Peer Support In Action | June 2026

Lunch, quizzes, and a little creativity: a big month for Peer Support at The Repat

There's a lot happening with the estara Peer Support Team at The Repat's Spinal Rehabilitation Unit.

Lunch and a quiz with a 20-year legacy

On Saturday 21 June, Peer Support Mentor Graham and the Peer Support team coordinated the estara and Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers (TGB) bi-monthly lunch for people currently in the Spinal Rehab Unit, along with their family members and staff.

The menu? Chicken, chips, salads, and Drumstick ice creams. The entertainment? A general knowledge quiz, a music quiz and Vicky’s jokes that got people talking and laughing.

Volunteers from estara and TGB joined in too, helping serve the food, chatting with patients and families, and getting involved in the fun. For people who are partway through their rehabilitation, weekends can feel quiet. With no therapy scheduled the days can stretch, so events like this make a real difference.

TGB has sponsored these lunches for 20 years, and we are grateful for their long term commitment and support.

Art and Wellbeing on the ward

Each week, the Peer Support Mentors are part of the Art and Wellbeing group that runs on the Spinal ward, alongside the SA Health volunteer service.

The group gives people currently in the unit a chance to socialise in between rehabilitation sessions, try out hand and arm adaptive devices and connect with volunteers and Peer Support Mentors. The program is always changing, which means there is always a new creative to try.

As Molly says “We have really enjoyed being a part of this and dusting off our own creativity!”

Balloon Volleyball

Balloon Volleyball facilitated monthly by the Peer Support team brought clients and staff together for a bit of friendly competition. It was fun, it got people moving, and it gave everyone a chance to get to know each other a little better. It also happens to be a great workout for wheelchair skills!

Sharing the work with the people who need to know

Peer Support Mentors Vicky and Molly also presented to the estara Senior Leadership Team this month. They shared what Peer Support has been working on, what the role actually involves day to day, and the kinds of questions and topics that people most often reach out about.

It is a good reminder of what Peer Support is. Our Peer Support Mentors have lived experience of spinal cord injury, they are open, honest and ready to talk - about anything! They support people who have just arrived at The Repat, they are there for ongoing support during a person’s stay, and they are there for families too, helping everyone navigate what comes next and find the answers they did not know they needed.

Thank you to the estara Peer Support Team!