This month Community Gateway marks half century of service to the Northern Rivers, a journey from a volunteer-run community aid service in 1976 to a multi-disciplinary professional powerhouse in 2026.
Born from the social reform movements of the 1970s and early seed funding from the Whitlam government, the organisation began in a small “hole-in-the-wall” at the old Lismore High building on Keen Street. Today, it delivers over 20 government and philanthropic programs, proving that grassroots heart can thrive alongside gold-standard professional accreditation.
“While we received seed funding from the Whitlam Government, this organisation was built primarily by women in the 1970s; volunteers and social workers deeply committed to community development and to strengthening civil society.”
Jenni Beetson-Mortimer
CEO of Community Gateway
Over five decades, the organisation has been an incubator for many of the region’s essential services, including financial counselling, multicultural support, and gambling help. As community needs have evolved, encompassing domestic violence, homelessness, and complex trauma, Community Gateway has adapted, now boasting a dedicated team of trauma counsellors, psychotherapists, GPs, and social workers.
“We have professionalised. We have strengthened. But we have never lost our grassroots heart,” Jenni stated. “We remain flexible. We adapt quickly to emerging needs. We listen. We respond.”
The 50th-anniversary celebrations serve as a tribute to the founders, staff, and volunteers who have kept the doors open, often “on the smell of an oily rag”, to ensure the Northern Rivers never loses its essential safety net.
