Connecting creativity, human dignity, leadership

SWARA Sunshine Welfare & Remedial Association

101 Park Road Woolloongabba QLD 4102

Website: www.swara.com.au Email: admin@swara.com.au

Phone: 07 3391 4119 Fax:3391 0922

October – December 2017

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!!!

https://www.facebook.com/swara.brisbane/

FROM THE MANAGER

Hi all, I hope you are all well and enjoying our amazing spring weather.

On behalf of the SWARA community I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matt Bates for all his hard work and dedication to SWARA and the participants and I wish him the best of luck for the future. I am sure where ever he goes he will contribute to people’s lives in a positive way.

I have been working closely with families over the past few weeks and have really enjoyed meeting you and gaining an insight into the life journey of our families and looking at moving forward together in the future. Whilst the NDIS will bring with it changes to how the government part of the sector works, I can assure you that SWARA’s values and philosophies that have endured for so many years will stay the same.

NDIS News:

I attended an expo in Ipswich and spoke to a few people who are living the NDIS experience. The most common piece of advice was to be clear on your goals and needs, also to have a diagnoses and any evidence you may need to prove what your needs are. Most interviews are taking from 90 mins to 120 mins.

The first contact you will receive with regards the NDIS will be a phone call from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). This will be to confirm your details then you will receive a letter.

From January you can begin to register with the NDIA in Brisbane and to do this or gain information you can call 1800 800 110.

I have also confirmed that a member of SWARA can go with you to the planning meeting so if you need some assistance please do not hesitate to let us know.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Spring Break

Monday 2nd – 6th October

SWARA will be closed for one week

returning Mon 9th October.

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SWARA 2017 Exhibition “Love Tokens”

Opening night: Friday 20th October 2017 at

5.30pm (by invitation only)

Exhibition open to all on:

Monday 23rd October 11:30am-2.30pm

Tuesday 24th October 11:30am-2.30pm and

4:00 – 8:00pm

Wednesday 25th October 11:30am- 2:30pm.

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Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, 15th November 2017

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Founders Day

Thursday, 30th November 2017

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Last day to place bakery orders for 2017

Friday, 17th November 2017

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SWARA Christmas party

Thursday, 14th December 2017

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SWARA reopens for 2018

Monday 15th January 2018

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SWARA is registered with NDIS to Deliver the

following services

Group/ Centre Activities

Assist–Life Stage, Transition

Development–Life Skills

Participate Community

Innov Community Participation

Assist Personal Activities

Plan Management

CLIENT INFORMATION AND CONSENT FORMS

We still have some families and carers who

haven’t returned updated client information and

consent forms back. The last day to return the

forms was 30 August. It is very important that you

return these forms ASAP to the office so we have

up-to-date contact details in an emergency.

MEDICATION

If you require medication to be administered at

SWARA, it must have a chemist label on it. It is to

be kept at the office at all times and a “Medication

Consent Form” must also be completed and given

to the office. This form can be collected from the

office.

LAST NEWSLETTER FOR 2017

This edition of our newsletter will be the last for 2017. The next edition will be at the end of January, 2018. As the weather warms up it will be a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy our beautiful Queensland environment.

2018 SWARA CALENDAR

2018 SWARA calendar has been emailed to you

recently. If you still haven’t received your copy

please contact the office.

KEY LEARNING AREAS

1. SUNSHINE CAFÉ

Our Sunshine Café and Catering team have been

working hard these past few months as some

changes have occurred operationally. We have

begun to provide higher quality items for lunch

including sandwiches with meat, healthier salad

sandwiches and a BBQ once a month. The team

are learning skills similar to those in a kitchen

outside of SWARA. A roster has been established

and if someone is sick or can’t cover a shift,

someone else will pick it up, learning how to work

as a team and provide a quality product. Our

catering has also picked up recently where we

are averaging 2-3 catering orders each week.

This demand creates more work in the kitchen

which requires efficiency. Huge congratulations to

the team for their hard work, and a big thank you

to two of our cherished volunteers: Maureen

Davidson and Alan Holland for their leadership in

the kitchen. Without their efforts we would find it

difficult to manage the demand of our delicious

café food.

2. SUNSHINE BAKERY

We now have two stalls operating, one at

Bunnings Rocklea every Wednesday, supported

by Judy and Guy. The second stall is operating

out the front of SWARA at 101, Park Road,

Woolloongabba supported by John Robinson and

John Petersen. Many thanks to these valued volunteers and SWARA members for their

ongoing dedication.

We have a great selection of home baked

produce using SWARA’s secret 40 year old

recipes. Our ingredients are the best quality

where cakes, biscuits and treats are made with

lots of love and care. Gluten free and vegan

treats are also available.

Christmas orders are welcome by 17th

November.

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3. COMMUNITY INCLUSION

Community inclusion has picked up right where it

left off since our break after the Australia Zoo

outing earlier this year. We have visited the future

and far reaches of our galaxy as the theme in

Brisbane recently was influenced by the world

science festival. Other outings included some

trips to the Gallery of Modern Art and ten pin

bowling. If you wanted to get updates on our

Community Access outings, please LIKE US ON

FACEBOOK and share the love!!!

On a more sombre note, I would like to take this

opportunity to thank the SWARA community for

having me over the past two years as an

employee and the previous years as a volunteer. I

have learned so much for my professional career

from clients and staff at SWARA. However, I have

recently been offered a new position, leading an

innovative clinic for a variety of demographics. I

am hoping to contribute to SWARA once I

understand my new role, perhaps I will be around

for Community Access as this program has been

my passion ever since my days as a student. I am

truly going to miss everyone so much as each

day has provided me at least one smile, but

usually too many to count! Going to miss the

cheeky-ness of you all!!! Love love love,

4. CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS

SWARA artists have recently been featured in the

annual ‘Arts From The Margins’ exhibition held at

City hall. We were proudly represented by 34

pieces of artwork from our Participants. Also,

SWARA participants received awards!

Tom Birch was highly commended for his

painting, ‘San Pablito’

Mark Colbran was commended for his painting,

‘Time of Thyme’

Michael Durr was commended for his painting,

‘Special People’

Ashleigh Smith was commended for her

sculpture, ‘Piggy Wings’

Accompanying this celebration of visual arts was

a beautiful performance by the SWARA choir, in

the Albert Street Uniting Church. There will be

other offers to sing coming in the future. I think

the choir has a lot of public credibility. We have a

wonderful choir able to perform confidently and

proudly for audiences far and wide.

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We have the ‘Love Tokens’ exhibition opening on

Friday 20th October at 5:30pm.

SWARA members will be hosting artworks from

HAND and Multicap in addition to their own.

There will be around 200 art work all displayed at

SWARA until Friday 27th October.

As Art Coordinator, I have been regularly

changing themes for participants inspiration,

drawing illustration of ‘nature’ on the big white

board and guiding the ideas through to finished

drawings. The work has been so prolific that I

have been able to gather some special pieces

and hope to hold another SWARA art exhibition

later in the year. I will keep everyone posted of

this project.

Finally, the ‘SWARA Garden Project’ to enhance

our local environment and encourage the public

to visit is in it’s early exciting stages. Hilary and a

dedicated support crew are plotting and planning

a beautiful garden space to show art works,

promote shady meeting places and even

introduce a café, utilising freshly grown produce

from our garden. LIFE IS GOLD!

Tony Rice

5. RECYCLING ENTERPRISE

SWARA have been fortunate enough to be

receiving Electricity box meters now for over 25

years. We recycle copper, brass, alloy,

aluminium, industrial alloy, steel and magnets.

We are due for a pick up very soon as all our

heavy-duty plastic containers are getting full. We

generally organise a collection every 4 -6 months

depending on our participants who have been

working in our recycle program. We will be

encouraging new clients to learn these new skills

through the dedication of our experienced clients

who have had years of knowledge.

6. HORTICULTURE

We have been getting things together in

Horticulture for lovely spring with a day out in the

garden. Staff will also spend a day in the garden

mowing, tidying up and pruning during the

holidays in October. We are also making the

SWARA gardens more wheel chair friendly. We

are looking to install a ramp going into each

garden, to ensure that any work getting done

outside will be as safe as possible. All SWARA

staff and participants involved are looking forward

to what the rest of this year has to bring.

7. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

As you can see from the picture below our weekly

participant meetings are very successful with

open discussions from everyone involved. Some

items of interest have been learning sign

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language, hygiene practices, first aid tips,

leadership skills, choices, respect, appreciation,

personal space, depression, anxiety, appropriate

behaviour and gratitude. Our participants

especially love the role playing between staff and

take a lot out of it including a good laugh while

learning.

8. LEARNING SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE

In Literacy, we have been working on our quests

on Literacy Planet to develop and improve a

range of skills including reading, spelling and

comprehension. We have also been writing

sentences and stories, and learning how to fill in

forms. We have had clients jump aboard, as well

as adding two new volunteers to our ranks,

Harsha and Fatimah.

Our participants love their games, and can often

be seen playing beat the bear, tiger or kangaroo

in Literacy with Dawn or outside with the staff and

students. The clients love coming in and using

the computers whether they are using Literacy

Planet or Starfall for their lessons, or learning how

to use the computer.

Our continued thanks to the volunteers, students,

families and carers who continue to support us in

Literacy and Numeracy.

WELCOME NEW STAFF

LEO CAMPBELL

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself:

my name’s Leo – I came to SWARA through

student placement as part of my Psychology

degree in May of this year. Soon after, I was

offered the privilege of joining staff as a support

worker, which I enthusiastically accepted. I was

immediately taken with the positivity, friendship

and camaraderie at SWARA: it’s truly one of a

kind! In addition to assisting in various programs,

and engaging one-on-one with clients, I will be

organizing our gentle exercise program, which will

include a variety of outdoor activities to keep

participants active, foster teamwork and

sportsmanship, and most of all, have fun! I’ve

come to SWARA during an exciting time, and I’m

looking forward to learning and growing in this

fantastic environment.

We would also like to welcome Enoka De Silva,

Devi Mohan and Cindy Menzi to our staff from

September.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Congratulations staff member Deb Kilvington for

achieving 2 years in a row the opportunity to play

pool (eight ball) at the AEBF 2017 Nationals

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representing her expertise in the Queensland

team in Canberra in November. Good luck

GO QUEENSLANDER

Congratulations to Wayne Bauer who received

five medals at Mount Gravatt Tenpin Bowling

State Interleague Challenge.

Congratulations Adrian Lang for achieving a B

grade doubles Bronze medal at Mount Gravatt

Tenpin Bowling State Interleague Challenge.

STUDENT PLACEMENTS

I am Kriti Shrestha doing my first social work field

placement at SWARA. I have found SWARA to

be a very supportive and resourceful place with

ample opportunities for students to learn, explore

and get engaged. I feel the learning experiences I

have acquired from SWARA has helped me to

grow both personally as well as professionally.

My biggest learning has been to recognize and

witness that people with disability have equal

rights as every other person to lead independent

and dignified lives and this can be achieved if

everyone works along to support and motivate

them.

~

I am Luya Ye and this is my first time working in a

disability service. I have such a wonderful time

with all in SWARA. We all learn from each other

and make progress every day. SWARA

participants help me practice my professional and

social skills while I help them improving literacy

and Numeracy. Gratefully, they tolerate all my

shortcomings and teach me a charming and

optimistic attitude towards life. I am so proud of

this journey we travel together.

FOR SALE

We have four second had fridges for $100 each.

If you are interested, please contact the office for

more information.