Heath Davidson isn’t your typical 30-year-old. He has achieved more than many dream of achieving in a lifetime – from World Team Cup doubles title in 2016 to winning the Men’s Quad Doubles gold medal at Rio and the doubles at the 2018 Australian Open.

One is for sure; Heath Davidson isn’t going to let his disability define his ability.

We met Heath in March 2015, just after he ended a ten-year hiatus from the tennis world. He was more motivated than ever before to succeed on the global stage alongside his wheelchair tennis doubles partner Dylan Alcott, but being a realist, he also knew that this was going to be tough.

He knew that it wasn’t a sure thing. So to back himself he looked at what courses he could do to compliment his passion for wheelchair tennis. – Monique Coates, Campbell Page Job Support Officer

After some consultation, Heath decided that a Fitness Diploma at Sage Institute of Fitness was the right path for him. Soon after enrolling, Heath qualified to compete in the World Team Cup in Japan, where he claimed his first title on an international stage, with his wheelchair tennis doubles partner, Dylan Alcott.  Following his success in Japan, he partnered with Alcott again in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where the pair won gold for Australia in doubles wheelchair tennis.

Upon his return to Australia, the team in the Rosebud office were so excited to see Heath. Once the congratulations were said, Heath was eager to get back to work on how he could link his international success as a wheelchair tennis player to a career once he hangs up the racket. A big thing for Heath was also being able to help remove the stigma around disabilities and encourage and inspire others to work hard to reach their goals no matter what stands in their way.

It was at this point that Heath decided that Public Speaking could be a great route for him because it would allow him to share his story of determination and drive to succeed. – Ken Sheppard, Campbell Page Disability Employment Services (DES) Employment Consultant

Just this year, Heath competed in the 2018 Australian Open in both the singles and doubles wheelchair tennis competitions. He took out the doubles title with Alcott. Heath is currently a member of the Australian Institue of Sport and was recently announced as a top 5 wheelchair tennis player in the world and featured in an ANZ nationwide advertisement.

Heath is still currently a customer at Campbell Page and when he is available, he is always prepared to work hard to reach his next goals.

Congratulations on all of your successes Heath. We cannot wait to see what great thing you achieve next!

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Clarence and Thomas have both lived on Palm Island for the majority of their lives. They have both been a part of several of the Palm Island Community Development Programme activities in the last 18 to 24 months. Late last year they were a part of the nine participants who completed their Certificate III in Rural Operations – now they have both been jobs with Hutchinson Builders.

Both Clarence and Thomas have partners and five children each, so when they were offered the opportunity to upskill and gain their Certificate III in Rural Operations last year, both men were very keen to get involved and give themselves and their families a headstart.

Because Clarence and Thomas were so keen to get their formal qualification, no one on Palm Island was surprised they were offered the jobs with Hutchinson Builders. – Nathan Vinson, Palm Island Community Development Programme Manager

Clarence and Thomas’ new jobs mean that both men will be able to work and live on Palm Island while providing for their families as Hutchinson Builders have been contracted to build and develop the new Health Precinct on Palm Island.

We couldn’t be prouder of Thomas and Clarence! Their hard work and determination is proving to be the key to their success. – Nathan

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The Palm Island Community Development Programme (CDP) is a remote employment and community development service. Palm Island CDP aims to help people find work, while allowing them to contribute to their communities and gain skills at the same time. To find out more visit our CDP page or Contact us.

Words by: Tiarne Pattison

tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au

Last week, our customer Teia from Campbell Page Box Hill gained the confidence she needed for her upcoming job interview through a brand new outfit that was completely free of charge.

This is not an uncommon occurrence for many of our customers because we partner with Wear for Success.

Wear for Success are a not-for-profit organisation that provides professional clothing and work skills training to help people put the best foot forward in the workplace.

Two volunteers assisted Teia over an hour, dressing her in outfits that she could potentially wear to her job interview – or even as an everyday uniform once she found a job that was right for her.

She kept coming out and showing us all the clothes she was getting and in all honestly it was an incredible thing to see how comfortable, confident and engaged she was – like an entirely different person. – David Crichton, Campbell Page Box Hill Service Leader

This trip to Wear for Success wasn’t the regular trip that David had come to get used to after many years working with Jodie from Wear for Success – when Teia was being dressed professionally for her interview, our partnership with Wear for Success Melbourne was highlighted on the 9News Jo Hall Special Report. Click here to view the clip.

By the end of the day, Teia was feeling confident and ready to attend her interviews.

The smile that is on Teia is HUGE! I haven’t seen this much of a smile on her and it got bigger and bigger throughout the day. – David

I feel like I could ace my next interview. Honestly, I feel great. – Teia

Wear for Success commenced in 2011 and is a not-for-profit organisation run by a dedicated group of volunteers and management team, including a Volunteer Board. Since then they have helped over 3,800 people needing support on their journey back to work.

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Words by: Tiarne Pattison

tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au 

Three years ago, Campbell Page was celebrating its 30th birthday by making a total of $30,000 in grants across the many communities we operate in and community organisations we partner with. Now, three years on we check in with Jill at the Dapto Anglican Café.

In the time since we began working with Jill, she has supported over 50 Work for the Dole participants, mentoring them and helping them to change their perspective on their abilities.

Jill and the Dapto Anglican Café partnered with Campbell Page Dapto to help make a difference in the community by providing opportunities for Work for the Dole participants to learn new skills and build their confidence.

The support Jill and her team have provided, and continue to provide to our customers and the wider community is phenomenal.

Below are three examples of the fantastic work Jill and the team at the Dapto Anglican Café are doing for the community:

• A young woman who was not interested in working in hospitality began her placement at the Café. Jill worked with her to build her confidence and her skill set. Over time, she came to develop a love of cooking and began looking for Chef Apprenticeship positions. A Campbell Page team member worked with Jill to get her customer closer to achieving her goals.  She is now 6 months into her apprenticeship and still regularly visits Jill to keep her updated on her progress.
• Helena came to Campbell Page very reserved and lacking in confidence. She didn’t believe that anyone would hire her. Campbell Page referred her to Jill for Work for the Dole and she discovered she really enjoyed serving the customers which built up her confidence to a point where she felt comfortable interacting with people. Jill supported and helped Helena apply for a job where she has now been employed at for over four months.
• Blake is a young man from a troubled background and a family of long-term generational unemployment. He really resisted doing Work for the Dole but found a connection with Jill and the team. Blake began to believe he could contribute more and realised he wanted a better future for himself. Jill discovered that Blake had a passion for working with motors and encouraged this passion by assisting him to find the confidence to apply for positions. Blake is now employed in a local lawn mower repair shop, doing what he loves.

The work experience that Work for the Dole provides is invaluable, but it is the extra effort that Jill puts into each and every person in their program that makes it truly successful. – Louise Sedgewick, Campbell Page

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Campbell Page is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to making a difference in our communities. Our jobactive team work with people to help build their strengths to find great jobs and a brighter future.  If you would like to find out more about what we do, please click here to view our About Us page or here to Contact Us directly.

Words by: Tiarne Pattison

tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au 

Getting back to work was a priority for Bill when he first came to the Campbell Page Sunshine office. He was anxious and nervous but knew that finding a job would be the best thing for his health.

Bill is a qualified Electrical Engineer and had previously had roles in that industry. He was frustrated at not being able to manage and control his health but knew that if he had a little bit of help getting back to work wouldn’t be so bad.

I was set on getting back to work but from my health to my low self-esteem I didn’t think I’d be able to do it alone. – Bill

Together, Bill and his Employment Consultant, Corinna, worked together on finding a job that was right for him and wouldn’t have a negative impact on his health.

Bill was always very accommodating and flexible, advising that he was willing to accept any reasonable job. – Corinna Lafontaine, Employment Consultant

There were a few jobs available at the time, however, none were 100% right for Bill, until Cecilia Hoang, the Sunshine Service Leader, advised that Ozstaff were looking to fill a picker packer role.

We discussed this role with Bill and although he had never worked in this capacity, he was willing to give it a go. – Cecilia Hoang, Service Leader

Bill was accepted for a job interview, passed his induction, and soon commenced as a picker packer. Since commencing employment, Bill has found different methods of coping with, and managing, his health. He has impressed the employer so much, that they asked him to do his forklift course, so that they could train him for another role.

Corinna sourced the course and Campbell Page financially assisted me. I’m now the proud owner of a forklift license and am working full time hours! I couldn’t have done it without Corinna or Cecilia’s help. – Bill

Bill went on to explain that he is grateful for the support Campbell Page provided to him and how much this job has raised his confidence and self-esteem again.

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Words by: Tiarne Pattison

tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au