Who We Are
Originally known as Citizen Advocacy Ryde Hunters Hill, Side By Side Advocacy was founded in April 1990 in response to the fundamental needs of people with intellectual disability. The program recruited, trained and supported volunteer advocates from the community, who were matched with vulnerable people with intellectual disability in the Ryde and surrounding areas. In addition to the Citizen Advocacy program, our organization expanded in July 2007 to include a larger Direct Advocacy program for people with disabilities in the Northern Sydney Area.
We are mainly funded by the Federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Our advocacy is free for people with disability.
A voluntary board of management oversees
the legal and financial operation of the organization. Board members are
elected annually at the AGM and contribute at every level to ensure the
ongoing success of the organization in advocating for some of the most
vulnerable people in our community.