Sylvanvale InFocus Magazine Issue 5

December 2017A REWARDING ROLE Ash is making a difference to people’s livesINFOCUS IS OUR BIANNUAL PUBLICATION FOR SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS OF SYLVANVALEOUR 70 YEAR CELEBRATIONS A summary of a special year for SylvanvaleA NEW WORLD OPENS UP Community-based living made Julia’s life better

Got News?CEO MESSAGEThis has been a year of much celebration, many successes and signifcant challenges for Sylvanvale.In celebration of our 70th Anniversary, we held a number of successful events throughout the year. Some of this activity helped create exciting opportunities for the future – such as our fundraising cocktail party, which raised over $65,000 towards the renovation of Sylvanvale’s Garden House in Sutherland, to make it more accessible and inclusive. Another big success this year was winning the award for “Outstanding Community Services” at the 2017 Sutherland Shire Local Business Awards in August. This award is testament to the dedication and commitment of our staff, who are passionate about providing the highest level of customer-service to the people we support.Meanwhile, our team has been working very hard to ensure the people we support get the best possible outcomes from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This process has been very challenging but, in spite of this, we remain committed to the philosophy of the NDIS – which gives choice and control to people with disability over their supports and, most importantly, their own lives.In 2018 the challenges of the NDIS are set to continue. But with your help we can overcome them. We thank you for all your support and wish you a safe, happy and enjoyable festive season.We want to hear it!No matter how big or small, please contact us at [email protected] or on 1300 244 577 with your latest news, events or ideas.Another big success this year was winning the award for ‘Outstanding Community Services’.“2 Mikarie Place Kirrawee NSW 2232PO Box 29 Sutherland NSW 1499Sydney AustraliaCover ImageStaff member Ash (in blue) enjoying a basketball game with his friend and gym partner, Thomas.Celebration, Successes and ChallengesLeanne FrettenChief Executive OfficerT 1300 244 577www.sylvanvale.com.auF +61 (02) 9521 3610E [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUEHELPING HANDSHelp make Mikarie Child Care Centre inclusive to more families.14VOLUNTEER STORYDennis Davies looks back on over 20 years of volunteer service.08#SYLVANVALE70A summary of a very special year for Sylvanvale.04SHOP FOR GOODBuy the things you love from Sylvanvale.16STAFF SPOTLIGHTAsh tells us about the job he enjoys so much.12Ash fnds it really rewarding helping people achieve their goalsOUR STORIESHow community-based living made Julia’s life better.06REPORT BACKA snapshot of community initiatives.1018NDIS UPDATEHow we are advocating for positive NDIS outcomes.SUPPORT USHow to support people with disability, now and into the future.19

OUR 70TH YEARCELEBRATIONSThis has been a very special year for Sylvanvale, being our 70th year. Sylvanvale has come a long way since that very frst meeting of a handful of parents on 28 September 1947. We now support more than 750 people with disability and employ over 650 people around the greater Sydney region.SYLVANVALE INFOCUS4#SYLVANVALE70To mark the signifcant milestone of our 70th Anniversary, we have held numerous celebrations around Sydney throughout 2017.MORNING TEASWe started the year with celebratory morning teas in Camden, Cronulla and the Blue Mountains, where we showcased our history through artefacts, video and photography spanning seven decades.CRONULLA GALLERYFrom March to May, we displayed our history at Cronulla Community Gallery through 46 stunning images and videos which were on show for three months.THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CELEBRATED OUR 70TH ANNIVERSARY WITH US AND ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN PART OF OUR PROUD HISTORY

DISCOVER OUR HISTORY AT SYLVANVALE.COM.AU#SYLVANVALE70COCKTAIL PARTYIn June we held a highly successful cocktail party which raised more than $65,000 to improve inclusion and accessibility at Garden House in Sutherland. We are delighted to report that, thanks to your support, the Garden House upgrades are now complete – including a dual-lane accessible ramp, accessible bathroom and the drainage issues have been resolved!CHAIRMAN’S DINNEROn 23 September, we celebrated our 70 years with a Chairman’s Dinner at NSW Parliament House, attended by an impressive list of VIP guests – including Sylvanvale’s patron His Excellency The Honourable David Hurley AD DSC (Ret’d), Governor of New South Wales and Mrs Hurley.MC for the evening was journalist and TV personality Sandra Sully, who had frst connected with Sylvanvale in the 1990s when she prepared a news story on the difference that Sylvanvale was making to people’s lives.SPEECH IN THE NSW PARLIAMENTAlso on 23 September, we were delighted that the Honourable Mark Speakman SC, MP gave a memorable speech in NSW State Parliament, paying tribute to the staff, volunteers, community groups and businesses who have made Sylvanvale the organisation it is today.70 TREESOn 28 September 2017, our birthday, Sutherland Shire Council gave us 70 trees from its Gymea plant nursery to be planted at each of Sylvanvale’s sites across the greater Sydney region.

A NEW WORLDOPENS UPOUR STORIESSylvanvale Life Member, Valda Lang, has seen many changes in the disability sector during the last 50 years. Here she recalls the transition from institutionalised care to community-based living for her daughter, Julia.PEOPLE LIKE JULIA... DIDN’T EVER GO INTO THE COMMUNITY.“SYLVANVALE INFOCUS6

I WILL NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THE CHANGE THAT LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY HAS MADE TO JULIA’S LIFE.“Six years after they were married, Max and Valda Lang were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Julia. She progressed well for the frst year but when she was 15 months old, Julia began suffering epileptic seizures – as many as 150 a day. She was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis, symptoms of which included intellectual disability. In the early years, Valda’s health was affected by the stress associated with the constant care Julia required. “Life was not easy for us at that time,” recalls Valda. When Julia was eight years old, Valda was advised to take a holiday. “We found a two-week placement for Julia at Sylvanvale’s Rainbow Lodge in the Blue Mountains. When we returned, we found that Julia had greatly enjoyed the experience. She was happy,” remembers Valda. “We were fearful. People like Julia who suffered severe disabilities didn’t ever go into the community. While we were sure that community living would work for people with mild disabilities, we were very concerned about how it would unfold for people with severe disabilities. We didn’t know at that time how excellent the support would be.”The results of living in a community-based home rather than a large residential establishment, have exceeded all of Max and Valda’s expectations. “To see Julia now, enjoying her life, going into the community, including on holidays, is nothing short of miraculous. Julia is content, happy and fulflled. I believe that there is absolutely no question that the life of people with disabilities is much better now than when they were living in large residential establishments. I will never take for granted the change that living in the community has made to Julia’s life. A whole world has opened up for her.”Despite the challenges, Valda says, “Julia’s story is a good news story. If someone had told me many years ago when Julia was a very sick little girl, suffering almost constant seizures, that not only would she be alive in her middle years, but also enjoying the wonderful life which she now has, I would not have believed them. Sylvanvale has helped Julia to enjoy a worthwhile life.”When a permanent place became available at Rainbow Lodge, Max and Valda were faced with a diffcult decision. “After a very disturbed period of soul searching and feelings of guilt, we accepted the placement.”through community-based homes, it was an anxious time for Max and Valda. When a shift in the disability sector occurred and the time came to include Julia in the community Julia LangThe Lang FamilyLeanne Fretten (CEO), Valda Lang and Julia Lang attending an event in 2017. 7sylvanvale.com.au

RAISING THE BARVOLUNTEER STORYDennis Davies looks back on over 20 years’ volunteer service at Sylvanvale.SYLVANVALE INFOCUS8

DENNIS HELPED ORGANISE MANY OF SYLVANVALE’S SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISERS.Dennis and his wife became members of Sylvanvale when their daughter Lisa started at Sylvanvale’s School in 1974. They decided they would fundraise and support Sylvanvale as much as possible, because it would help give Lisa the best opportunities. After two years as a member, Dennis joined the committee of management in 1976 and for the next 8 years was heavily involved in fundraising for Sylvanvale – everything from lucky numbers on street corners, and fetes on a Saturday morning, to bottling wine for sale to members. Dennis recalls the many fundraising events held at clubs in the Sutherland Shire and St. George including sportsman’s lunches and dinners, golf days and shows, where the artists gave their time for free, to raise important funds for the Handicapped Children’s Centre, NSW that later became Sylvanvale.After his frst 8 years as a director, Dennis needed to step down, to manage his service station franchises. From 1984 to 1996, Dennis remained connected to Sylvanvale as a parent and supporter.In 1996, Dennis was asked to re-join the board of directors and did so, remaining on the board for the next 16 years. During that time, Dennis was the chairman of fundraising and, together with Sylvanvale’s fundraising manager David Collins, organised many successful fundraising events. Dennis is proud of these events and the outcomes they helped Sylvanvale achieve. Perhaps the most memorable event was the fundraiser Dennis and David organised in March 1999, at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium. It was the frst offcial function to be held at the Olympic Millennium Room. The 880 people who attended, including the Minister for Sport, were given the opportunity to enter a mock running race around the newly built Olympic stadium and given a bottle of Sylvanvale Millennium. The event netted an amazing $57,000. Dennis was proud to represent the Board at this event and thanked everyone in attendance. In late 1999, Dennis sold his businesses, and became Deputy Chairman of Sylvanvale, working together with Chairman Lorna Stone AM until 2012. During that time, he was involved in the hiring of former Sylvanvale CEO Pauline Stanley, who took the organisation from strength to strength. When Dennis stepped down from the board in 2012, he felt he had run his time. “We needed people with skills and talents in areas like technology. New blood that had a vision for the future,” recalls Dennis. “I stayed on as Company Secretary for many years and was given life membership for my service.”“My family has supported Sylvanvale for many, many years,” says Dennis. “I have a lot of fond memories, including some really beautiful fundraising events. We’ve come a long way from selling raffe tickets on street corners.”sylvanvale.com.au9MY FAMILY HAS SUPPORTED SYLVANVALE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. I HAVE A LOT OF FOND MEMORIES.

REPORT BACKWORKING TOGETHERTHANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERSA big thank you to all the organisations and families that have supported Sylvanvale over the past year, including our monthly and regular givers. Thank you to the Ausgrid Employees’ Children’s Appeal for donating $2,250 to Sylvanvale, and to Sylvanvia Women’s Bowling Club for their $1,500 donation. We’d also like to thank Miranda Fishing Club for their $1,000 donation. We’re truly grateful to have such strong supporters in our community.GARDEN HOUSE RENOVATION CAMPAIGNThe renovations at Garden House, where Sylvanvale runs day programs, are now complete! The house is now fully accessible, does not food when it rains and has accessible bathrooms and changing facilities. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our supporters who rallied behind the campaign, dug deep and helped raise the $70k needed. Thank you to those who donated to the campaign and attended our Cocktail Party. A special thanks to Amtek for donating $8k and Total Car Body Repairs for donating $5k to the campaign. SUTHERLAND SHIRE LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDSSylvanvale won the ‘Outstanding Community Services’ award at the 2017 Sutherland Shire Local Business Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted for Sylvanvale! Sylvanvale’s Mikarie Child Care Centre and our opportunity shop, Retail Therapy, were also fnalists in the Children’s Services and Specialised Retail Business categories.RETAIL THERAPY CARINGBAH VIP EVENTSRetail Therapy VIP events have really taken off this year, with each event getting bigger and better than the last! Events in May and September had a great turnout with guests enjoying the hospitality, hand massages and advice from a Westfeld stylist. We hope to see you and your friends at the next event!

MIKARIE CHILD CARE CENTRE RENOVATION CAMPAIGNThe children, families and staff at Mikarie Child Care Centre are thrilled that over $75k was raised at our Chairman’s Dinner and Charity Golf Day combined. Thank you to everyone who attended our fundraising events and to our event sponsors for making this result possible. But there’s still more to raise before Mikarie can get the inclusion and accessibility improvements it needs. Find out how you can help on page 14. CORPORATE VOLUNTEERSTeams from CCSG Legal and Mirvac rolled up their sleeves and got to work painting, gardening and building for Sylvanvale. Their efforts absolutely transformed the spaces they volunteered at – our house at Kelsall Place and the Hydrotherapy Pool BBQ area. Thank you to these companies, which come back year after year to help with projects.COMMUNITY FUNDRAISINGThe Pre WWII Vintage Car & Bike Show in March was a roaring success this year, raising $7,500 for Sylvanvale. Thank you to the event organiser, Rotary Club of Cronulla, who put on a fantastic community event that was enjoyed by all. In November, Sylvanvia Rotary hosted their annual Melbourne Cup Luncheon, beneftting Sylvanvale. We’re grateful to all the community organisations and schools that raise funds for Sylvanvale. GRANTS SUCCESSWe’re thrilled to report that IMB Shire Community Foundation has granted substantial funds to Sylvanvale’s Inclusive Classroom. Club Engadine has also awarded funds to Sylvanvale through the Club Grants process, and our application to the Honda Foundation resulted in $15k being granted to purchase specialised early intervention equipment for Mikarie Child Care Centre.

STAFF SPOTLIGHTA REWARDING ROLEAshley, or Ash as he likes to be called, has been a Sylvanvale Support Worker for more than six years. Ash took the time to answer some questions about the job he enjoys so much.ASHTHOMASI FIND IT REALLY REWARDING HELPING THE GUYS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.SYLVANVALE INFOCUS12

Thomas is one of the people whose life Ash is making a difference to. Ash has been supporting Thomas for more than three years.They participate in a variety of activities together. In Thomas’ words, “Depending on how much money I have we may go out for lunch, go shopping, go to the gym, the pool or the movies.”One of the things that Thomas enjoys is the gym, “It’s good ftness and it gets me out of the house. I started going after a doctor told me I needed to lose some weight – and I have.”“Ash used to talk about the gym, which got me interested. We looked at gyms and compared prices, until we found one I was happy with.”So what does Thomas think of Ash? “He’s good. He helps me.”What made you want to become a support worker?The mum of one of my friends worked in the industry and she used to say lots of really good things about it. And I’ve always had a caring nature, so I thought I’d take to it – which I did. I really enjoy what I do.Is there a particular demographic that you support?All the guys are males aged from their 30s to mid-50s. I get matched to them because we’re the same gender and in a similar age group, so we tend to have more in common.What type of support do you provide?I provide fexible support, which means I go to a person’s home or take them out into the community. I’m there to help them do the things they want to do.What types of activities do you do with the people you support?The type of things we do really depends on the person I’m supporting. A lot of the guys are interested in ftness and in going to the gym to do activities like weights and swimming, so we go together and I support them and motivate them. But for some people it’s not an option, or it’s not something they’re interested in – so we might go shopping, go to the movies or do other things in the community that they want to do.What do you like about your job?I fnd it really rewarding helping the guys achieve their goals – any little improvement is a refection of your work. I like seeing the guys happy with themselves. And I like the fact that in this job you can really make a difference to someone’s life.ThomasAsh13sylvanvale.com.au

BREAKINGDOWNBARRIERSFor over six years, Mikarie Child Care Centre has welcomed and supported children of all abilities. With your help, we can provide inclusive child care to more families than ever before. MAINSTREAM CENTRES CAN’T PROVIDE THE SUPPORTS THEIR CHILD WITH DISABILITY NEEDS.“HELPING HANDSToo often, families in our community are turned away from early childhood centres. They are turned away because mainstream centres can’t provide the necessary supports their child with disability needs.And when this happens, Sylvanvale’s Mikarie Child Care Centre is there to welcome them with open arms. For over six years Mikarie has provided an inclusive environment for children of all abilities. Our highly trained staff of educators and therapists help every child thrive.Earlier this year we made a decision to help more families and expand Mikarie. Using two former therapy rooms as early childhood classrooms, we can now welcome an additional 12 children with disability and their families every year. But the new rooms weren’t part of Mikarie’s original design – they are detached from the rest of the Centre. The children in the new rooms are separated from their friends. They don’t have easy access to the playgrounds or therapy rooms. And this directly contradicts our mission – to provide a truly inclusive and accessible environment for the children we support.Your donations will help us remove the walls and fences that form a barrier to inclusion at Mikarie. Your donations will construct walkways that bring the centre together and purchase specialised equipment to improve participation.Children and families who come to Mikarie never forget their experience of an inclusive environment. Here is what one former Mikarie parent had to share:“My son Charlie has a rare genetic disorder, profound disability and requires a high level of care. He has attended Mikarie for the last 3 years and I am truly blown away by their commitment to our family… They take the time to include Charlie in every activity, adapt activities for him and encourage the other children to interact with him…I will be very sad to see him leave at the end of the year. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”You can help us bring this experience to more families and children. Your help will build a generation who value and advocate for inclusion in all aspects of life. Please give generously and support our Mikarie inclusion project – your dollars will enhance our unique early learning environment in the Sutherland Shire. One that will be a model for inclusive child care across the country.Together we can break down barriers, build pathways and instil inclusive values in our children now and into the future.

• Online at sylvanvale.com.au• Direct Deposit to BSB 062 177 ACC 10149907Yes, I want to help with the Mikarie Child Care Centre Project.$50$100$200$ORMy choiceTitleFirst NameSurnameAddressStatePostcodeBirthdayPhone ( )My cheque/money order (Payable to Sylvanvale) is enclosedDonation FrequencyI would like to give:A monthly giftOnce onlyPlease charge my credit cardVisaMasterCardName on cardExpiry date / SignaturePLEASE COMPLETE, DETACH AT THE PERFORATION AND RETURN TO:Sylvanvale Foundation PO Box 29, Sutherland NSW 1499EmailI am interested in leaving a gift in my will to SylvanvaleCVVWITH YOUR HELPWe can raise the $95,000 needed to bring inclusive child care to more families.90k100k80k50k40k10k70k60k30k20k0OUR GOALTOGETHER WE CAN BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND INSTIL INCLUSIVE VALUES.“

SHOP FOR GOODSHOP FOR THINGS YOU LOVE #ShopForGood SHOP AT SYLVANVALEBirdcage Café A Huge Success! in early 2018. Caringbah Craft and Activity Centre was established in 1976 to provide a range of woodworking tasks that men with disability could perform with the assistance of volunteers, enabling them to build skills and socialise. Today, people with disability and volunteers make beautiful, vintage inspired wooden toys at the purpose-built site.Birdcage Café by Sylvanvale is a gorgeous and unique café where experienced hospitality staff work side by side with people with an intellectual disability. In August, the café underwent an exciting makeover and revamp. We were thrilled to welcome head chef Jonathan Gleeson (previously at Zimzala, Cronulla) who, together with our talented team, introduced a beautiful new lunch and breakfast menu. Since then, word has spread about our wonderful café, with visitors coming from all around Sydney.Sylvanvale is delighted to announce that it will be taking over the reins of the creative Caringbah Craft and Activity CentreCaringbah Craft Centre and Sylvanvale Join Forces1 in 12 Australian children have a disability1 in 24 Australian children have a severe or profound disabilityYour donation will change the future for a child with disability

Birdcage Café is also a “must go” destination in the school holidays. As well as offering a delicious kids menu, the talented staff run a series of school holiday activities – such as cookie decorating and dress-up days – to keep the young ones entertained while the adults enjoy a coffee and a catch up. Due to the immense success and popularity of the café it will soon also open on a Saturday for breakfast and lunch. Stay tuned for information on our new opening hours and upcoming Christmas and summer school holiday activities. Go to sylvanvale.com.au/birdcage or visit Birdcage Café at 35A Waratah Rd Engadine, Monday to Friday 7.30am–5.30pm.In February 2018, Sylvanvale will open a new centre based program for people with intellectual disability at the existing Craft Centre site in Caringbah. Sylvanvale will also offer a Finding and Keeping a Job program where participants will learn woodworking skills and make beautiful toys every weekday. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in this program, please call our Customer Service Team on 1300 244 577. This Christmas be sure to consider the gorgeous products that Caringbah Craft and Activity Centre have on offer for the little person in your life. They’ll be sure to love the wooden trucks, mud kitchens, prams, planes and ride-on trikes and toys.Visit caringbahcraftcentre.com.au for more information or pop into their gorgeous shopfront at 20 Dudley Ave Caringbah, Monday to Thursday 9am-2pm. sylvanvale.com.au17

ADVOCATING FOR POSITIVE NDIS OUTCOMES SYLVANVALE HAS ESTABLISHED A REPUTATION AS NDIS EXPERTS.Sylvanvale is giving its allin a challenging environmentNDIS UPDATEA signifcant focus for Sylvanvale throughout the year has been ensuring that close to 400 of the people we support get the best possible outcomes from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This has been very challenging for everyone involved, not least because the parameters of the scheme keep changing and NDIS procedures are continuously evolving. This constantly changing environment – combined with the speed at which the NDIS is being rolled out, the complexity of the issues, and the importance of ensuring the outcomes are targeted to each participant’s individual wants and needs – has made it a colossal undertaking.In spite of our focus on getting positive outcomes, on many occasions the people we support have received NDIS Plans that have left them worse off than prior to the introduction of the scheme. Our Customer Service Team has been advocating vigorously for those individuals, submitting close to 100 Plan Reviews and making phone call after phone call on their behalf to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).Through the whole process, Sylvanvale has established a reputation as NDIS experts. Testament to this, earlier this year the NDIA asked Sylvanvale to test its new quoting tool, prior to the tool being rolled out across the industry. We have also presented at various industry events and advocated for changes via political channels.As with any great change, challenges are to be expected and, in the case of the NDIS, many of these challenges are set to continue in the medium term. Despite the challenges, we remain committed to the philosophy of the NDIS, which gives choice and control to people with disability over their supports and, most importantly, their own lives.We will continue to make this a key focus, working collaboratively to ensure that people with disability have true choice and control sooner rather than later.SYLVANVALE INFOCUS18

When Sue’s son Simon was 11 years old, he was hit by a car while riding his bike. The accident left him paralysed down one side and with an acquired brain injury.SUPPORT USBECOME ASYLVANVALE CHAMPIONSue would like to invite you to join her as a Sylvanvale Champion, supporting people with disability, now and into the future.After using Sylvanvale supports for her son, Sue made a decision to give regular, monthly donations to Sylvanvale. Regular giving offers Sue a way to make a meaningful contribution to Sylvanvale that’s convenient and affordable for her family. It’s her way of giving back to an organisation that supports her family.She’s happy to give a little each month to ensure Sylvanvale can budget and plan for the future more effectively and continue to support people with disability, like her son. Sue would like to invite you to join her as a Sylvanvale Champion, supporting people with disability, now and into the future.The Sydney Morning Herald(Sydney, NSW, Australia)Sat, Dec 8, 1995TO BECOME A SYLVANVALE CHAMPION, VISIT SYLVANVALE.COM.AU, CLICK DONATE NOW AND CHOOSE “MONTHLY” AS YOURDONATION FREQUENCYREAD SUE’S FULL STORY AT SYLVANVALE.COM.AU/CHAMPIONSsylvanvale.com.au19

AWARD WINNING, ALL ABILITIES, INCLUSIVE CHILD CARE CENTRE IN KIRRAWEEmikariechildcarecentre.com.au1300 244 577Enquire Now:SPACES AVAILABLE IN 2018*Not valid for existing customers. Not valid for school holiday programs.Only valid when booking and paying for a full term (term 1 or 2, 2018).when booking and paying for term 1 or 2, 2018FOR ENQUIRIESCall Melissa on 0406 677 808 orEmail [email protected] SHARKS SWIM SCHOOLSylvanvale Hydrotherapy Pool2 Mikarie Pl, Kirrawee 2232LOOKING FOR A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA?Look no further than a Birdcage Café Gift VoucherYour family and friends will love the amazing food and atmosphere. To order your voucher today call 9520 0355 or visit the café at 35A Waratah Rd, EngadineSUTHERLAND SHIREFINALIST 201720172017LOCAL BUSINESSLOCAL BUSINESSLOCAL BUSINESSAWARDSAWARDSAWARDS