Tamworth celebrates with Ronald McDonald House

House manager Rhiannon Curtis said in the past 15 years about 2000 families had made 2800 visits to the house, located in Dean Street next to Tamworth hospital, for 13,000 nights of accommodation.

"RMH provides free accommodation for families seeking medical treatment at Tamworth hospital for as long as they need it," she said.

"We see families travelling from across the New England North West, from as far away as Lightning Ridge and Goondiwindi to stay with us.

"We're now seeing families come through where one of the parents stayed here as a child, and that parent is now bringing their child through - still at no charge to them.

"So far this year we've been busier than in the past, nudging 150 families to October when we would normally see just below 200 families in a full year.

"We've put this down to an increase in paediatric services being offered at Tamworth hospital along with a decrease in services available in smaller hospitals from across the region, which means people have to travel to Tamworth."

Miss Curtis said Tamworth's five-bedroom RMH was testament to the community that had the foresight to create it.

"Everyone who worked on the building volunteered their time, and without that type of community support we would not still be here 15 years later," she said.

"This was a whole community project, and continues to be so with strong fundraising support from the community.

"McDonalds only provides funding for between 12 to 15 per cent of our running costs - the balance is raised and donated locally, and what is raised locally stays local."

Miss Curtis said local fundraising ranged from major events and sponsorship to donations of groceries used by the families staying at the home.

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She also paid tribute to the home's team of volunteers.

"We have the best volunteers going - they believe in our mission and a stressful time more bearable for families in need," Miss Curtis said.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the community had wanted a RMH, and made sure it got one, noting many of the families using the home came from farms and had no choice but to bring all their children with them when seeking health care for one.

Mr Anderson was among the core group driving the development of the house from the start, noting community fundraising started 12 months ahead of building, with each room costed to ensure the success of the project.

The final building was worth $540,000, with the building completed within a week.

Mr Anderson said local builder Mark Single laid the slab 10 days before construction began, then between May 15 to 17 volunteers had the home raised to lock-up stage.

Local brickie, Bill Brown, was one of the 40 bricklayers who worked on the job, and remembers having a team working on each corner of the building that weekend.

"We started at 7am and by 10.30am we had the walls bricked to the windowsill," Mr Brown said.

Congratulating the RMH team on the milestone, Tamworth mayor Russell Webb, said the project demonstrated what the Tamworth community could achieve.

"People said it could not be done but people gave their time and money, and it was done," he said.

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