The Spiers Centre: Walking Alongside Communities Toward Financial Wellbeing
At the heart of every strong community is a network of support, compassion, and connection. One of the Financial Wellbeing Collective’s valued partners, The Spiers Centre (TSC), exemplifies this ethos through its inclusive and person-centred approach to community services.
The Spiers Centre is a beacon of hope for individuals and families navigating financial hardship, domestic and family violence, housing insecurity, and social isolation. With a strong emphasis on early intervention, TSC empowers people to build financial capability, regain independence, and connect with community supports – ideally before reaching a crisis point.
Their services span:
- Financial counselling
- Financial capability programs
- Emergency relief
- Community support and education
TSC also provides guidance to help people navigate life’s complexities and access opportunities for a brighter future.
How They Support Financial Wellbeing
TSC’s financial wellbeing services are designed to meet both immediate and long-term needs. Their free, confidential financial counselling service helps clients understand their financial position, manage debts, and explore options like hardship arrangements and creditor negotiations.
In addition, their financial capability initiatives equip individuals with practical tools to build budgeting skills, reduce energy costs, and develop sustainable financial habits. By integrating services and partnerships, TSC ensures a holistic, person-centred approach to financial wellbeing.
Joining the Financial Wellbeing Collective
TSC became a proud partner of the Financial Wellbeing Collective back in 2016, driven by a shared vision of coordinated, collaborative support that places people at the centre. As a values-driven organisation, TSC believes that collective action is essential to creating meaningful change for those experiencing financial vulnerability across Western Australia.
Through access to shared resources, data insights, and sector expertise, TSC has enhanced its service delivery and reach. The Collective’s Central Support – including specialist marketing capabilities, has enabled innovation and consistency across the partner network.
For The Spiers Centre, being a partner of the FWC is about more than collaboration—it’s about being part of a movement. A movement that shifts the narrative from crisis response to prevention, from shame to empowerment. The FWC provides a platform for advocacy and influence, elevating the voices of lived experience and shaping systemic responses to financial hardship.
This commitment aligns with TSC’s own campaign, It Starts with Hello, which encourages early conversations about financial stress before crisis hits. The campaign challenges stigma, builds awareness, and promotes connection.
At The Spiers Centre, hardship isn’t a statistic—it’s a lived reality. One recent story stands out: a middle-aged woman and her teenage daughter were forced into couch-surfing after rent increases made their housing unaffordable. Their story, while heartbreaking, is not uncommon. It’s stories like these that inspired It Starts with Hello – because sometimes, change begins with a simple, heartfelt hello.
Read the full client story and more about the upcoming campaign – Hardship has a face and it might look like yours.
Chief Executive Officer – Neil Starkie
Neil Starkie joined The Spiers Centre in January 2025 as the new CEO. Originally hailing from the UK, Neil spent 25 years as a chartered surveyor working at the forefront of the UK’s distribution and industrial markets advising multiple international, national and local organisations on property strategy. Since making the move to Perth with his wife, 2 boys and 2 dogs in 2013, Neil has worked in the not-for-profit sector combining his extensive commercial experience with a passion for addressing social disadvantage, homelessness and having a positive impact on the community. Neil is a keen, motivated individual who is people focused, dedicated to building a positive work culture and environment for all.
Find out more: The Spiers Centre
