How You Can Help

What do so many of the families we serve truly long for?

Time.

Time together, away from hospital walls. Time to reconnect. Time to simply be a family.

And most importantly, time to create memories that will stay with them forever.

At Mates on a Mission, that is exactly what we exist to give.

Through our experiences, we aim to support one family each month with a tailored escape. Whether it’s a local getaway or an interstate trip, every moment is carefully shaped around the child’s medical needs and personal wishes. Because no two families are the same, and every moment matters.

These experiences are made possible through our community. Families are referred to us by social workers within the Sydney Children’s Hospital network, oncology teams, and through our wider network of mates. Each application is reviewed by the MOAM board with great care and consideration. It is never just a process. It is deeply human, often emotional, and always guided by one question, how can we create something truly meaningful for this family?

We stay close to the families we support, listening, understanding, and working together to create moments that feel like a breath of fresh air in the middle of everything they are facing.

That is our promise. To give back to our community by creating moments that matter most.

We also recognise that not every family can travel far. For many, medical needs mean staying close to care and support systems, and so, our vision has grown.

Our long-term goal is to build a dedicated MOAM retreat. A place within a few hours of Sydney where families can come to rest, reconnect, and create memories in a peaceful, supportive environment.

A place where children can just be children.

Where they can play, explore, ride a bike, or simply sit outside and feel the world slow down.

A place where families can look up at the stars, share stories and spend uninterrupted time together.

A place where, even for a moment, the weight of everything they are carrying feels a little lighter.

This vision can only become a reality with the support of our Community of Mates.

Because when time is uncertain, memories matter most … and we will never stop showing up for the families who need them.