Supporters celebrated the Endeavour Mental Health Recovery Clubhouse building’s official opening on Friday in a culmination of more than a decade’s work.

And although the building is ready, the next hurdle is to secure funding to support the vocational rehabilitation program.

Recurrent funding is needed to cover staff and running costs.

Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW general manager of recovery Bill Gye encouraged the community to keep the pressure on for funding and to continue to support community fundraising efforts.

 “In many ways it’s great to have the building but now the real battle begins to get the operational funding,” he said. “We need the community to get behind that.”

 He said a lot depended on the community ensuring the operational funding was a high priority issue.

 Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW, the clubhouse auspicing body, is kicking in $25,000 to develop a business plan, which the Mid North Coast Local Health District has matched.

 It will take at least $300,000 annually for the clubhouse to operate effectively and up to $550,000 a year for the top of the line option.

 The Hamilton Green building in Port Macquarie will be a safe place for people living with severe mental illness, Mr Gye said, where they could begin their journey to re-engage with the community.

 Clubhouses provide employment pathways in partnership with businesses to help people get back into the workforce, as well as social benefits. Mr Gye said the community needed and deserved the service.

 A fundraising committee collected more than $80,000 towards the project.

 Some $150,000 in state government funding was dedicated to the building project during Peter Besseling’s time as Port Macquarie MP, and current Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams secured $20,000 towards the kitchen.

 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council contributed money towards the kitchen as well. Endeavour Mental Health Recovery Clubhouse chairman Bob Boss-Walker said the council had contributed about $25,000 over the years through a number of programs and the council had been helpful in working with the clubhouse team to get the Hamilton Green site.

 Work for the Dole participants through Wesley Uniting Employment built the clubhouse under the guidance of Phil Pittis.

 The opening recognised everyone who had contributed towards the project and people living with mental illness.

 Mr Boss-Walker said the clubhouse model was built on the fundamental belief that given the right opportunities, and with their peers, people with mental illness could move forward with their recovery journey.