Giving Back Together
Every week, this community shows up for each other in the comments, in our Facebook group, and in the emails you send me. So when I started thinking about how Seniors in Melbourne could do something more — beyond just great days out — you were the first people I thought of.
That’s why I’ve started a quarterly Community Giveback. Each quarter, we’ll choose one Melbourne charity doing meaningful, boots-on-the-ground work. I’ll make a donation and share why I’ve chosen them, and for readers who are in a position to do so, there’ll be a simple way to make a small donation.
No pressure. Just a gentle chance to contribute to something good, together.
This Quarter: Travellers Aid
This quarter, Seniors in Melbourne is proud to partner with Travellers Aid — a Melbourne charity that has been helping people travel with confidence and dignity since 1916. Here’s why we chose them, and how you can help.
I regularly hear from readers who’ve discovered something new about Melbourne — a café they love, a garden they’d never visited, a day trip that surprised them. But sometimes the emails I receive are about something bigger than that. They’re about getting their life back.
Ingrid’s email was one of those.
She’d read an article on this website about Travellers Aid and, with some encouragement from a dear friend, decided to try their electric scooter hire from Flinders Street Station. For $40, she had the scooter for the whole day. She set off into the city, not knowing how far she’d get.
She made it to the Queen Victoria Market.
A few weeks later, she bought her own scooter and now explores Melbourne independently, on her own terms. Her friends say she’s more mobile than ever. It all started with one article and one organisation willing to help.
That’s why Travellers Aid is our very first Community Giveback partner.
Why I Chose Travellers Aid
So many of the people I speak to tell me the same thing as they get older: they start to feel invisible. Services that used to bend around them stop bending. Cities that used to feel easy start to feel like hard work.
Travellers Aid is one of the few organisations I’ve come across that does the opposite. Every time I’ve met the team, they’ve been incredibly passionate about what they do — not in a rehearsed way, but in a way that makes you want to be part of it.
I subscribe to their newsletter, and it’s the stories that get me every time — not just the numbers, though those keep climbing too. The volunteers who’ve stuck around for over a decade. The thank-you notes from people who clearly mean every word. The fact that more people need this kind of support each year, and Travellers Aid keeps finding a way to meet that need.
That’s really what this partnership is about. Not a transaction, but a chance to back an organisation that’s already doing the work — quietly, consistently, and with real care for the people who need it.
What Your Donation Could Help Fund
- $60 helps give a volunteer the skills to better support people with disability
- $110 funds a CPR and first aid training course for a volunteer
- $400 helps train volunteers to safely assist people in busy train stations
- $780 goes towards recruitment, training and supplies for event volunteers
- $1,400 helps support community programs that connect and assist more people
Who Are Travellers Aid?
Travellers Aid has been part of Melbourne’s story since 1916, when they began supporting women travelling alone during wartime. More than a century later, they’re still showing up for people — at train stations, major events, airports, and communities across regional Victoria.
Their support hubs operate at Southern Cross, Flinders Street, and Parkville stations in Melbourne, and at Geelong, Ballarat, Seymour Stations in Regional Victoria, and at Melbourne Airport. The pilot program at Melbourne Airport was so successful that the service is now permanent, with Travellers Aid winning a competitive tender to provide the service until September 2029. Whether someone needs a buggy ride across a busy concourse, a quiet place to rest, help with personal care, or simply a kind face when things have gone wrong, Travellers Aid is there.
Three quarters of their workforce are volunteers. The rest are paid staff. All of them are, by the accounts of the people they help, remarkable.
What They Do
Courtesy Buggy Service
At Southern Cross and Seymour stations, the buggy service ferries people across platforms and concourses — the distances that can be genuinely daunting when you’re tired, carrying luggage, or your knees aren’t what they were. Last year, more than 31,000 people used this service alone.
Mobility Equipment Hire
Wheelchairs, electric scooters, and mobility aids are available to hire at Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations. Scooter hire runs from 8am to 7pm for $40 — an affordable way to spend a full day exploring the city without worrying about how far your legs will take you.
Travel Companion Service
A trained volunteer accompanies you on your journey — whether that’s getting to a medical appointment, making a connection between trains, or simply having company on a trip that feels a bit daunting alone. Over 119 companion journeys were completed last year, and readers who’ve used the service describe it as unlike anything else available in Australia.
Personal Care Assistance
A private, accessible service for travellers who need assistance with personal care — offered discreetly and with genuine warmth at their hub locations. Last year, 3,496 instances of personal care support were provided, as well as 6,235 uses of their adult change facility.
Crisis Travel Support
For people who find themselves stranded, confused, or in an unexpected situation far from home, Travellers Aid steps in. Margaret from Ballarat tells the story best:
“I found myself stranded in Ballarat with no connecting bus services to where I live. I was on the point of being hysterical. And I was rescued by a very nice, very caring lady called Linda from your organisation. She rang around and found me somewhere to stay. Most importantly of all, she made me realise the world as I knew it was not coming to an end.”
Last year, 1,004 instances of crisis travel support were delivered.
Accessible Events
From the Australian Open to the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Travellers Aid assists people at some of Melbourne’s largest events — providing buggies, companion support, and practical help for those who’d otherwise find large venues overwhelming. Last year they assisted over 6,100 people at 19 events.
What People Say
The testimonials on Travellers Aid’s website are worth reading in full, but a few stand out for what they reveal about the difference this organisation makes.
Glenis travelled from Bendigo to Melbourne for a medical appointment. She and a friend were met on the platform by the buggy, taken to lunch at the station, then escorted to their appointment by a volunteer named Robyn — and returned safely to the platform for the trip home. She wrote: “What a great service you offer to regional Victorians!! We truly appreciated your assistance on the day.”
Christine hired a mobility scooter for the first time and wrote: “To now know that I can explore the city by myself has given me more options to get out and about and feel more confident.”
And there’s this, simply: “Travellers Aid are completely underrated for how much they do for the public.”
The Numbers Behind the Work
In 2024–25, Travellers Aid assisted more than 90,000 people across their service hubs and events calendar. Their volunteer numbers grew from 118 to 189 in a single year — a sign of both demand and community trust.
This is a cause that speaks directly to our community. At Travellers Aid’s event services, around 60% of people assisted are aged over 65. Station services don’t always collect age data, since this is only required for certain funding purposes, but the organisation tells us the vast majority of the people they support across all their services are aged 60 and over.
At Melbourne Airport, a four-month pilot of their Airport Assist service helped 8,412 people — an average of 90 per day — and received exclusively five-star ratings from more than 5,500 respondents.
In Ballarat, just their second year of regional services, 3,240 people were assisted within the station precinct.
The organisation is a registered charity with the ACNC, and all donations over $2 are tax deductible. Donations and community fundraising go directly towards funding the people on the ground delivering these services.
How You Can Help
Make a donation
Our dedicated Seniors in Melbourne donation page is set up specifically for this campaign. Every dollar raised goes directly to Travellers Aid. Even a small contribution adds up when a community gives together.
All donations over $2 are tax deductible. You’ll receive a receipt by email.
Volunteer
Travellers Aid is actively looking for volunteers, including in their regional hubs at Ballarat and Seymour. If you’re interested in giving a few hours a week and meeting some wonderful people, find out more here.
Share this page
Know someone who might benefit from Travellers Aid’s services, or someone who’d like to support them? Sharing this page is just as valuable as donating.
Join their newsletter
Visit their website and subscribe to keep up to date with their latest news.
Read More About Travellers Aid
- Travellers Aid: Services For All Melburnians
- Everything You Need to Know About Southern Cross Station
- A Practical Guide to Using Melbourne Airport
