Snug celebrates 15 years

During tough times, it can be of great comfort to know you are not alone in your struggles. Thanks to the incredible vision and generous support from the Steve Waugh Foundation, families from all over Australia caring for children with rare, chronic and complex health conditions have experienced the joy of lasting friendships, strong social support and greater family connection through the SNUG retreat program.

SNUG retreats are run by the Family Action Centre (FAC) at the University of Newcastle, a research, teaching and practice centre focused on strengthening family and community wellbeing. The Foundation has funded the program since 2009 – supporting more than 330 families and 725 children to enjoy a rare break from the complexities of daily life living with a rare disease.

Building family connection and celebrating every child

For children, going away on a SNUG retreat is a chance to have fun with their families and make friends with other children, often for the very first time. Siblings also get to join in the fun and create memories together while parents and carers access support in a safe and supportive environment alongside other families sharing a similar journey.

Growing our community health resources

SNUG also provides students and early career health professionals with opportunities to connect with and learn from families while supporting the Family Action Centre as trained volunteers. The program has trained more than 200 volunteers over 15 years – many of whom are now applying their skills and knowledge to help more families and children with rare health conditions access better integrated treatment, resources and support in the community.

We are extremely proud to have supported the SNUG program since its launch in 2009. Our shared dedication for connecting and creating support networks has resulted in positive experiences and memories for hundreds of families across Australia. We are proud of the work we have accomplished over the last 15 years together with the SNUG team.” - Steve Waugh Foundation

SNUG at home

Thanks to a generous donation from the Woodend Foundation, families who attend SNUG can maintain social connections and support after the retreats.

COVID brought into sharp relief the mental and social isolation that SNUG families experience. SNUG at Home was developed to provide families across Australia with appropriate activities that allow an opportunity for connection and bonding with other families between retreats.

I love SNUG camp! We get to do all these amazing activities and I've made a lot of friends. Before SNUG camp, I never met anyone else with Williams syndrome. Now I have so many friends and I love all the families. School has been a rough time for me, but it is nice to have friends that I can just be myself with. We talk to each other about things we are struggling with. I wish I could stay at SNUG camp forever.” - Cadence Lindsay

For the first time I was able to work out what was Williams syndrome and what was Cadence. It felt so good to learn that we hadn’t been doing everything wrong. We wouldn't know half the stuff we know about Williams syndrome without that first SNUG camp. Thank you to the Steve Waugh Foundation. It's hard to put into words how much SNUG has helped us. For other families to experience this would be fantastic.” -  Melissa Lindsay, Cadence’s mother

Over 80% of parents learned about new therapies, services and supports through attending a SNUG retreat.

Thanks to the incredible vision and generous support from the Steve Waugh Foundation (almost $3 million since 2009), families from all over Australia caring for children with rare, chronic and complex health conditions have experienced the joy of lasting friendships, strong social support and greater family connection through the SNUG retreat program. We are also very grateful to the Woodend Foundation, for enabling SNUG families to connect between retreats.

To learn more about the SNUG program, please visit here

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