For more than 25 years, Lou’s Place has been a place where women can walk through the door and feel welcomed, supported and accepted without judgement.
Our address, our services and our community have grown over the years, but the heart of Lou’s Place has remained the same: creating a safe and welcoming place where women can find practical support, connection and a sense of belonging.
Who was Lou?
Lou’s Place is named in memory of Lou, a social worker with Mission Australia who was known for her warmth, strength and deep compassion.
Lou treated the people she supported with dignity and without judgement. She believed in meeting people with understanding, recognising their strengths and holding hope during difficult times.
Although Lou died far too young, the spirit she brought to her work helped inspire the values at the heart of Lou’s Place. Her legacy lives on in the welcome, care and respect women experience here today.
How it began
The story of Lou’s Place began at a school gate.
In 1998, two women began talking about their shared desire to support women in their community. They were soon joined by two more founding members, and together they explored where they could make the greatest difference.
They identified a clear gap: women experiencing homelessness and crisis and needing somewhere safe and welcoming to go during the day, a place where they could find practical support, connection or simply somewhere to be.
The group approached local families for funding and partnered with Mission Australia to bring their idea to life. Finding a home for the new service was not easy, as no one was willing to lease a property directly to an untested charity. A group of supporters stepped in, purchasing and renovating a terrace in Kings Cross that Lou’s Place could rent and call home for more than two decades.
Lou’s Place opened its doors on 19 April 1999.
From day one, the model was simple but radical: a daytime drop-in centre where no appointment was needed and women could find a warm welcome, access practical help, spend time with others, receive support in ways that felt right for them, or simply have a safe and quiet place to be.
The service has continued to learn, grow and evolve over the years, but that commitment to offering women a safe and welcoming place to be has always remained at the heart of Lou’s Place.
Growing with our community
Lou’s Place began as a partnership between Mission Australia and the community group that became The Marmalade Foundation. In 2009, with Mission Australia’s support, the Foundation took on sole responsibility for funding and operating Lou’s Place.
Over the years, Lou’s Place has grown from a small daytime centre offering meals, showers, laundry, clothing and crisis support into a specialist, trauma-informed service providing practical and emotional support, case management, group programs, activities and connection to broader community supports.
In November 2021, Lou’s Place moved from its original terrace in Kings Cross to a new home in Redfern. The move gave us more space to welcome women and respond to changing needs, while carrying with us the warmth, connection and sense of community that made the original Lou’s so special.
The heart of Lou’s Place
Lou’s Place has always been shaped by its community and, above all, by the women who have walked through our doors.
Women have helped Lou’s grow through their experiences, perspectives, feedback and trust. They have shown us what meaningful support looks like and helped us better understand and respond to the changing needs of our community. The friendships, encouragement and care women share with one another also contribute to the warmth, connection and sense of belonging that make Lou’s Place what it is.
Staff, volunteers, donors, partners and supporters have each played an important part in our story. Volunteers have been part of Lou’s from its earliest days—preparing meals, sharing their time and skills, and helping to build the welcoming atmosphere and unique service model for which Lou’s is known.
For many women, Lou’s is more than a place to access support. It is somewhere they can return to, find familiar faces, connect with others and feel a sense of belonging—a place that can feel like home.
Lou’s Place has never belonged to one person or organisation. It has been built and shaped by everyone who has been part of its story: the women who walk through our doors, the staff and volunteers who welcome them, and the donors, partners and supporters who stand alongside us. Together, they make Lou’s the community it is today.
Our Board Chairs
Lou’s Place has been guided by a succession of Board Chairs who have supported the organisation through different periods of growth and change:
- Ilse O’Reilly, founding Chair (1999–2000)
- Susie Manfred (2000–2003)
- Jo Boney (2003–2007)
- Julie Claridge (2007–2010)
- Carol Berg (2010–2016)
- Alexa Haslingden (2016–2024)
- Rebecca Fitzpatrick (2024–present)
Each Chair has contributed to the stewardship of Lou’s Place and the ongoing work of The Marmalade Foundation.
Twenty-seven years on, so much has changed, our address, our size, our systems, and our capacity to offer women a broader range of specialist support, and yet so much hasn’t. Lou’s Place is still low-barrier. Still no appointment necessary. Still a place where women can arrive as they are, return when they need to and find support without judgement.
That consistency is our quiet triumph. It has been shaped and protected by generations of women, volunteers, staff, Board members, donors, partners and supporters who have understood that sometimes the most powerful thing you can offer someone is simply a safe place to be.
Our service will continue to evolve, but that purpose will remain at the heart of Lou’s Place.