A Tulgeen client at Pambula Pool. Photos: Tulgeen.
Tulgeen Disability Services is expanding into Eden and surrounding communities to help fill the gap left by PlayAbility after it went into liquidation.
PlayAbility’s focus was on providing supports for childhood development. The not-for-profit provided inclusive playgroups, a toy library, and individual support to children and their families, including allied health supports.
It closed in August 2025.
Since then, Tulgeen Disability Services general manager Lisa Barbour has been working with PlayAbility’s liquidators and Bega Valley Shire Council to find a way to support the up to 100 children in the Eden area who were impacted when PlayAbility closed.
Ms Barbour has worked in the Aged, Disability and Youth sector for 28 years and moved to the Far South Coast seven years ago.
She said Tulgeen had been serving the Bega Valley for 47 years, supporting adults with disabilities, and was now supporting children and young people with disabilities from the age of seven years and up.
Tulgeen’s services include life skills development, community access, flexible individual support, supported employment, residential support, respite services and community participation.
The community participation program ensures people are out and about, be that shopping, working, volunteering or just engaging with the community.
A client at Tulgeen’s Day Program in Bega.
“That engagement is really important because it provides opportunities for people with disabilities to feel valued, engaged and be involved with the community,” Ms Barbour said.
“Tulgeen’s expansion comes at a critical time for Eden following the closure of PlayAbility which left many families without the essential supports they rely on,” she said. “This is an important opportunity for Tulgeen to stand alongside the Eden community and ensure people with disability once again have dependable, high-quality support close to home.
“I spoke with our Tulgeen board regarding the building in Eden and the possibilities of Tulgeen continuing the support to the Eden community after the closure of PlayAbility,” Ms Barbour said. “It is so important for families to receive supports in their local communities and to utilise their funding on much needed services.”
She said up to 100 children were displaced when PlayAbility closed and that it was important they met people in their community who understood their needs.
It was a question of going through the liquidation process. Ms Barbour said council had done an amazing job supporting Tulgeen to acquire the site in Eden.
People at Tulgeen’s day program in Bega.
PlayAbility left a lot of resources for children under the age of seven that Tulgeen cannot use. “We have contacted schools and childcare centres, so they have been put back into the community for use,” she said.
Even with Tulgeen’s expansion into Eden to support people with a disability aged seven years and up, younger children with a disability remain without any local services.
Ms Barbour said there were options in place for those younger children and their families.
“Hopefully someone will take up that playgroup age,” she said. “Hopefully that comes up really soon to support those children and their families.”
Ms Barbour invites the Eden community to come to Tulgeen’s open day at 11 am on 16 April, at 3 Crown Lane, Eden. Tulgeen’s services will begin on 20 April.
“We are new to the area so if anyone needs support and services please come along or contact us at [email protected] or ring 02 6499 0826.”
