While RSL Care SA shares a similar name and the same branding as RSL SA/NT, we are completely separate legal entities. Both RSL Care SA and the RSL SA/NT have a common interest in assisting veterans, albeit in our respective fields, RSL Care SA has its own board and constitution and no formal link to RSL SA/NT, although we remain “mates”.
RSL Care SA’s primary mission is to provide accommodation options to veterans and their families and have been doing so for over 100 years, previously under the name of War Veteran’s Home, Myrtle Bank (WVH). In 2012, some RSL SA/NT accommodation assets were merged with the WVH to consolidate services, and improve capacity to manage the complexities of the services offered. This is when the name changed and began using the RSL branding.
RSL Care SA services include affordable housing for veterans and/or partners thereof, emergency housing for homeless veterans (predominantly contemporary veterans) as well as retirement living and residential aged care services, both of which are also available to the broader community. We also have specific programs to support the special needs of older veterans. RSL Care SA is a complex, yet successful and growing organisation which operates multiple sites around South Australia.
RSL Care SA has a skills-based board that provides good governance, which is essential in the highly regulated environments in which we operate. The Board members are volunteers who freely give their time. Most Board members are not veterans themselves, but often have a family link or connection to military service. All share the ethos and respect of such service. Similarly, our staff are all professionals in their respective fields with a few also being veterans that provide added understanding of the needs of veterans.
We have financially supported RSL SA/NT in the past and will continue to do so in the future as we both have the wellbeing of veterans as our reason for being, but do so in our respective areas of expertise and as separate entities.