Introducing Health Voices Victoria: a new chapter

The only constant is change. This sentiment certainly rings true in the world of lived experience and the engagement of communities – an ever-evolving field. Change is something we have learnt to embrace rather than resist.

Today, we’re stepping into a new phase of our story — and with that comes a new name.

We’re proud to introduce Health Voices Victoria.

It’s a name we chose with care, and we hope it’s one that will endure.

The story behind the change

If you’ve followed our journey, you’ll know we carry a long legacy. While we might look and sound a little different today, our story didn’t begin here — and we can’t move forward without acknowledging where we’ve come from.

The Health Issues Centre emerged in 1985 as the peak health consumer agency in Victoria. At that time, there were few — if any — seats at decision-making tables for community members or people with lived experience. For nearly 40 years, it championed the voices of health consumers and worked to reshape a fairer, person-centred health system.

In early 2024, facing significant financial challenges, the difficult decision was made to close the organisation. The Institute for Health Transformation at Deakin University stepped in as custodian of its legacy, recognising the opportunity to continue contributing to state and national health system transformation.

With the transition to Deakin University, we adopted an interim name — the Health Consumers Centre. We were committed to choosing a new name that reflected who we were becoming, not just who we had been. And we knew we couldn’t make that decision until we had co-designed our first strategic plan with friends, allies and supporters across the sector.

Finding our new name

Over nine months, a co-design team of community members, practitioners, researchers and other sector supporters worked together to develop our strategic plan — and, along the way, began collecting name ideas.

Suggestions flowed in. A long list became a shortlist. And then, once the strategic plan was almost final, it was time to choose the name that would carry us into this next chapter.

The co-design team gathered for rounds and rounds of consensus-building. In a room together, we voted — more than once — listening to one another make the case for different names, discussing, debating, and even changing hearts and minds as new suggestions emerged. After much back-and-forth, something rare happened: every person in the room was aligned. The name we had arrived at together was Health Voices Victoria. It felt good and right and so very true to the strategy we had created and with the concept of raising and amplifying voices for change.

Click here to read our full strategic plan.

Why this name matters

In a world full of acronyms, buzzwords and clever branding, we knew we needed a name that was clear, welcoming and genuinely reflective of our purpose.

At its heart, our work centres people with lived experience of health conditions and related issues — the individuals, communities, carers, supporters, families, chosen family and kinship groups who carry knowledge that can only come from experience. But we also wanted a name that signalled partnership with those working inside the health system — practitioners, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and government representatives.

Whether someone has navigated the health system, cared for someone, advocated for change, or worked within the system to shift it, their voice matters. Our role is to be the place that brings those voices together.

The story continues

The new name is just one milestone. Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing our strategic priorities, launching new projects, and opening up more ways for people across Victoria and collaborators beyond our borders to connect meaningfully with us.

If you’d like to stay connected as this work unfolds, we’d love you to join us.

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