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Two for One: 121 Care Appoints Two Women as CEO

Award-winning executive Feda Adra has been appointed co-CEO of 121 Care, joining current CEO Kym Chomley to share the same role for the Sunshine Coast not-for-profit organisation.

Read: Sunshine Coast Hockey Club in Buderim Launches New World-Class Field

121 Care would benefit from both Ms Adra and Ms Chomley’s expertise, forging a strong relationship to provide the organisation with a robust and sustainable future. Ms Adra, former CEO of Be (formerly ComLink), has a wealth of knowledge and experience in aged and community care whilst Ms Comley has an extensive experience in disability.

121 Care President Faith Baigent was confident in appointing the power duo for the shared CEO role.

“Together, Kym and Feda share six decades of senior management experience that are complimentary and broaden the skillset that one CEO would traditionally bring to the role. Kym’s strengths in accounting, finance, IT, administration and organisational development are complimented by Feda’s strengths in people and culture, resource development, innovation and marketing,” Ms Baigent said.

“CEO job sharing is an extremely rare form of leadership arrangement, done only a handful of times across the world – think Netflix, Oracle and Salesforce to name a few,” she added.

From left to right: 121 Care President Faith Baigent, Ms Adra, and Ms Chomley

Ms Baigent also shared that job sharing is done at lower levels in organisations, but rarely at an executive level, which is what makes this unique and even more exceptional in the not-for-profit sector.

“With Feda on board, we will now have twice the capacity and capability with a broader range of skills and experience that will be of immense value to the business,” Ms Baigent shared.

Ms Adra is the founder of Vitality Village – a health and wellbeing hub which is the first of its kind in Australia. 121 Care will also be moving in to the new hub later this month and the team looks forward to working in collaboration with the other villagers at Vitality.

Read: Buderim Private Hospital Shuts Down Breast Clinic

Co-CEO Kym Chomley said COVID-19 saw organisations like 121 Care realise the importance of being adaptive, flexible and creative through a continuously changing environment.

“By including a second CEO, we are preparing for the future, and I couldn’t think of a better person to share the role with than Feda. Our skills are very complimentary, we share similar values and have a mutual respect for one another.”

About 121 Care

121 Care is an independent registered charity and not for profit organisation. This year, the business is projected to turnover $12.5 million through the delivery of a wider range of services across southeast Queensland that include in-home support services, supported accommodation, supported independent living and coordination services for people with physical, intellectual and psychosocial disabilities.

Buderim Private Hospital Names First Recipient Of Elsa Wilson Award

Ms Kylie Wydell (Photo credit: Buderim Private Hospital/Facebook)

Buderim Private Hospital has named Kylie Wydell as the very first recipient of the Elsa Wilson Award, a recognition named after the hospital’s founder.

Read: Buderim Private Hospital Shuts Down Breast Clinic

Ms Wydell, who works as a wound care specialist and stomal therapist at Buderim Private Hospital, revealed she was completely surprised by the award, which she graciously accepted on behalf of all the patients she has cared for at the hospital over the past seven years.

“My patients have chronic wounds and stomas and it’s really comforting to be part of their journey to help them get better and make a difference to their life,” she said.

Ms Wydell and Ms Blair with Michael Krieg — From L-R: Michael Krieg, Executive Director of UnitingCare Hospitals, Kylie Wydell, and Heidi Blair (Photo credit: Buderim Private Hospital/Facebook)

“It is a shame that all my amazing colleagues who were finalists can’t also be rewarded but we are all rewarded by working here and having the privilege of caring for patients,” Ms Wydell added.

According to Ms Karen Clark, General Manager at the hospital, all the monthly winners of the hospital’s award program were considered for the award and the hospital Leadership Team had the difficult task of voting on the overall winner to receive the Elsa Wilson Award.

About the Elsa Wilson Award

Ms Wydell accepting the award — Photo credit: Buderim Private Hospital/Facebook

The Elsa Wilson Award will be presented each year to a staff member who goes above and beyond to uphold the hospital’s values of working together, respect, justice, compassion and leading through learning.

It was named after the founder of the hospital, Elsa Wilson, who established the hospital in 1980 who felt her husband, a local GP, and his patients should not have to travel to Nambour for hospitalisation. However, Mrs Wilson passed away from cancer in 1982.

Ms Wydell with Ms Clark (Photo credit: Buderim Private Hospital/Facebook)

Heid Blair, Elsa Wilson’s daughter, was one of the award’s presenters, along with Ms Clark and Michael Krieg, Executive Director of UnitingCare Hospitals.

Ms Blair felt very proud to present the award on behalf of her mother, who she believes would be very proud to know that her name is being used to honour exemplary care and service at Buderim Private Hospital.

Virus-like Particle Vaccine To Be Trialled In Sunshine Coast

Photo credit: Gustavo Fring/Pexels

The University of Sunshine Coast clinic at Sippy Downs will be among the first locations in the world to trial a virus-like particle vaccine produced by American company Icosavax.

Read: Two for One: 121 Care Appoints Two Women as CEO

According to Icosavax, virus-like particles (VLP) vaccines do not contain genetic material, so they are non-infectious and can provide a safer alternative to live-attenuated or inactivated vaccines.

Because VLP vaccines have the potential to induce high-neutralizing antibody titers, they could be especially important for older adults where the gradual deterioration of the immune system as adults age can make vaccines less effective.

Scientists from the USC are expecting that the possible next-generation vaccine will provide better protection against Covid-19. Dr Rob Scott, USC Clinical Trials’ Principal Investigator, will supervise the trial, which aims to determine the optimal dose and safety of the vaccine.

“Virus-like particles display multiple copies of the protective antigens in a manner that closely resembles viruses but contain no genetic material,” Dr Scott said.

“Licensed VLP vaccines are well known to induce a robust and durable immune response. This type of vaccine can also be redirected towards new coronavirus strains as they emerge,” he said.

Read: Buderim Private Hospital Shuts Down Breast Clinic

The university’s clinical trial director Lucas Litewka said the need for new and continuing research into potential COVID-19 vaccines was fundamental to improving our pandemic response and preparedness.

“We hope to build upon our experience in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to partner on this new and innovative vaccine technology,” Mr Litewka said.

Who Can Participate in the Trial

USC’s clinical trial, which will also be conducted in USC’s Health Hub Morayfield clinics, will need around 84 healthy participants aged 18 to 69. It’s open to those who are already vaccinated against COVID-19.

Participants will be reimbursed for their time and travel costs related to the study. People who are in good health and willing to attend approximately seven clinic visits spread over an up to 8-month period can register their interest at www.usc.edu.au.

About Icosavax

Seattle-based Icosavax is focused on developing safe and effective vaccines against infectious diseases that cause severe, life-threatening respiratory illnesses. Icosavax is advancing VLP vaccine candidates against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Sunshine Coast Hockey Club in Buderim Launches New World-Class Field

After receiving upgrades worth $489,000, the Sunshine Coast Hockey club proudly announces the launch of their all-new state-of-the-art synthetic field, now available for club members to use

Named after dual Olympian and medal winner Jodie Kenny, the Jodie Kenny field is the latest sports field in Buderim, having been established by the Sunshine Coast Council at the Sunshine Coast Hockey club in Ballinger Rd. The upgraded fields were the result of a collaborative effort between Council, the Sunshine Coast Hockey Association, and the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 Works for Queensland program.

What makes the new field so special is the fact that Poligras Tockyo GT is totally Australian made and manufactured, and it’s also the first synthetic hockey turf which features filaments made from over 60% re-growable raw materials.

Photo credit: Facebook/Sunshine Coast Council

The turf’s rubber underlay has been fashioned from recycled tire rubber to create a shock pad that lies beneath the field’s surface. With the help of PolyTan’s CoolPlus technology, the turf can stay cool and pleasant even on the hottest of days. The new field is so advanced that the exact same type will be used in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2021.

Of the $489,000 spent on the upgrade, $39,000 was funded by the Sunshine Coast Hockey Association, and after the field’s completion, the association donated some of their used synthetic surfaces to local clubs, schools and sporting groups for them to use in their own fields.

The Sunshine Coast Hockey Club can be found at 176 Ballinger Rd, Buderim, open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every weekday. For more information, visit their website here. Follow their Facebook page for the latest updates and announcements concerning the club and their field.

Buderim Private Hospital Shuts Down Breast Clinic

After supporting the Sunshine Coast community for more than five years, Buderim Private Hospital has announced that their breast clinic will be closing down.

The decision for the Buderim Private Hospital to close their breast clinic came about as a result of the hospital’s lack of a senior breast physician despite their best efforts locally and nationally to recruit a new and qualified expert. Without a senior breast physician to lend the hospital their expertise, the clinic was forced to shut down and related services will no longer be provided.

Patients of the breast clinic have already been contacted by the hospital, who have also explained that the closure is to give way to some planned redesigns. The breast clinic was operational for a total of five years, offering screening and diagnostics services.

Buderim Private Hospital can be found at 12 Elsa Wilson Dr, Buderim, open 24 hours a day seven days a week. For more information, visit their website here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the hospital.

Seeing Eye Dogs Australia Searches For New Temporary Puppy Caretakers

Seeing Eye Dogs Australia has turned to Buderim for help, asking for volunteers in the community who are willing to house and take care of their puppies for 12 to 15 months.

Occasionally, Seeing Eye Dogs Australia and Vision Australia will request the help of short term foster care for their puppies if their permanent caretakers are away or unwell. As of now, the organisation is looking for caretakers in Buderim to take care of some of their puppies, who are only eight weeks old.

Currently, they are too young to receive the training necessary to become full-fledged guide dogs dedicated to helping blind and vision-impaired people across the country. With their primary caretakers unavailable, the puppies are in need of caretakers.

Fortunately, the requirements to care for these pups won’t require any amount of professional experience, which means anyone who can reasonably attend to these dogs’ needs will be able to fill out an application form. There are general requirements that applicants must meet, however:

The caretaker must be willing to keep a dog in their home.
The caretaker must have a secure yard.
The puppy must be regularly socialised.
The puppy must be able to receive basic training.
The caretaker must be available for group training.
The caretaker must be able to commit to caring for 12 to 15 months.

Applicants who are approved to care for these puppies will be given a puppy pack that contains the bare essentials such as a lead, a collar, food, as well as veterinarian care that should last them one year.

Though the six-month puppy carer program is currently full, the full-time puppy carer program is still accepting applications from the North Brisbane region and the Sunshine Coast region, as well as their surrounding suburbs — Buderim included. Those interested in applying to become certified puppy carers can do so via this link.

For more information, visit the Seeing Eye Dogs Australia website here. Follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates concerning the puppies, as well as any other special announcements.

Brisbane Woman Asks For Authentic Representation Of Autism In Media

Photo credit: medianet.com.au

For years, there have been issues on how people with autism are being portrayed in the movies and other media. This is the subject of Jessica Finn’s message, a Brisbane local with autism who is calling for authentic portrayal of people with autism in the media.

Ms Finn, 22, shared her views in time for Autism Awareness, an annual event celebrated every April. She talked about autism stereotypes in the media, stating that people make movies about people with autism and try to make them look like they are incapable of living productive adult lives. Ms Finn believes there’s no need to treat autistic adults like they’re incapable children, particularly those who are in their twenties and beyond.

“I have thought we would have better representation [by now] but sadly I’m sort of used to seeing that right now for people who are deemed marginalised,” Ms Finn shared in a media release.

This makes people not very accepting towards her and she hope it would change. She’s waiting for the day when the portrayal of characters with autism will align closer to real life, and all the success that people with autism are able to achieve.

Herself is a brilliant example, Jessica Finn took the time to further her skills at STEPS Pathways College in the Sunshine Coast. As she resided in Brisbane at the time, Jessica originally undertook the online program before moving on to face-to-face classes when she moved into the Sunshine Coast area.

“I did the online program until October of last year (2020),” Jessica said. “When I was in Brisbane, there was no STEPS, there was nothing like it. I’m glad I found it, it is a really good place, for me it was the best decision I made last year.”

Ms Finn’s aspiration is parallel with the STEPS Employment Solutions campaign called #SeeME. This campaign aims to dispel common misconceptions about hiring young people with a disability, mental health issue or other barrier to employment, and give the opportunity and space for more diverse stories to be heard.

Ms Finn herself is looking to pursue a possible career path that will make use of her wild imagination and steady drawing hand. During her spare time, she enjoys joining a visual arts course where she’s given the opportunity to create sculptures and draw pictures.

Ms Finn is dreaming of making a career out of her passion for arts, and that employers will give her the same opportunity as others. For now, Ms Finn keeps on striving to reach her long-term goal and that is to move out of home and gain her independence. Ms Finn shared her teachers at STEPS Pathways College are helping her reach her goals.

Buderim Foundation Commits $32,000 For Students In Need

Photo credit: buderimfoundation.org.au

Buderim Foundation announced in February 2021 that it will be giving away $32,000 worth of $50 vouchers to help local families who need assistance with school expenses such as clothing, shoes, and stationery.

It’s part of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) Back to School Program, which aims to assist over 640 students from Buderim Mountain State School, Chancellor State Primary and State College, Kuluin State School, Mountain Creek State Primary and High School, and Sunny Kids.

According to Buderim Foundation’s Director Rebecca Ramsay, the funds in 2021 included an allocation from the FRRR of $20,000 to the Buderim Foundation. Around $1,500 of the donations came from Buderim Lions Club, $1,000 each from Buderim Rotary Club and the BWMCA and $2,500 from the Buderim Foundation were then matched dollar-for-dollar by the FRRR, totalling $12,000.

In the past 17 years of collaboration with FRRR through the Back to School Program, the Buderim Foundation has distributed around $197,000 worth of vouchers to families facing financial hardship.

Buderim Lions President Brian McBride said: “Our Club is well aware of the difficulties many families are facing at present and we welcome the opportunity to co-operate with other likeminded organisations in providing vouchers to help ease the burden and to show that we are part of a community that cares.”

For further details about the student vouchers, visit https://www.buderimfoundation.org.au/.

About Buderim Foundation

Buderim Foundation is not-for-profit organisation registered under the Commonwealth Corporations Act. The purpose of the Buderim Foundation is to build a stronger community by harnessing the power of giving. It does this by receiving donations and bequests; carefully investing the funds to generate income; and distributing the income as grants to organisations that provide services to Buderim.

Take the Plunge At 2020 Mooloolaba Swim Festival

Photo Credit: World Series Swims/Facebook

Has joining open water swim races always been part of your bucket list? Tick an item off that list and join the Mooloolaba Swim Festival, one of Australia’s most popular annual ocean swims.

This year’s Mooloolaba Swim Festival in Sunshine Coast will be two days of fun and fitness. On Saturday 7 March 2020, the 2.5 kilometre race will begin at Alexandra Headland and will finish at Mooloolaba Ocean Swim.

Then on Sunday 7 March 2020, you can take part in the popular Mooloolaba Mile (1.6 km), Mooloolaba 3.0 and short course events. Beginner swimmers can also take advantage of a free clinic with leading coaches at Swimming Australia.

Saturday course map (Photo credit: World Series Swims)

Sunday course map (Photo credit: World Series Swims)

There will be car parks, restaurants, and licensed bars at the venues. Entry fees include:

Free Stretch Yoga Session (Sunday)
Event T-shirt or Mesh Cap
Branded swim cap
Fresh fruit at the finish line
Digital Timing with Live Online Results

If you’re going as a group, take on the new 4wesome Teams Challenge for a chance to win free team entries into 2021 Mooloolaba Mile. Children 8 years and above are allowed to join the Junior Giants.

The Mooloolaba Swim Festival is presented by Sunshine Coast Daily with partners, Visit Sunshine Coast, Engine Swim, and The Surf Club Mooloolaba. To enter and to get more details about the Mooloolaba Swim Festival, visit the World Series Swims’ website.

Latest Updates On Brisbane Road Car Park’s $18M Redevelopment

Artist’s impression of the North Elevation of the car park (Photo Credit: sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au)

Sunshine Coast Council recently issued a notice about upcoming traffic changes at Smith Street, Mooloolaba as Brisbane Road Car Park’s $18 million major overhaul progresses.

A section of Smith Street, between First Avenue and Muraban Street, will be periodically closed, from mid-February to early October 2020. Signage and traffic controllers will be present during these closures. Current woks involve:

Delivering large quantities of reinforced steel and concrete
Pouring concrete floor slabs, columns and walls for the new multi-deck car park
Use of long reach mobile concrete pumps spanning the full width of Smith Street

Because of the work going on, residents and nearby businesses should expect construction noise with increased levels expected when the concrete pump is in operation. Reduced speed limits and changed traffic conditions will be in place. Additional truck movements should also be expected as concrete trucks arrive and depart from the construction site.

Depending on weather and site conditions, the construction of multi-deck car park is expected to be completed by December 2020. Construction hours will primarily be between 6:30 am – 6:30 pm, Monday to Saturday.

About Brisbane Road Car Park

Brisbane Road Car Park east elevation (Photo Credit: sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au)

The new eight-storey multi-deck car park will increase public parking on the site from 176 spaces to more than 700 car parking spaces, with a further 54 motorcycle spaces and 50 bicycle spaces.

Design rendered by Evans Built showed it drew inspiration from the natural environment and incorporates local references of the Mooloolaba area and the Placemaking Mooloolaba Masterplan.

Based on the Council’s timeframe, works will commence on the eight-storey building structure by early March 2020 to late March 2020. During construction, Council provides a range of free on-street and off-street parking throughout Mooloolaba

For the latest updates about the project, visit the Sunshine Coast website or contact the council’s customer service team on (07) 5475 7272 during office hours from Monday to Friday 8:15 am-5:00 pm.