New Active Therapy Space revealed!

On Thursday, 25 May Northcott held a special event for donors at Parramatta.
We launched our Fundraising Impact Report for 2022, which showcases the amazing initiatives which gave children and young people with disability new experiences.

We also officially opened our outdoor therapy space; Walu Dynamila- which means Let’s go play! This upgrade to our playground in Parramatta has been a work in progress for over two years and is finally here.

The big reveal

The attendees gathered outside for the big reveal of our new active therapy space. To mark the official opening, Northcott CEO Liz Forsyth and board member Richard Blaiklock untied a giant tulle bow on the playground gates. Those who attended planted native plants around the playground space.

The Donors who made this possible

Northcott received funding from multiple sources including Baresque, Western Earthmoving (WEM) and the NSW government to revamp the North Parramatta Playground. This initiative has made the space more functional and provided opportunity for children and young adults to benefit from the therapy space.

“The continued support of our donors sustains our mission in building an inclusive society for people with disability. Their generosity has been the driver of many new initiatives allowing people with disability to experience new opportunities,” says Berta, Northcott Fundraising Manager.

“It has been amazing to hear the impact that this playground will have on so many levels. We are all so happy to see how this space will support staff, children and families,” says Kelly, Baresque People and Culture Manager.

A word from our therapists

Northcott therapists Katrina and Sonia explained the role that Walu Dyanmila, our new active therapy space will play in making sure therapy is fun for kids who receive ongoing support.

“Our new therapy space is such a fun place but it’s really a trojan horse. It allows us – physiotherapists and even speech pathologists to help our customers meet their goals and build skills,” says Kat, Manager of Therapy Services.   

“As an Occupational Therapist we do a lot of different things such as prescribing equipment, working on emotional regulation with our kids and helping with activities for daily living. We also work on fine motor skills. The playground helps us to teach these skills in a functional way,” says Sonia, Northcott Occupational Therapist.

Impact Report 2022 summary

Here is a quick snapshot of the impact we made last year thanks to the generosity of our donors:

• The ongoing support of Citi Foundation has allowed us to deliver NEXT – Northcott Experience Tasker for the school leavers with disability we support. This program supports school leavers to progress their skills, while trialling different types of industries and occupations.
• The support of Baresque helped us upgrade our outdoor areas with purpose-built and inclusive furniture. Baresque also generously contributed toward our annual Giving Day in 2022 where we raised funds for families without NDIS funds in need of urgent therapy.
• The support from Western Earthmoving, Terry Shields Toyota, Austbrokers Corporate and many loyal individual donors has enabled our inclusive events like Athletics and swimming carnivals among others.
• In the therapy space, our partnerships with the Profield Foundation have allowed us to deliver programs to assist children with disabilities to participate in mainstream activities. We have run multiple programs such as School Readiness Groups and Parent Education Groups.

Read more about the 2022 Impact Report.

Related content:

Meet Dianne from Northcott’s therapy team. Dianne is a physiotherapist supporting people with disability in West and North-West Sydney.