Eureka Mums' Sebastopol warehouse to close as organisation opts for new operating model

The Sebastopol warehouse will close some time after May after a strategic review of the St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums organisation found using the group's existing regional freight network to service Ballarat was more cost effective and would allow more babies, children and families to receive support.

Last financial year Eureka Mums supported 1709 babies and children via 179 social workers around Ballarat, rehoming 4154 items worth $456,899.

St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums partnerships manager Gill Whelan assured the Ballarat community that Eureka Mums would continue to be a presence in Ballarat.

"The service will remain the same, but the process of getting those items in to homes and helping children will just look different," she said.

"We've recently undergone a strategic review across the organisation ... that qualified our vision and purpose to rehome essentials to give kids a good start in life.

"Through the review we realised we need to ... streamline the service to meet those goals to be able to support more families we need to close the (Sebastopol) warehouse."

Ms Whelan said the organisation would maintain its two large warehouses in Clayton and Geelong and establish drop off points for donations around Ballarat and hubs for distribution.

"This does not mean we won't be servicing families in Ballarat, We are still working with our social service providers and families in need will still be able to access life changing things like prams, car seats, cots and other essential items," Ms Whelan said.

Ms Whelan acknowledged the change would be difficult for volunteers and staff in Ballarat, and the organisation's chief executive Ruth Holdaway visited Ballarat this week to break the news.

The group is still working through donation and distribution details for the new-look Eureka Mums service but are looking out for local community and corporate partners to act as donation drop off points.

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"We also run a really successful regional service through our freight partners who are amazing in helping us reach in to every corner of regional Victoria," she said.

And they will team up with maternal child health centres, health services or regional hospitals to act as hubs for distribution or to keep stock on hand for emergency situations. Ms Whelan said the group's transport partners also often also act as hubs in regional areas holding some stock that social workers can access at short notice.

"We know that the local Ballarat community want to be involved and have a sense of ownership of Eureka Mums and wanting to help their neighbours ... and we definitely want to keep that but we understand change can be a bit difficult.

"But ultimately our aim is to get those life changing items in to the households of disadvantaged families. When we talk about that and keep that focus and really emphasise we are going to be able to help more children with this new model there's an understanding of why we are doing this."

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