Newsletters

Another month of weekly co-hosting on Ability Matters and a continuation of Presenter Training at Vox FM. Plans and creation of the article for Young Stroke Project also took place early on while helping with the Procedure and Policy updates for Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre. I attended the Paul Scully Anniversary Lunch later in the month, followed by the Official Opening for Unanderra Train Station at the end of the week. I participated in a workshop to provide lived experience feedback to update more of the Stroke Foundation Fact Sheet’s and finished the month on a high, speaking to students at Bulli High School with the Living Books Program. A wonderful group of young people it was an absolute pleasure to spend the morning talking about my story and resilience.

Not a huge amount to report for October, the first couple of saw me in holiday mode taking time out and travelling with my husband. Once back home, I got straight into Presenter Training with VOX FM as part of my Ability Matter’s co-host role. During the middle of the month, I visited Keira High School as part of the Living Books Program run by Wollongong City Council. An awesome bunch of young people keen to hear life experience stories.

 Late in the month I attended the Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre Annual General Meeting where I was re-elected as Assistant Secretary on the board and the very next day the VOX FM Annual General Meeting to learn more about the station and its members. And finally, Halloween seen me put together a selection of music to celebrate with VOX FM listeners.

September began with Administration duties and getting records up to date. The start of the month was also taken up with organising Interviews for the weekly Ability Matters Program on Vox FM. I also assisted the WAWAN (Wollongong Against War and Nukes) in their door-knocking campaign to raise awareness for the proposed Nuclear Base at Port Kembla by visiting local residents. Majority of the days leading up to presenting my Altered Abilities Awareness Course as Diversity Training at Community Industry Group had been spent promoting the event. The day went well with a small group which enabled an intimate setting.

Pitching for 2023 opened up and although my pitch was not selected, I am happy to be involved with pitching an alternative article suggested by the Young Stroke Project. Presenter Training began late in the month to assist in strengthening my announcing abilities on Vox FM. Finally, it was my great pleasure to attend the Community Industry Group Service Awards Dinner and see all the wonderful contributions made by our local organisations in our community.

This month started off with a bang, I was honoured to be asked and help out with an article on my experience of Stroke by the Stroke Foundation as part of their Stroke Week promotion. Regional Illawarra, a digital media platform covered my journey from when the Stroke occurred and the 15 years afterwards. My sincere thanks to Keeli for putting together such a well written article!!! The next bit of exciting news fell a week or so later when I was asked to join the team on Vox FM’s Ability Matters show as a co-host. Mind-blowing stuff as they are the world’s longest running disability show, I am extremely grateful to Alan and Tony for their support to join them and our sponsor Sean for his belief in me to provide this wonderful opportunity!!!

Community Industry Group offered to host the Altered Abilities Awareness Course at their office as a Free Diversity Training which was amazing. A massive thank you to CEO Nicky Sloan and the team for all the support they offered in promoting and organising this event. Around the middle of the month, I had some photo’s taken with the Altered Abilities banner and my walking aid which looks much like a staff. This went into the Community Industry Group newsletter to advertise the Free Diversity Training.

Towards the end of the month, I held a stall for my book…. Shit!! I’m 26 and had a Stroke. The day went well, talking with people about their own experiences while giving them a bit of background on my own journey. Ability Matters is going along well and I was involved with interviews and relaying some good news stories both locally and interstate. The very end of the month finished up with a Living Books Talk at Warrawong High School. A wonderful morning spent with a great group of kids.

Discussions were held early in the month to appear in a pitching content video encouraging Stroke Survivors to participate in the submissions for 2023. Some maintenance was required for the Altered Abilities Website, updating the Online Store and components essential to keep the site up to date. I participated in a Workshop to update a Stroke Foundation Fact sheet and was honoured to be part of the lived experience team providing feedback on existing material.

Administration and promotional emails for the Awareness Presentation and Book – Shit!! I’m 26 and had a Strokewere sent out. Some networking meetings to inform providers about the services I offer took place towards the middle of the month. I purchased a ticket for the Community Industry Group Services Awards to be held in September and submitted an article to the Australian Centre for Leadership for Women.

I am currently looking into the mandatory requirements to register with NDIS as a provider. A flier to promoting Shit!! I’m 26 and had a Stroke was sent through to Illawarra Brian Injury Service for patients as reading material to provide reassurance there are others going through similar experiences, major life changes and using alternative methods to achieve the same outcome.

The month started with a fantastic morning talk at Five Islands Secondary College talking to students through Living Books and a thrilled afternoon making calls to community stakeholders for the unofficial opening of the Lifts at Unanderra Train Station – a long awaited and anticipated day providing equal access for all!! The very next day I was honoured to be included at the opening of lifts to the public which Unanderra Access Group had campaigned hard over the last 8 years to see become a reality. Richard Kramer was instrumental in starting this campaign to enable use of his local station.

On a roll and ready to go, a stall at Coles Berkeley seen more copies of my book purchased. Another meeting of Synapse took place with great discussions had by all. A few Orders came via the Online Store to purchase Shit!! I’m 26 and had a Stroke requiring another batch to be printed through SNAP Printing in Wollongong.

Half way through the month, I presented the concept of Altered Abilities to Community Industry Group and was pleasantly surprised the following week to be included in their Newsletter with some very touching words about the content in my talk (excerpt located in gallery). Towards the end of the month, I was interviewed by VOX FM in regarding the Lift Opening giving further information for listeners on the upgrades they can expect to see at Unanderra Train Station. The time in between was taken up with Administration and promoting Altered Abilities through local networks.