The Turnbull Family were frequent visitors at our Wallsend Mission Markets, a retail outlet run by Wesley Mission Newcastle. Mum, Dad and the Turnbull kids would come in most weekends to shop and mix with the friendly volunteers who work at the store.

After a few weekends of not seeing the Turnbulls, a few of the volunteers thought that something must have happened. After asking a few local regulars about the whereabouts of the family, one volunteer bumped into a relative of the family.

...after the incident in the park, Mr Turnbull had been left with an untreatable neck problem which left him confined to a wheel chair

“Mr Turnbull was attacked," the relative explained.  "He was walking home from doing the shopping when he was hit from behind with a hard object.  The shopping and his wallet were taken and Mr Turnbull was left heavily concussed…"

Mr Turnbull was retrenched from BHP after the closure of its operations in Newcastle. The family relied on a three day per week part-time job he was able to pickup in the local shopping centre, packing shelves.  Mrs Turnbull was unable to work due to an illness that kept her from concentrating for long periods of time.  The Turnbulls had never relied on Government Assistance and were too proud to approach charity or community groups for support.

But after the incident in the park, Mr Turnbull had been left with an untreatable neck problem which left him confined to a wheel chair.  After discussing the ways that we might be able to support Mr Turnbull, the relative gave us his address and contact details. 

The very next day we visited the Turnbull house to pay them an unexpected visit.  "Some good friends of yours from the Mission Markets are worried about you," we told him.  We spent two hours with Mr Turnbull and only began to find out what he and his family were going through: they hadn’t shopped for three weeks; the bills, the children’s needs and winter was just around the corner.

Wesley Mission Newcastle presented Mr Turnbull with non perishable food and small toys for the children as well as information on the services we provide, including our Community Visitors Scheme, Welfare and Emergency Relief Program, Carelink and Counselling Services. 

We booked Mr Turnbull into a counselling session with our psychologist and made another appointment for Emergency Relief assistance.  The entire Turnbull family joined us for pre-Christmas packing of hampers that year and every year since. As one long term volunteer explained when talking with the Turnbulls  - It’s all in a days work…

Wesley Mission Newcastle continue to support the people of Newcastle and the Hunter with the services and programs that are needed on a day to day basis. Won't you please help by making a donation now?

*models used in photo