NSW Trustee and Guardian recently hosted two inaugural Taking Charge of Your Tomorrow community education expos in the Northern Rivers, bringing together community members, service providers and estate planning experts for meaningful, practical conversations about planning ahead.
Held in Tweed Heads and Ballina, these events highlighted strong local interest in accessible, face‑to‑face information about estate planning and related services.
A strong first year in the Northern Rivers
Hosted by NSW Trustee and Guardian with our Community Education and Wills and Estate Planning teams and 12 partner organisations in attendance, the expos attracted strong community interest, with attendees engaging directly with stallholders to seek practical, face‑to‑face information about planning ahead.
“Today was very informative, I got a lot out of it and I’m, really glad I came.”
Event attendee, Tweed Heads
Hosted by NSW Trustee and Guardian with our Community Education and Wills and Estate Planning teams and 12 partner organisations in attendance, the expos attracted strong community interest, with attendees engaging directly with stallholders to seek practical, face‑to‑face information about planning ahead.
"I've got to get my act together and make a will for my daughters, so I don't leave a mess when I am gone. It's been a very informative day; I've learned what appointments I need to make."
Event attendee, Tweed Heads
In the first year of delivering these events in the Northern Rivers region, the strong turnout and sustained engagement demonstrated clear demand for locally delivered information and opportunities to speak face-to-face with service providers.
“I found the information today to be fantastic and quite varied. I would certainly recommend this session to everybody because the information’s relevant to all of us.”
Event attendee, Ballina RSL
Having Wills and Estate Planning staff on site enabled attendees to book appointments and take part in one‑to‑one conversations tailored to their individual circumstances, adding tangible value for participants.
“I missed my morning coffee with my friends to come here, and I wish they came too.”
Event attendee, Ballina RSL
Collaboration at the centre
The events brought together a broad range of government, community and non‑government organisations, reinforcing the importance of collaboration and partnership in supporting regional communities.
“It’s great to connect with other government and local services to build those community connections.”
Event stallholder, Ballina RSL
Stallholders included Service NSW, Services Australia, Healthy North Coast, Seniors Rights Service, Legal Aid, the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Northern NSW Local Health District, Carer Gateway delivered by Carers NSW, the National Disability Insurance Agency, Magenta Community Services, U3A Tweed Coast and local financial, health and care services.
“It's been a great day connecting with people, being able to have a chat and let them know what we do.”
Kaila from Carers NSW
Looking ahead
Beyond helping individuals plan ahead for life’s circumstances, the events also sparked valuable conversations about future collaboration across the Northern Rivers. Feedback from attendees and stallholders highlighted the value of hosting the events locally, with many expressing an interest in seeing the events return to the region.
These discussions reaffirmed NSW Trustee and Guardian’s commitment to supporting regional communities through accessible information, strong partnerships and meaningful, on the ground conversations.
Building on the success of these events, Taking Charge of Your Tomorrow will continue to roll out across the state in 2026, with Community Education events scheduled for June in Wagga Wagga and Albury.