Chief Executive Officer update - May 2024

Hello,

Welcome to this month’s edition of News@Yooralla.

We recently asked our clients and employees with disability how they would define a ‘Good Life’. We wanted to learn more about their aspirations, to enable us to create and extend programs across Yooralla that can help lead to a good life.

Responses to the survey indicated the importance to people of their home lives; keeping healthy through nutrition and movement; relationships with family and friends; love and intimacy; money and finances; working on their personal growth and employment.

You can hear directly from some of our clients in a video we created for our latest campaign to raise funds for new activities we would like to develop, which are not funded by existing sources.

In partnership with people with disability, we would like to develop practical ways to enhance their health and wellbeing, for example through food and movement workshops, and to develop programs that promote increased connections with their broader community.

We have started workshops for clients on supported decision making, so they can be empowered on the choices they make in their day to day lives.

If you were able to support our campaign by spreading the word or donating to it, that would be very much appreciated.

In this newsletter, you will also find an incredible story from Ben, one of our Supported Independent Living (SIL) clients. Ben recently made the move from shared living, to living independently in a brand-new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartment in Melbourne.

He recently shared part of his story with us, highlighting his strength and resilience. You can read Ben’s story on our website.

Stay safe and well.

Terry Symonds
Chief Executive officer