Comedy Night - 30th November 2016
Laugh with our comedians: be inspired by our kids!
Enjoy a night filled with laughter as some of the best comedians take the stage to help make a difference to the lives of our young people.
Tickets are only $40 - you can purchase your tickets online here.
More info coming soon!
LAUGH OUT LOUD - Comedy Night
7pm, Wednesday, 30th November 2016
The Comedy Store, Moore Park
City2Surf 2016 Campaign
TO OUR 2016 CITY2SURF SUPPORTERS:
TNA - We gratefully acknowledge the generous gift from TNA, and Alf and Nadia Taylor, towards our C2S campaign,
which they gave directly and not via the City2Surf website.
OUR RUNNERS AND WALKERS - We would also like to say a HUGE thank you to all our amazing runners and walkers! Congratulations on completing the 14km run and on the tremendous work on the fundraising front! We could not do it without you!
We have raised almost $19,000! All funds will make a big difference - the support we provide to the young people is so valuable because it involves us establishing personal, meaningful and long-lasting relationships with our young people - and that takes time and resources.
Thank you very much, on behalf of all our young people!
The Make a Difference team
August 2016
Reunion Day
Our most recent Reunion Day took place on a brilliantly sunny day in February at our Kangaroo Valley property.
Our Reunion Days are a special occasion which the Make a Difference family eagerly look forward to, as our children, young people and adults spend valuable catch-up time together in between retreats.
Numerous entertaining stories, told over a long and delicious lunch, were punctuated by jokes and laughter.
Although the blazing heat kept us mostly indoors, we managed to strike a few photo poses outside, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the rainforest. Pa, our much loved Clydesdale, stole the show, [clearly happy for being part of/fully including himself in] our gathering. Jessie found some time out from playing soccer to join us in a photo too!
March 2016
Christmas Picnic 2015
Make a Difference held its second Christmas picnic in a park in Campbelltown on a Saturday in mid-December. The morning gloom and rain magically dispersed to create a lovely warm and sunny day – the perfect setting for our children and young people to catch up with each other and with the adults who attend our retreats.
We kind of like traditions, and it was fun getting to play cricket again this year, and to start to build a tradition of having a cricket game at our annual Christmas get-together.
Cricket wasn’t all – we played soccer, too, and some rode skateboards in the park. Making bubbles was a big hit – you’ve gotta look at the pictures! (See above)
We shared a generous spread of delicious food and there were Christmas gifts for all. It was a fabulous day filled with laughter and friendship.
Some of us marvelled anew at the amazing connections that have built over the last several years amongst our young people, and between them and ourselves. Our gatherings are always special times, whether at a one-day event like this, or on a weekend retreat. It is heartening to see the young people caring about each other, and maintaining harmonious relationships despite all their differences – the world needs more of that . . .
A big thank you to all of you who took part – it was wonderful to see each of you there.
January 2016
City2Surf 2015
On Sunday the 9th of August, Make a Difference was joined by an energetic group of supporters for the 2015 City2Surf. It all began at 7:30am where we met on a brisk winter's morning at Hyde Park. After some difficulty finding each other, braving the chilly air to change into our new shirts and multiple attempts at a group photo, the runners were off. Shortly after driving to the finish line, Ricky was soon joined by the runners - starting with the fast, yet ever-humble, David Earp.
At our tent we were joined by both old and new faces, all excited to have finished the iconic race and to band together to support our humble cause. With a chocolate, drink or a chicken sandwich in hand, stories were shared of the race - the upsets of partners breaking away from their beloved for a record time, the new fiancé running back to her engagement ring, the cramps, the swarms of people to duck and weave and losing our exchange students from Germany, only to find they were enjoying the beautiful Bondi beach (yes Rudi, we found them!)!
Our lovely camp leader Mairead ran the City2Surf for the first time this year and commented, "the vibe and energy of the day was really amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed the run, as well as raising much needed money for Make a Difference!" Steev Johannsson, still buzzing from what he said was a great day, was still encouraging his friends to donate to his page 3 days after the run, commenting, "Every bit helps, hey!"
Thank you to all that made Sunday a special day. A special mention goes to Tim Keith, Andrew and Mairead Erskine, David Earp, Beccy Maier, Steev Johannsson, Ken-Cappie Wood, Fiona Douskou, Rudi Ringger, David Gbogdo, Marciel Delgado, Leila Alem, Samantha Broce, Tash Harrison, Rhiannon Parker and Robert Klarich for your fantastic fundraising efforts! Another special mention is in order for Britney and Kevin for both helping with the organisation and making the tent a fun place to be.
September 2015
Color Run 2015
Thanks to the hard work of a group of motivated young individuals, we had a blast at the 2015 Sydney Color Run. The day began at 5am when Kevin started his drive across Sydney to pick up a number of the people coming along. While he was on his chauffeuring run, Britney was keenly organising the food and Ricky was packing the car with gear for the day.
Just over 4 hours later everyone had arrived, the tent was up and the food was ready. At the start line 13 eager Make a Difference runners were standing amongst a buzzing crowd of 16,000 people ready to be covered in powder of every colour. After a 5km run through the beautiful Centennial Park, dodging prams, selfie-takers and kids crying with dust in their eyes, the excited runners made it to the finish line for the free goodies and dance party.
Afterwards it was hard to decide what the best part of the day was - whether it was the run, Brit's great food or seeing each other looking like a cross between a rainbow and the Sandman from Spiderman 3. Though it quickly became obvious that the best part of the day was spending time with each other!
September 2015
Gala Dinner 2015
On Friday the 15th May Make a Difference held our annual Gala dinner at Doltone House, Jones' Bay Wharf. We all had an incredible night and are pleased to announce that we raised over $90,000 to support our operations! This will help us to start building our infrastructure on our Kangaroo Valley property as well as to reach more young people in need. We cannot express how excited we are to start this important work.
The photos of the night are available on our Facebook site. Please make sure you tag yourself and follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our next events.
We would like to reiterate our heartfelt thanks to those who generously supported us on the night and emphasise that your gift will go a long way to transforming lives. In particular, we would like to thank TNA, Ed Smith, Jane Lea, Angela McCormack, Audrey Jean-Baptiste, David Morrow, Diana Wang, Kate Milson and Tristan Griffith for all of your help to make it a special night.
May 2015
Make a Difference Cricket Day
A great day at the Make a Difference cricket "Ashes" yesterday when - true to form - Australia defeated England and the sausage sizzle raised nearly $500 for Make a Difference.
January 2015
Christmas Picnic 2014
About 20 of us - leaders and young people came together just before Christmas to enjoy some food, games and each others company! Jane's chocolate brownies were the highlight, followed by the form of Patricia on the cricket pitch!
December 2014
November 2014 Camps
It was a joy to be part of the two retreats we held in the last month, with both the boys and the girls' camps being a great experience as usual.
The girls' camp was harmonious and a great chance for a small group of girls and women to enjoy each others company and benefit from some time out together from the stresses of life.
The weekend was enlivened by a fabulous new 10 year old camper, who made her presence felt in no uncertain terms. We all grew to love her and look forward to her involvement in the years ahead.
The main activities of the weekend were horse riding, Karaoke at home, and driving around the property in the ute.
On Sunday mornings we often share things we like or have appreciated about each other, and that was a heart-warming experience.
The boys' camp was more robust, and it was pleasing to see the boys and men adopt a system of self-government during the weekend which involved writing a law that we would live by, and beginning to work out how to implement that law.
This democratic rule, applied equally by all members, will ensure that the retreat can be a happy experience for all as we go forward. It will be a great way for members to learn more about relationships and about how their actions affect others, as well as learning to consider others in the things we do and say.
Activities were go-karting, canoeing, watching a large tree being felled, driving practice in the yard around the house, and the ever-important board games.
Adults and young people complete feedback forms at the end of each retreat, and the feedback was very positive as usual, which was great to see.
November 2014
Annual General Meetup 2014
We were delighted to see so many friendly faces at our Annual General Meetup on 21 October 2014.
Supporters, retreat leaders and Board Members came together to hear about progress we've made in the last 12 months and our plans for the future.
October 2014
First Reunion Day
We were delighted to host our first ever Reunion Day on Sunday 28 September 2014.
The Reunion Days involve a day trip for our young people and leaders to our Kangaroo Valley property. Because it is just for a day we invite a larger group of people than for the weekend retreats. The Reunion Days give adults and young people a chance to reconnect on a more frequent basis, and also gives boys and girls a chance to interact.
The day wasn't without its challenges. One carload of adults and young people broke down and get stuck in Bowral. Much excitement! A couple of other people got waylaid with airport problems.
But eventually everyone made it to the property, there was yummy food on offer, games to be played and everyone departed late in the afternoon tired but happy.
September 2014
Guiding principles for Mental Health work
The recently released National Mental Health Core Capabilities contain some key guiding principles relating to working in the mental health area, that closely reflect the approach adopted by Make a Difference. These include:
Principle 1: Person-centred
Principle 2: Responsive to Families and Carers
Families, carers and support people play a critical and often unacknowledged role in enabling people with mental health problems and mental illness to live and participate meaningfully in the community.
Principle 3: Recovery-focussed
Recovery-oriented mental health practice means:
• uniqueness of the individual
• real choices (which includes achieving a balance between duty of care and support for an individual to take positive risks)
• attitudes and rights (which includes listening to, learning from and acting on communications from the individual and their carers)
• dignity and respect
• partnership and communication (which includes acknowledging each individual is an expert on their own life)
• measuring progress towards recovery
Principle 4: Evidence-based
We should build on existing health workforce innovations that have been trialled and proven elsewhere. Our approach also needs to draw upon best practice and research as a means of ensuring ongoing safety and quality in the delivery of services by the mental health workforce.
Principle 5: Flexible
This requires an acknowledgment that our ability to meet growing and changing demands from people using services can only be achieved by being flexible.
September 2014
City2Surf 2014
A great effort at City2Surf 2014! Thanks to our 20 runners who ran, plodded and walked 14km to support us! Congrats to the folks at Telstra Platinum who greatly deserved the prize of an Adriano Zumbo Croquembouche for being the highest fundraising team in the City2Surf. Thanks Ricky, Michael and the rest of the team! Delicious!
August 2014
Sutherland to Surf
The wonderful ladies at BCS Miranda raised funds for us as part of the Sutherland to Surf in July 2014. A BIG thank you for your support!
July 2014
Introduction Day
Our Founder and Clinical Director Mandy ran an Introduction Day for 6 new leaders for our weekend retreats for young people on our Kangaroo Valley property. Great to see our capacity to run more retreats is growing! Thanks to new volunteers Michael, Lyndall, Morgan, Billy and Lloyd!
July 2014
Terra Firma's Ongoing Support
Thanks to the terrific folks at consulting firm Terra Firma for their ongoing support. Katie Milson (Terra Firma) gave our John Gelagin from Make aDifference a cheque for $1,000 in July 2014!
Ricky (Make a Difference) thanked Anita from Terra Firma at their Christmas party for our wonderful corporate supporters who helped us in 2014 with volunteers, support, money and advice! Thanks guys!
July & December 2014
Gala Dinner 2014
We held our first Charity Dinner in May 2014. We had a great night down on the water at Pyrmont Bay with 180 guests, a jazz band, photo booth and some moving speeches. Can't wait till next year!
May 2014
Terra Firma Triathlon
In 2014 the wonderful folks at Terra Firma gave us a couple of free team entries into the Fitness First Corporate Triathlon.
April 2014
St George Bank supports Make a Difference
Make a Difference Founder, Mandy Miles, received a cheque from St George Foundation in 2014.
Presentation to our long-time supporters - Spruson & Ferguson
In 2013 Make a Difference Director, Nadia Taylor, was delighted to present Spruson & Ferguson partner , Greg Turner, with a certificate of thanks for their long-time support of Make a Difference.
Catherine and Mike from Spruson & Ferguson organised a cup cake stall to raise money for Make a Difference. Thank you for your generous help!
November 2013
Make a Difference to develop permanent camp site
Make a Difference is developing a permanent campsite in beautiful, undeveloped rainforest in Kangaroo Valley. The property, of over 100 acres, will serve as a base for the camps we run for young people whose lives are affected by mental illness. The NSW State Government has kindly provided substantial funding for the development.
The young people we assist either struggle with emotional or behavioural difficulties themselves, or are affected by the mental illness of a parent.
"[SOME] CHILDREN DEAL WITH...FRIGHTENING CIRCUMSTANCES AS PART OF THEIR ORDINARY LIVES"
“While some families where a parent has a mental illness manage really well, there are others where children deal with very challenging or frightening circumstances as part of their ordinary lives. This has a profound effect on those children”, said Make a Difference CEO Mandy Miles. “The children and young people we support have said that when visiting our rainforest property their worries seem far away. Just spending time there is healing in itself.”
We recognise that for children growing up in very troubled circumstances, a one-off experience of support isn’t really enough. We aim to be a constant, positive presence throughout their entire adolescence if possible.
Our support may be in the form of camps or mentoring or other assistance as needed.
The property gives us and the children a place to call home. Many adults have fond memories of childhood holidays at the same, familiar place each year. Most of the children we support have not experienced family holidays. We hope that as the young people return to the property year after year it will provide a similar safe, warm touchstone for them.
The hallmark of our programs and our whole philosophy, is the high degree of respect we feel towards the children and their families. In line with this, the children and young people are central to the development of our rainforest retreat.
The model we use, written by our CEO, is innovative and based around positive regard for children and young people, and – perhaps controversially – around adults and children being equal. The model is quite involved, and more will be explained in future newsletters, and on our site, but it does outlaw the use of adult authority, and we have been pleased with how effective it has been so far.
We were privileged to hold our first camp last weekend, a ‘high needs’ camp, where six outstanding men buddied for the weekend with six fantastic boys. It was really a great experience for all concerned, as we did some work on the property, canoed the (tiny) rapids of the Kangaroo River, and played chess and monopoly in the warm farmhouse we had hired adjacent to the property, when the weather was inclement. A heart-warming family-style weekend.
Going forward, we are looking to the children and young people we support to come up with some really innovative ideas about how to develop the property, particularly in terms of games and challenges that can be fashioned from the remarkable natural features of the property. Using their initiative and imagination, as well as our own, we hope to create a campsite property unlike any other.
July 2013
Mandy Miles talks about the High Needs Camp in June 2013
At the training session for our camp leaders, CEO Mandy Miles talks about the importance of training and what we can hope to achieve from the camp.
July 2013
Meet our volunteer Gaul
Gaul Dang was a volunteer camp leader at the camp for High Needs Boys in June 2013.
What’s your occupation?
Social Worker in inpatient psychiatric unit for adolescents.
You were a leader at a recent camp for High Needs boys. Tell us about that.
It was exciting to be involved this year! I really enjoyed the camp. It was terrific to be part of something great for kids who have so little, yet are so full of life.
The other camp leaders were a fantastic bunch and I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to be involved. It was refreshing to meet people willing to spend their personal time on a necessary cause.
Any other thoughts about the camp?
I think the camp was successful in part because of the model underpinning it. To discipline reluctantly and praise willingly may sound counter intuitive when you have kids with ‘problem’ behaviours but in these group settings, it’s clear that peer influence is more effective than adult direction. And I think the kids appreciated adults being equal with them! It was a whirlwind of a camp, and sad to see that the kids didn’t look forward to returning home; it really underscores the value of the camps and of Make a Difference, in giving opportunity where there otherwise wouldn’t be.
What other things do you do with yourself?
I’m usually out taking photos, reading, or spending time outdoors.
July 2013
Presentation from Barry O'Farrell
We were delighted late last year to be one of the five charities selected by NSW Parliament to benefit from their annual fundraising event, the Spring Ball.
As well as raising valuable funds for Make a Difference, we were thrilled to receive recognition for the valuable work we do, helping disadvantaged children and young people in Sydney's South West.
When the dust settled, the generous parliamentarians raised $17,000 for Make a Difference and Premier Barry O'Farrell handed the cheque to Make a Difference Founder Mandy Miles at a ceremony at Parliament House.
May 2013
Mental illness in parents increasing according to new report
New research published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows that the number of parents with mental illness increased by three per cent every year between 1990 to 2005. That represents more than a 45% increase in that period.
The lead author of the report was Dr Melissa O'Donnell from the University of WA
One commentator, psychiatrist Dr Nick Kowalenk, from Children of Parents with a Mental Illness, says there are specific developmental issues for children who have mentally ill parents.
"Usually for kids.... who are five, six, seven, they're affected to the extent that they can lose a bit of confidence when their parents are depressed," he said.
"We've got some Australian evidence which shows that school readiness is impacted when mum or dad is depressed.
"If parents have substance abuse problems and those sorts of issues and addictions, that's also not a good thing for kids and they tend to have a whole lot more behavioural problems and some difficulties."
He says mental illness in parents is a hidden problem and there needs to be more support.
"The issue of kids is one that's not always addressed that well," Dr Nick Kowalenk said.
May 2013
Event - Emma Page Jewellery
One of our Board Members, Nadia Taylor, organised an evening of drinks and canapes in April 2013 to showcase the beautiful jewellery of Emma Page. All profits from the event went to Make a Difference.
April 2013
Working Bee
A group of die-hard Make a Difference volunteers and Board members converged on the property in Kangaroo Valley that we plan to use to run camps in the near future.
For the moment, our campers have to stay at other locations around Kangaroo Valley, although we can have day trips to the property.
The property is in a beautiful part of Kangaroo Valley and consists of 175 acres of pristine wilderness. It's a wonderful place and ideal for our camps.
We need to do some work on the property before we can accommodate campers so the purpose of this trip was to clear an access path through the property and identify where we will make our base camp.
We worked hard and made considerable progress, but not without cost, as Board Member Kevin discovered a day later when he found a tick! Nasty! Fortunately he's made a full recovery.
March 2013
Survey sheds light on impact of mental illness on families
A recent survey highlights some of the difficulties and lack of support for families with a parent with a mental illness. National mental health charity SANE Australia, surveyed 330 parents who have a mental illness and have a school aged child.
Key findings include:
- only 31% of respondents have told their child’s school they have a mental illness. Of these, half found the disclosure unhelpful, leading to stigmatising by other parents and in some cases, bullying of their child.
- nearly half of parents living with a mental illness do not have a Care Plan for their children if they become unwell or need to go to hospital.
- nearly half the parents surveyed said there had been occasions when they had not sought help for their mental illness because they feared losing custody of their child.
The research found that parents living with a mental illness primarily rely on family and friends for support, where available.
This may be more of a statement that there are few, if any, other support systems, and so they rely on family and friends if they are there.
"When I got my diagnosis, I had no one to tell"
I know from experience that many parents with a mental illness are single parents, the relationship with their partner or spouse having broken down.
Sadly, the wider family also may find it hard to understand or overcome the hurtful things that can occur when a person is unwell. As a result, these single parents can be very isolated. When the parent is isolated, so is the child in their care.
I remember well the comment of one single parent who, in addition to all her other troubles, sadly developed cancer. She told me, ‘Mandy, when I got my diagnosis, I had no one to tell’. Understandably, she turned to her eldest son, who was only ten. The children we support are very used to shouldering heavy burdens.
This underlines the importance of our work, in that we are careful to show the respect we feel for the parent, and to bring some comfort to child and parent in the course of providing our services to the children.
I realise that this paints quite a bleak picture, but unfortunately, it reflects the real struggles being faced by these very vulnerable families.
The reality is that there is a vast shortage of skilled, respectful, empowering mental health support services. We aim to be just that, and in some small way contribute to bringing help and healing to some very special children and their parents.
February 2013
Make a Difference mentioned in NSW Parliament
Extract from NSW Parliament Hansard, 24 September 2012
NEW SOUTH WALES PARLIAMENT SPRING BALL
WOMEN'S ELECTORAL LOBBY FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY DINNER
The Hon. MELINDA PAVEY
(Parliamentary Secretary) [10.56 p.m.]: After its successful inauguration last year, the New South Wales Parliamentary Spring Ball was held again last Thursday to raise funds for a few select charities through the generous sponsorship of our lead sponsors, Westpac, NRMA, PremierState, the Australian Hotels Association (NSW), Kreab Gavin Anderson, NRMA Insurance, Macquarie Bank, Capital Investment Group and Freehills. Many of these sponsors were back for the second year. After wonderfully entertaining and erudite speeches from the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, and Leader of the Opposition, John Robertson, a great night was had by all, especially with the entertainment of the Police Band.
This year $85,000, so far, was achieved through donations and moneys raised through the auction conducted by the Hon. Thomas George. Some of these charities are small in size but big in heart and they have shown us just how important their contribution is to the wellbeing of vulnerable children and the wider community. The charity Make a Difference helps children affected by mental illness in Sydney's south-west. Typically the children they assist do not have a mental illness, but are affected by the mental illness of a family member, usually a parent.
To give members an example of how well-targeted assistance can make a lifelong impact, Make a Difference recently assisted a four-year-old girl we will call Abbey. Abbey lives in Sydney's south-west with her mother and five older siblings, who have five different fathers, none of whom remains involved with the family. Abbey's 15-year-old sister has a new baby who also lives with them. Abbey's mother has strong features of three different forms of mental illness, including bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorder. She lives a chaotic life and has little insight into the needs of her children. Unfortunately, this means that Abbey and her siblings, without outside support, are unlikely to have their physical and emotional needs met and are at risk of developing a mental illness in later life. Indeed, by the age of four, Abbey was already behind on educational and other milestones she should have achieved.
The family's counsellor advised that spending too much time with her mother could cause further problems for Abbey, and asked Make a Difference if it would pay for Abbey to attend a preschool three days a week, with the mother paying for the fourth day. Make a Difference assessed the family and agreed to fund Abbey's attendance at preschool for the last two terms of the year, at a total cost of $3,236. Make a Difference maintained contact with the family and several of its support services during this time to ensure its assistance was working well for Abbey and her family. At the end of the year the preschool reported on how well Abbey had overcome her previous underdevelopment. She had made gains educationally, socially and emotionally that the preschool believed made her school-ready for the following year. She also had more resilience and independence to cope with the challenges presented by her mother's serious mental illness.
This is just one example of a very broad range of interventions provided by Make a Difference, but it shows how a small, responsive charity was able to strengthen the foundations for a vulnerable child in ways that will benefit her for the rest of her life. Other charities who will benefit are the Bush Children's Education Foundation. Cliff and Sue Cowdery from that organisation were there to enjoy the night. Richard Appleby, the Chief Executive Officer of Can Assist, was there. That organisation is ably chaired by Kay Hull. Can Assist is a grassroots, community-based charity dedicated solely to supporting country people affected by cancer and their families. Noah's Ark Toy Library exists for children with special needs. Alzheimer's Australia NSW is another participant, having recently launched a new brain health program called Your Brain Matters, which is taking a special mobile bus to Aboriginal communities across regional and rural New South Wales. I particularly thank Ann Lewis from my office for her leadership, Sam Brown from marketing and Phil Freeman from catering for their hard work to ensure that the ball was such a huge success. I also acknowledge the contribution of the Hon. Helen Westwood.
September 2012
From the frontline
In September, one of our Board Members, Kevin and a recently-retired Board member, Baru – joined me as leaders at a camp for primary school aged children.
The camps are run by the Department of Health with the support of Make a Difference and our Board Members make an important contribution to the leader team. Drawn from all walks of life, the leaders are friendly and supportive and can listen sensitively to the children when they share their stories.
As these young people live in very challenging home environments, the camp aims to give them some fun and time-out from the usual demands of caring for a parent. In families where a parent (often a single parent) has a serious mental illness, ‘fun’ is often forgotten – yet it is such an important part of childhood.
These children often feel a sense of isolation, and of being the only one whose family is going through the difficulty of having a parent with a mental illness. They experience great relief to find others in the same situation, and to know that they can talk about their experiences and be understood.
The children and young people are a remarkable group. The challenges they have faced have produced outstanding qualities in them such as kindness, concern for others, and the ability to appreciate every good thing that comes their way. They have much to teach us.
Mandy Miles, CEO
September 2013
City2Surf 2012
Around 20 runners took to the streets to run the City2Surf for Make a Difference in 2012.
August 2012
Meet Mandy Miles, Make a Difference Founder and Clinical Director
Why did you start Make a Difference?
In 2000 I saw a gap in the charitable sector in that most charities then, and still today, can only give small amounts of financial relief. For example, the major charity I was working for had a limit of $25 per family, limited to 3 payments a year. I was overseeing programs dealing with families with massive problems. I remember a young man just out of prison with his partner and new baby who were homeless. $25 wasn’t a very meaningful contribution for them. With Make a Difference, we have the opportunity to help people in a more substantial way, if needed.
What do you do with your spare time?
Spare time!? Apart from my responsibilities with Make a Difference, I’m employed full-time with the Department of Health and have been the full-time carer of a lady with mental health challenges for many years. If I ever get to retire, I would enjoy reading, cooking, and living on a farm.
What’s rewarding about the work Make a Difference does?
It’s heartwarming to see the gratitude and relief from people in a very difficult situation, who really didn’t think there would be anyone who would care about their problems. More broadly, within our small corner, we bring a level of kindness and care into the world that helps make it a better place, and that’s gratifying.
July 2012
Trekking in Spain
Ken and Tom trekked an amazing 450kms across Spanish mountains in 2012 to raise funds for Make a Difference. We loved your work Ken and Tom!
Make a Difference Conduct Disorder Camp
Make a Difference funded a weekend camp for a group of boys with ‘Conduct Disorder’ – boys that had been removed from mainstream primary school due to their aggressive and anti-social behaviour. This successful camp was run by our CEO, Mandy and another Board member, Damon who had been working with the boys for some time and built a positive relationship with them.
February 2012