2025 has been a landmark year for Ronald McDonald House Western Australia, marked by growth, resilience and an unwavering commitment to supporting families with ill or injured children.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, partners, and supporters, we have expanded both our reach and our impact. In 2025, we supported 47% more family stays than in 2024, a significant increase that reflects both growing demand and our enhanced capacity to respond, through our Ronald McDonald House on Park.
Beyond accommodation, our support extends into the hospital environment. This year, we provided care and comfort to 120,920 visitors across our Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms in Perth Children’s Hospital, ensuring families have a place of respite, connection and support during long and often challenging days at the hospital.
For many families facing some of life’s most difficult moments, having a safe and supportive place to stay close to their child’s medical care is invaluable and in 2025, we were proud to deliver that support at scale.
2025 also represents an important step forward in our long-term vision. The strong early support for our Ronald McDonald House at QEII House expansion reflects the community’s belief in our mission and ensures we are well positioned to meet future demand. While there is more work to be done, the progress made over the course of the year gives us great confidence in what lies ahead.
None of this would be possible without the extraordinary dedication of our supporters. From our signature events, Up All Night, Ride for Sick Kids WA, and the Ronald McDonald House WA Gala Ball, to the many individuals, organisations and volunteers who contribute in countless ways, your generosity and commitment continue to drive our impact. You are the reason we can support families when they need it most.
Behind the scenes, we are continually inspired by the passion and professionalism of our people. Our staff, volunteers, Executive Team and Board work tirelessly to ensure that our purpose is brought to life every single day.
As we look to the future, we remain focused on sustainability, growth and delivering even greater impact for WA families.
On behalf of everyone at Ronald McDonald House WA, thank you for standing with us. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families across our state.
Ante Golem
Board Chair
Peter King ASM
CEO
For more than 26 years, it has been a privilege to support Ronald McDonald House Western Australia and witness first-hand the incredible difference this organisation makes in the lives of Western Australian families with ill and injured children. It is an honour for myself, Mel and the Gilchrist family to be part of this incredible charity.
At its heart, Ronald McDonald House WA puts families at the centre of everything it does. It is built on a strong sense of community spirit, powered by the generosity of supporters and the unwavering dedication of its volunteers, who give their time, energy and compassion to ensure every family feels welcomed and cared for. Their contribution cannot be overstated, they are the backbone of this organisation.
What makes Ronald McDonald House WA so special is its ability to provide families with a true home away from home during some of life’s most challenging moments. Beyond accommodation, the support extends to creating spaces where families can rest, connect and find comfort, as well as access learning support that helps bring a sense of normality for children and their siblings.
I continue to be inspired by the strength of the WA families we serve, the commitment of our volunteers and staff, and the generosity of the wider Western Australian community.
Together, they create something truly remarkable.
Adam Gilchrist AM
Patron
Western Australia is one of the most isolated health jurisdictions in the world, and our families travel far and wide to access the medical care their child needs in Perth. Far from home and loved ones, we provide comfort and care for as long or as often as they need.
2025 marked the first full operational year of Ronald McDonald House on Park, delivering an additional 12,713 nights of comfort and care to families with ill or injured children. Recognising the growing demand for our essential service, the State Government committed to supporting our expansion plans for a permanent, long‑term solution. Our expansion isn’t just about increasing capacity; it’s compassion in action, ensuring no family has to navigate their child’s illness alone.
Our Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms at Perth Children’s Hospital experienced another year of record visitation. In 2025, more than 120,000 parents, carers and children used our spaces, whether to take a break from the clinical environment, enjoy a moment of pause, or simply find a sense of normalcy with a cup of tea while their children played. Learn more about the impact our Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms have on those who visit.
In 2025, our Ronald McDonald House Learning Program supported 345 students with more than 4,000 hours of tutoring, helping them reconnect with their learning. We also saw a 129% increase in students accessing allied health services through our program. Beyond direct student support, we delivered EDMed seminars to over 500 educators from across WA, equipping them with the knowledge to better support children with complex medical needs.
We believe families who have lived through childhood illness, injury or loss deserve a sanctuary, a place to recharge, reconnect and enjoy precious moments together.
2025 saw 124 families doing just that, staying over 795 nights across our 3 Ronald McDonald House Family Retreats in Busselton, Mandurah and Bunbury. Learn how one family made memories in Mandurah.
Helping children get back to school after an illness or simply ensuring every child has access to breakfast each morning are some of the ways WA’s not-for-profits are making a difference. Read more on Business News.
2025 was a year full of excitement for our volunteer program. We saw our Blue Army grow to over 430 strong across 15 roles. Together they provided over 31,000 hours of service, supporting families staying at Ronald McDonald House at QEII, on Park and our Parent Accommodation in Perth Children’s Hospital as well as those visiting our Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms and King Edward Memorial Hospital. This year also saw incredible support from volunteers across key annual fundraising events. We couldn’t do what we do without their shared passion and dedication to helping families with ill or injured children.
There are many organisations across Western Australia that are delivering initiatives to support young people, but those that involve the youth as active participants are having the biggest influence. Read more on Business News.
In 2025, we continued to strongly support families’ emotional, financial, cultural and physical environment wellbeing while their child received medical care far from home and loved ones.
Families experienced meaningful improvements during their stay, with emotional wellbeing rising and financial stress easing as major out of pocket costs were removed.
Without Ronald McDonald House WA, 70% of families said their emotional wellbeing would have been poor or very poor, and over 65% said their financial wellbeing would have been stressful or difficult to manage.
Overall, 93% of families agreed or strongly agreed that Ronald McDonald House WA provided a safe, healthy and positive environment, reinforcing our vital role in reducing stress and anxiety supporting the whole family, not only the child receiving treatment.
Overall family wellbeing in 2025 increased by 86.3%. Rising from an average score of 3.2 had they not been able to access Ronald McDonald House WA to 4.0 during the stay.
positively impacted in emotional wellbeing
Had we not stayed at Ronald McDonald House WA, our emotional wellbeing would have been poor or very poor.
positively impacted in financial wellbeing
Had we not stayed at Ronald McDonald House WA, our financial wellbeing would have faced financial stress or difficulty.
positively impacted in physical environment wellbeing
Had we not stayed at Ronald McDonald House WA, our physical environent wellbeing would have been negatively affected.
positively impacted in cultural wellbeing
Had we not stayed at Ronald McDonald House WA, our cultural wellbeing would have been low or very low.
In 2025 we proudly made a formal commitment to advance reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, through our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.
Here, on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja, we open our doors to families from across Western Australia when they need us most. Grounded in the enduring care and wisdom of the Traditional Custodians of this land, we offer comfort, safety, and a sense of home.
We recognise the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and we walk alongside them with humility, respect, and a commitment to listening,
learning, and healing together.
We can’t do what we do without the important contributions and support from our partners.
In 2025, their generosity was vital in ensuring West Australian families with ill or injured children had the support they need during some of the most challenging of times.
More than 157 corporate and community teams have signed up to Ronald McDonald House Charities Western Australia’s iconic fundraising event Up All Night. Read more on Business News.
I am pleased to report an overall surplus for the 2025 financial year of $4,893,982 (2024: $116,974 deficit). The result is largely driven by receipt of the first significant capital campaign donations towards the planned expansion of Ronald McDonald House at QEII. Although the expansion has not yet commenced, the donations have been recognised on receipt.
A key milestone for our long-term sustainability and impact was the reinstatement and use of the final two rooms in our Ronald McDonald House at QEII. Remaining remediation works expected to be completed in 2026 and the current provision balance of $2.5m (as at 31 December 2025) is expected to be sufficient.
The 2025 financial year also marked the first full operational year of our Ronald McDonald House on Park, providing an additional 50 self-contained rooms. The combination of Ronald McDonald House on Park and the reinstated rooms in Ronald McDonald House at QEII resulted in an increase in accommodation income to $2.97m (2024: $2m).
Ronald McDonald House on Park continues to be generously supported by the Western Australian Government and the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. We extend our sincere gratitude for their support, without would not have been able to serve as many Western Australian families during the year.
Fundraising remains critical to bridging the gap between accommodation income and the cost of serving families. Our flagship events; Up All Night, Ride for Sick Kids and the annual Gala Ball continue to provide essential funding, raising a combined total of $4,407,000 in 2025.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports these events and contributes more broadly to our mission of supporting West Australian families with ill or injured children.
The organisation remains in a strong financial position, with net assets of $34m at year-end (2024: $29.2m). Through prudent financial management we maintain sufficient liquidity to support our operations and fund the remaining remediation works, even amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
I would like to thank our generous supporters across government, community, as well as our dedicated volunteers, staff, Executive Team and Board. Your collective efforts make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives families with ill or injured children from across the state.
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