Chorus

In November 2016 three not-for-profit organisations - Community First, Volunteer Task Force and Care Options - announced plans to merge into a new entity with over $30m in revenue, and 1000 staff and volunteers. CARE OPTIONS was formed in 1997 through the merger of three care organisations – Rockingham Home Support, South West Community Options and Rockingham Respite and Support Services. In 2014, they merged with Mandurah Community Care and in 2015, it launched assessment services in three regions of metropolitan South Australia to compliment its Western Australian assessment services. COMMUNITY FIRST INTERNATIONAL was established in 1984 as a Community Youth Support Scheme, an Australian Government employment project. The organisation initially grew slowly, with a focus on employment related programs. By the late 1990s, they expanded throughout the South West with a couple of name changes to reflect expanding activities such as Mandurah Community Support Group, then Peel Training and Employment. In 2004, they became Community First, with a focus on helping more people, not only for their benefit but to also build stronger communities. VOLUNTEER TASK FORCE started operations in 1970. They started as a purely voluntary organisation thanks to the vision of the founders Drs Sandra and John Penrose who adopted the idea of helping those in need of a helping hand in the community from a similar UK-based organisation when they spent some time in England.

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