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Mamre News - March 2023

Two women stand at an expo event talking to a man in a wheelchair, a women with pink hair, and another woman wearing a backpack. A logo in the bottom right reads Mamre News

Free workshops - Your Service, Your Rights
Mamre has partnered with Parent to Parent, a Sunshine Coast not-for-profit organisation, to hold four free Your Service, Your Rights workshops on 5 and 12 April at our Windsor community hub. The workshops are for people with intellectual disability and their supporters. Each two-hour workshop is on a different topic:
     -  Rights and services
     -  NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission
     -  Speaking up and supports
     -  Being involved
We recommend attending all four sessions, but if you can only attend one, two or three workshops that’s okay too. Click here to download the Your Service, Your Rights flyer. Spaces are limited so email [email protected] and let us know which workshop/s you want to attend.
 
Meet our new furry four-legged employee – Bonnie the therapy dog
Bonnie is bringing love, joy and connection to our Allied Health customers! She’s well behaved and experienced in working alongside speech pathologists and occupational therapists. Research shows that including a trained dog and their allied health assistant handler in your therapy can assist you to join in, stay focused and achieve new goals. Interested in booking a therapy dog session? Email [email protected] or call 3622 1222.

Fun with flowers
If you like flowers and enjoy being creative, come and join us at our upcoming flower arranging workshop. Create a unique and beautiful floral arrangement to take home, and we'll share some useful tips on caring for the flowers to help them last longer. It’s happening on 5 May at the Windsor community hub. To register, please email [email protected]

Funding for essential items, modifications or services
Youngcare grants support people with high physical support needs to exit and avoid moving into housing that may not be appropriate, such as aged care, hospital or a rehabilitation centres. For more information and to apply, visit Youngcare Grants.

  • At Home Care Grants provide funding for equipment, home modifications and essential support to assist people to stay living at home.
  • Home Support Grants assist people to move somewhere more appropriate. The grant can be used for disability equipment, home modifications and household items such as whitegoods and furniture.

Power to You wows at VALID
Power to You co-designer Jasmin recently presented at VALID, Australia’s biggest conference for people with disability. She discussed her experience developing the Circle of Support e-learning module and her involvement in the Power to You online platform. Her session highlighted the importance of having programs such as Power to You created for people with disability by people with disability, as well as the significance of circles of support in people’s lives. Alongside her mother Alison, support worker Sam and Power to You project lead Tracie-Lee, Jasmin delivered a speech, answered audience questions, and handed out flyers encouraging people to log on to Power to You and check out her module. Great job team! 

Jasmin sits on a stage at the VALID conference while smiling and getting two thumbs up

Strengthening parent-child relationships
Parents and therapists across Australia are signing up to Connect Play Learn, an easy-to-use online learning platform that teaches therapy approaches to strengthen parent-child relationships. People have said they particularly like the videos showing real parents, children and therapists working together. Connect Play Learn is ideal for parents and therapists who support young children with developmental delays. Evidence informed and relationship focused, check it out today at connectplaylearn.thinkific.com/
 
Thank you, Di!
Our wonderful Finance Officer Di recently chose Mamre as the charity for her Facebook birthday fundraiser. We are delighted to say she raised $350 that will go straight back into supporting our community. After finding out that one of our Aspley SIL house tenants loves gardening, Di had the wonderful idea to work with her to buy some beautiful plants for the house’s garden. We can't wait to see photos of it in bloom!
 
Chat, Connect & Collab
Tune into our highlights reel of a recent Chat, Connect & Collab session at our Windsor community hub. Our speech therapists engaged with community members who communicate in diverse ways at an interactive session. Using a variety of communication methods including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), the group got creative while connecting with one another and sharing life experiences. Get in touch if you know someone who’d like to come along!

Mamre takes to the stage at LAMP Congress
Jess, one of our amazing speechies, presented at the recent LAMP Congress in Sydney. Jess discussed four people's journey using LAMP (communication software) to complement existing communication through supportive and affirming practices. Also presenting was Matt, a Mamre customer, who recently expanded his courier business to include consulting services to AAC users and providers.

Making connections at popular expo
We were delighted to meet so many people at Brisbane’s Disability Connection Expo. A big thank you to everyone who stopped and had a chat with our team. The eye-catching purple Mamre balloons and count the jellybeans competition were big hits. We look forward to connecting with everyone who was keen to find out more about our Allied Health, Support Coordination and SIL services. 

A collage of three images from the expo

Creating and promoting positive change
The Community Resource Unit (CRU) has some amazing events coming up this year. Click here to download information about virtual and face-to-face events. Highlights include:

  • 22 March and 24 March - Holding the compass. This webinar series will explore what people with disabilities and their families can do to help ensure the people, services or organisations who are paid to provide support do so in a way that helps to connect people with disability to the life they want.
  • 30 March - Meaningful work for you. An online workshop for adults with disability and their supporters that explores employment opportunities.

International Women’s Day
On 8 March we celebrated International Women's Day at Mamre. This year’s theme - embracing equality - is close to our hearts, as an organisation that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. We’re proud to have a strong female presence throughout our organisation. From board members and the leadership team to office staff and support workers, Mamre is filled with amazing women doing amazing work. Our CEO Jillian felt very appreciated and celebrated recently when the Mamre team surprised her with a birthday morning tea. Thank you to all the people, women and men who make up our beautiful and diverse Mamre community.

Mamre CEO Jillian stands and smiles at the Community Hub kitchen table. Mamre staff stand around her and the table which has food, cake and flowers on it

Staff Spotlight

A photo of Brooke smiling. Text in the top right reads Meet Brooke Support Coordinator
A photo of Sarah-Fay smiling. Text in the top right reads Meet Sarah-Fay Customer Service Advisor

Brooke is our superstar Support Coordinator. She’s passionate about connecting people to the right services and helping customers make the most of their support plans. “My favourite parts of the job are connecting with and supporting customers to realise they do have choice and control over their lives and supports. I also love hearing their stories and about their wins throughout their life.”

Sarah-Fay’s bubbly voice is the first you hear when you call Mamre and the first face you see when you visit our Windsor office. As our Customer Service Advisor, she’s here to help when you have any questions. Her favourite part of her job is talking to and getting to know the people who pop into Mamre. “Seeing the achievements clients make through therapy and Mamre's positive impact makes me so happy.” 

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