The Spring Street facility faced a funding shortage which centre manager Paula Townsend tackled quietly, so as not to disrupt the more than 100 adults and children who use its computers each week.

“I felt very low, to watch something build up to what it is and then come so close to the scrapheap,” Mrs Townsend said. 

“For a couple of months I thought, ‘I’ve failed the children, I’ve failed the residents of Orange’.”

Far from defeated, the centre – which celebrated 10 years in 2016 – is once again on track for the future, thanks to a grant from Cadia Valley Operations.

Following on from a $15,000 donation made to the centre in January, Cadia has donated a further $15,000 this month.

With Orange City Council covering the facility’s rent and utility bills, Mrs Townsend said the donation would go towards other expenses which contribute to the $35,000 needed annually to keep the place afloat.

She said without the money for wages and general upkeep, she may have been forced to close the doors, which would mean turning away the visitors who come to access its services.

“Not everyone has a computer at home or can use a computer without assistance,” Mrs Townsend said.

“About 90 per cent of the centre’s visitors are children and without it I don’t know where they’d go.”

More than 4000 children used the service in 2017, with Mrs Townsend estimating 75 per cent of those were Indigenous. She said many kids come in to do their homework, while adults receive help filling out financial and legal documents.

“Some people [that come in] are illiterate and and need helping writing letters or attending government things,” she said. 

She also said loans, court documents and MyGov accounts were things she helped residents take care of.