'll then send you all the details, including where to meet on the day to collect your tickets.

Please note that tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until all 75 tickets have been claimed.

🐾 We can't wait to see you there!

03/08/2026

LOOKING FOR MARKET STALL HOLDERS!!!!

Join us at the Wombat’s Walk on Sunday 11th October @ Portarlington Cricket Club
From 10am till 3pm

Showcase your business, connect with the community, support bereaved children and people across Victoria 💜

Interest?? We’d love to hear from you!! Contact [email protected] or call our office ph: 9069 0314.