We are excited to announce that Campbell Page and LINK Community Transport have partnered up to ensure that all people in our community have access to the same services.

LINK is the largest community transport provider in Victoria. They have helped thousands of people live a better life and remain independent by providing safe and affordable transport to social, recreational, health and family commitments. Additionally, LINK has also added assisted shopping and domestic cleaning to their list of services as a way of ensuring that all people have access to a great quality of life.

Together Campbell Page and LINK Community Transport aim to bring together their services to ensure that all members of the community will grow and thrive.

Mario’s Story

I am Mario and I am 56 years old. I had a stroke in August 2016 and was hospitalised for 3 weeks and in rehab for another 8 weeks. I was doing Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy following my discharge from hospital to improve my right arm’s movement and strength.

I came to Campbell Page in early February 2017 for help finding a job. At that time I had weakness in my right arm and I did not have a medical clearance from my doctor to start working full-time. I worked with the Occupational Assessor (OA) at Campbell Page for 3 fortnights to identify suitable work options.

I never thought I could work – Campbell Page changed that.

During the discussions, my OA suggested voluntary work as an option. It sounded good for me because it meant that I could get back into the workforce casually while I worked on building my strength. I started looking for voluntary work in hospitals but the waitlists were often too long, so my OA suggested LINK Community Transport. No sooner had the suggestion been made, Teresa from LINK contacted me and assisted me with all the paperwork to make the process very easy for me.

LINK considered all my health conditions and went out of their way to support me.

They gave me an opportunity that suits me and I am now working as a driver’s assistant. In my job, I assist people with disabilities and elderly people to get on and off the vehicle safely and supervise them during their transport. This job provides me with a sense of belonging and great satisfaction. LINK also provides me with training and skills for my future and is like a family to me because we all look after each other. I really do look forward to my work each day.

When I started my voluntary work I had pain in my right arm because I was moving my arm a lot. Now I have gained more strength and there is less pain in my arm. It looks like my health is improving and my doctor has now given me a clearance to drive my car to work which is a big step forward.

This job is very rewarding and I enjoy working with LINK. I recommend them and Campbell Page to everyone.

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Campbell Page is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to transforming people’s lives through securing employment. To find out more about our Disability Employment Services or about us, please continue to browse our website or contact us directly.

LINK Community Transport  is a charitable organisation that supports the elderly, people living with a disability and their carers. They are a trusted provider of transport, assisted shopping and cleaning and social outings, helping thousands of Melbournians live a better life and remain independent. LINK also provides a range of volunteer opportunities for people looking to learn new skills, get back in the workforce and make a difference to the most disadvantaged communities. If you would like to find out more, about LINK Community Transport, please click here.

Words by: Tiarne Pattison

tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au

Harley first came to Campbell Page straight out of school unsure of what was next for him and how he would go about finding a job.

At his first meeting with his Candidate Coach he was very reserved and quiet for many reasons, but namely, because he was lacking in confidence.

I found it really hard to get motivated. There were some days where getting out of bed and leaving the house were too hard, so finding a job seemed impossible. – Harley

At this stage in his life, Harley was not keen on working because he believed that nobody would employ him. Michelle, his Candidate Coach, was not going to let Harley continue to believe this, so together they started small and began working on Harley’s confidence.

It was important to Michelle that Harley felt he could be employed as a first step because without this self-belief the rest of the work they would do wouldn’t amount to anything Harley could be proud of.

I really needed him to see what we saw in him – potential. – Michelle Bobbin, Campbell Page Candidate Coach.

Once Harley was able to identify his skills, both Michelle and Harley began working on what jobs he could see himself working in and what industries he found interesting. Hospitality work was one of the first areas Harley showed interest in, so he was enrolled in a Hospitality skillset course where he obtained his RSA, RCG and Barista certifications. Harley particularly took to barista work but was concerned with using tills because he did not feel confident with his computer and admin skills.

Even though Harley wasn’t excited to do anything related to admin work, he recognised that there was a gap in his skill set that could be filled by the Certificate III in Business Admin that was being run by Campbell Page.

When Michelle mentioned the course, I was pretty dismissive. I knew admin wasn’t my thing, so my confidence just wasn’t there. – Harley

When Harley agreed to take part in the course, he told Michelle not to get her hopes up because he would most likely fail and disappoint her, but the opposite occurred. Harley thrived throughout the duration of the course. He attended classes every week, built a great network of friends and completed his certificate.

Suddenly, the shy Harley disappeared and was replaced with a happy, confident and enthusiastic young man. – Michelle

Soon after, Harley began putting all of his hard work into practice and applied for jobs. When he was invited to interview for a job at Potoroo Palace Wildlife Sanctuary Cafe, he was nervous and didn’t feel 100% comfortable in his interview clothing, however, he put all of this aside and ended up getting the job.

During his first few weeks, Harley was given the opportunity to gain more skills in new areas. He began working one day per week at Cowsnest Community Farm (part of the Potoroo Palace business) in addition to his role at the Cafe. This experience exposed Harley to working outdoors and with animals which he enjoyed. Harley has been working in this role for 8 months and his confidence and enthusiasm for life are rapidly increasing.

Finding a job has been the best thing for me. My mental health has never been better! – Harley

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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.

Robert Youngblutt is a Campbell Page site Supervisor on Palm Island and has been living on the Island since he was 30 years old.

Originally from Bribie Island (75km from Brisbane), Robert first visited Palm Island at the age of 19 to spend time with his Aunt and Uncle. A year later he returned to help them renovate their house at Pencil Bay and he fell in love with the Island.

I loved the natural beauty, the colours, the reef and most of all, the people.

The following decade saw Robert travel between the mainland and Palm Island for work. Robert had thought about moving permanently to Palm Island but made the decision final one night as he was walking home.

I was wandering home one night and I ran into a beautiful Island girl named Nazareth. I’d fallen in love with the Island and now with the most beautiful woman on the Island. Within two years we were married.

Robert has had numerous jobs on Palm Island from working as a Plant Operator at Reservoir Ridge to a Works Manager at Palm Island Council. He is now helping his community in a new way – by organising and supervising seven other supervisors and the 100+ participants they engage with. His duties cover some of the main Campbell Page CDP activities on the Island: Market Garden, Greening and Recycling, all of which are set up to become enterprises.

Robert enjoys his job and the incredible team spirit they have on the Island, which he thinks makes coming to work a pleasure.

In addition to work, I also spend my time on the Island with my 8 wonderful children and 11 (soon to be 12) grandchildren and watching my teams, the North Queensland Cowboys and the Hawthorn Hawks play.

Robert dreams of one day upgrading his boat and spending lazy days on the water exploring his island paradise.

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We believe that no-one should be denied the opportunity of secure employment. Our Community Development Programme (CDP) is our remote employment and community development service. We have made it our mission to provide the Palm Island community with access to the opportunity of sustainable employment. To find out more about our CDP activities on Palm Island please click here or contact us directly here.

Words by: Tiarne Pattison

tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au

Leon Brown came to Campbell Page just like many other job seekers before him: unemployed, but hungry for something more. He was determined to find his passion and build a career from it.

For Leon there was no in-between. It was either you are passionate and love what you do or you are in the wrong job. – James Sayed, Campbell Page Candidate Coach

With this inspiring attitude came challenges. Leon was unemployed and although earning an income was important to ensure that his quality of life was on track, he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that he needed to find his passion and make a career out of it -instead of settling for just any job. The problem was, Leon was such a visionary that he struggled to commit to the one idea or concept.

Eventually, Leon began looking inwards and thought about what could have made a difference for him when he was a kid. That’s when the idea for Guramaa Global Indigenous Corporation surfaced.

For around 6 years I had toyed with the idea of doing something for the Indigenous kids in the community. – Leon Brown

Leon’s idea was to build a not-for-profit that encouraged young Indigenous kids in the area to stay connected to their culture, while also becoming vital members of their communities.

When Leon spoke to James about his idea and his desire to build something that could benefit the community James was onboard. Together they began planning how to take this idea from concept to creation.

Campbell Page offered to help Leon as much as possible, which led to Leon utilising the office space on a daily basis to build his not-for-profit from the ground up, and network with potential partners.

In the first week of August 2017, Leon launched his partnership with two local schools, Vincentia High School and Jervis Bay Public School, in time for the annual NAIDOC Week celebrations.  Together with the two schools, Guramaa Global Indigenous Corporation aims to promote better educational and career outcomes for Indigenous students.

One of the most important aspects of the program is embedding the traditional Dhurga language into the Jervis Bay Public School’s curriculum – it is language that brings us together. – Leon

While this program is not implemented at Jervis Bay Public School yet, a program is already well underway at Vincentia High School. Leon believes that encouraging not just Indigenous kids but all kids to engage with and learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture is vital to building inclusive and unifying community where every child has the same opportunities. even the name of his organisation communicates this – ‘Guarmaa’ is from the Dhurga language that translates to ‘fighting spirit’.

I chose it because it reflects the struggle required for Aboriginal children to overcome the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential.

Although Leon is still technically unemployed and a job seeker at Campbell Page, he is also now the proud Founder and CEO of Guramaa Global Indigenous Corporation (GGIC). He has worked hard to ensure that the GGIC will continue to run programs in the community. This meant ensuring that its establishment met the requirements of legislation and could be endorsed as a charitable organisation by Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations Canberra.

It is always a good way to start the day when you see Leon working away at something so important in our office. We are incredibly proud of him and really grateful that we were able to be a small part of his story. – James

Congratulations Leon! We cannot wait to see what comes next for you!

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Campbell Page is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to transforming people’s lives. If you would like to find out more about us please continue to browse our website or alternatively, contact us directly.

GGIC is registered with the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission) and is going through the final steps to get DGR (Direct Gift Recipient) and PBI (Public Benevolent Institute Status) through the office of the registrar and the Australian Taxation Office. For more information, please click here.

Raising two children can be difficult for anyone, however, Ayda had more challenges than most. When Ayda first came to Campbell Page she was doing everything she could for her family, but her disability made it hard to find a job.

When I first met her I could see that she was a warm, loving person who lacked confidence. I understood and wanted to help. – Annetta Rullo, Campbell Page  Employment Consultant

Ayda has a rare neurological condition that affects her mobility, specifically her leg and foot muscles. So finding a job where her employer understood and supported her disability in the workplace was difficult. The constant stress of not having a stable income was doubled when she thought about the possibility of not being able to support her two young children, -that was when she decided enough was enough.

In her first appointment with Campbell Page, Annetta saw that Ayda was lacking in confidence because of her condition. She worked closely with Ayda to help her slowly regain her confidence and focus on her strengths, which were many.

Annetta believed in me from the first day we met. That was a big thing for me. – Ayda

Prior to coming to Campbell Page Ayda has been a volunteer at a community centre for five years. These five years volunteering provided Ayda with skills and knowledge that she didn’t even realise she had until Annetta had begun helping her write her resume. This was the first step to Ayda regaining her confidence.

It was like a lightbulb moment for her. She just suddenly realised how experienced she actually was.

After months of working together, Ayda and Annetta had narrowed down potential roles Ayda could see herself enjoying, but could also see herself being supported in the workplace which was of great importance to her. Eventually, an administration role came up in Coburg and Ayda jumped at the chance to apply. She was confident in herself and also felt she had the support of Annetta behind her.

I got the job! I was so excited that when I got my first pay I went and bought Annetta a bunch of flowers to thank her because I can now build a great life for my kids.

When Ayda got the job the entire team at Campbell Page were so excited for her because they had seen her go from someone with so little confidence, no financial stability who was somehow managing to provide a great life for her two children, to a bubbly woman with an infectious energy.

Congratulations Ayda!

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Campbell Page is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to transforming people’s lives through securing long term employment. If you or someone you know would like to find out about our disability employment services or about us, please visit our website here or contact us directly.

Words by: Tiarne Pattison
tiarne.pattison@campbellpage.org.au