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A New Chapter for Wings for Survivors – Breaking the Silence, Together

We are proud to announce that Wings for Survivors is entering a new chapter. As part of this growth, we are updating our website to reflect not only the support we provide but the advocacy, education, and lived experience that is driving real change. Wings has always been a peer support group for those who have lived through childhood abuse in institutional care, but we are now expanding our reach to ensure the stories of the Remembered Australians are not just heard, but understood and acted upon.

The start of this new direction was marked by our recent educational talk delivered to the TAFE NSW Community Services cohort at Ultimo Campus. This was more than a talk — it was the beginning of an important partnership between Wings for Survivors and Albion Lane Productions, who are working side by side with us to bring these stories to light through film, advocacy, and education.

This initiative was born thanks to Lawrie Higgins, the very first survivor to step forward and share his truth with us. Lawrie’s courage to speak openly about his experiences of institutional care set the foundation for everything Wings is now building. Without Lawrie’s voice, the conversation may never have started. He opened the door for others, showing that silence is not the only path forward. It is fitting that as we relaunch Wings, we acknowledge Lawrie as the original voice that sparked the flame.

At the TAFE talk, students heard directly from Lawrie, as well as from Ray Leary, a leading advocate who has stood alongside more than 300 survivors over the past decade. Ray’s personal story of institutional care, injustice, and eventual advocacy is a testament to resilience. He reminded students that while institutions may have changed names or structures, the systems of harm, neglect, and failure continue today — particularly through the current operations of the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

Our panel featured five speakers, each given 10 minutes in a TED Talk-style format, ensuring their lived experiences and professional insights hit home with clarity and impact. The talk also included the screening of a 13-minute short documentary, produced by Albion Lane, which forms part of the upcoming larger project, Failed System. This collaboration is a critical part of how Wings for Survivors is ensuring that advocacy is not just about the past, but about building informed, compassionate, and capable future community workers, youth workers, and aged care professionals.

One of the core messages of the session was simple but confronting: many of the Remembered Australians started life in institutional care and will end life in aged care. This tragic cycle is not just historical — it’s ongoing. We need a new generation of professionals who understand this history so they can better support those ageing survivors who carry invisible scars.

Our partnership with Albion Lane Productions is about more than just storytelling — it’s about education, justice, and creating societal change. Together, we are ensuring that Wings for Survivors is not just a support group, but a platform for survivors to be seen, heard, and respected across all levels of care and policy.

As we refresh the Wings website, you’ll see more resources, more stories, and more opportunities to engage with the Remembered Australians movement. This is only the beginning, and we invite all our supporters, allies, and the broader community to walk with us.

Because every survivor deserves more than remembrance — they deserve action.

Stay tuned for more updates, resources, and upcoming events. Together, we will ensure no story is left behind.