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Providing vital support for people in need at the St Agnes’ Community Centre
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![Providing vital support for people in need at the St Agnes’ Community Centre]()
For more than a decade, Mick Gilmour has been a familiar and trusted presence at the St Agnes’ Community Centre on 140 Horton Street, Port Macquarie. As the Community Centre Manager, he is often the first person people meet when they walk through the door, and for many, that first interaction matters.
Mick’s path to the role is not a typical one. He spent 24 years in the NSW Police Force, including two decades as a detective. That experience shaped his ability to stay calm under pressure, read situations quickly, and respond with care. At the Community Centre, those skills are used in a very different way, helping people feel safe, heard, and supported.
Each day brings a mix of needs. Some people come in for a shower or to do their laundry. Others are looking for a meal, a conversation, or help finding the right service. Mick meets people where they are, offering practical support and taking the time to listen.
“Port Macquarie can hide a lot of hardship,” he says. “You don’t always see homelessness like you do in bigger cities, but it’s here. People come through from all sorts of situations, and sometimes it really is just bad luck.”
Over the years, Mick has seen a shift in who is seeking help, particularly among younger people. He notes that youth homelessness often looks different, with many experiencing couch surfing, family breakdown, or domestic violence rather than sleeping rough. During COVID, more young adults began reaching out, and the Community Centre adapted by providing care packages and maintaining contact even when services had to change.
At the centre of it all is a focus on dignity.
“A shower, clean clothes, a safe place to sit for a while, those things matter,” Mick says. “They can make a real difference in how someone feels about themselves and what they do next.”
The work is not always easy, but it is deeply meaningful. Mick has supported people through difficult periods and, in some cases, seen them return years later in a very different place.
“You see people get back on their feet, find a job, reconnect with family. That’s the part that stays with you,” he says.
The Community Centre has grown over time into a vital local service, offering food, showers, laundry facilities, and connections to support services. That growth reflects a long-standing commitment to responding to community need and working alongside local organisations to provide coordinated care.
For Mick, the role is about consistency as much as compassion. Being there, day in and day out, creates trust and gives people a place they know they can return to.
Outside of work, he keeps active through fitness, family life, and coaching rugby league, which he sees as another way to stay connected to the community.
“It’s all about people,” he says. “That’s what matters most.”
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