Lifebridge Hubs Archives - Lifebridge Australia

The Art Hub gears up for the Murwillumbah Art Trail 2019

Ariel Hameiri — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 03:06:23 +0000

The Murwillumbah Art Hub is busy preparing for this year’s Murwillumbah Art Trail (MAT19). Over four days from May 16th to 19th, 2019, the township of Murwillumbah will transform into a gallery for art, performance, sculpture, film and dance.

The Visual Arts Group are proud to be involved in this community event and invite you to experience ‘Uninhibited’, a group exhibition from the artists of Lifebridge Australia.

In the development and pursuit of individual potential, the artists of Lifebridge explore many avenues of self-expression creating their own unique visual language, leading to pathways of self-discovery, awareness and personal growth. Working primarily from emotional intelligence, our artists create a myriad of images, each with the ability to console, comfort, challenge, intrigue and delight us.

The Visual Arts Group are also proudly proactive in the reduction of waste and have a vast array of unique and quirky recycled and upcycled art installations displayed in the outdoor lane gallery.

“We are thrilled to be involved in MAT19 and look forward to another popular and successful
exhibition highlighting our artists achievements.” said Art Tutor, Kathryn Cleland.

The Art Hub is situated at Shop 1, 131 Murwillumbah Street, Murwillumbah.

The post The Art Hub gears up for the Murwillumbah Art Trail 2019 appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

Lifebridge wins ‘Best Float’ in the Cooly Rocks On™ Street Parade

Ariel Hameiri — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 05:26:48 +0000

In front of a crowd of over 35,000 people, our float themed ‘Jailhouse Rock’, paraded down the streets of Coolangatta with crowd favourites, Us the Band performing their greatest rock ‘n’ roll hits. The award-winning design, led by the Murwillumbah Visual Arts group, was the product of 24 customers who invested over 400 hours into the planning, design and execution.

“The enjoyment gained, not to mention the recognition for all their hard work, is what makes an experience like this so worthwhile. It proves that when we set a goal, and we focus in on it, we can achieve anything.” said Bronwyn Mitchell, CEO.

In a coordinated effort, over 40 customers from our Chinderah, Tweed and Murwillumbah Hubs came together to play their role in the parade. They all worked together to deliver a performance that brought the float to life and captivated the crowd’s attention.

“I loved all the big motorbikes. I liked all the lots of people and it was fun to join in. My shoes hurt but I walked the whole way, and someone told me I looked beautiful. It was cool that everyone was clapping as we walked by.” said visual artist, Rebekah Sweetnam.

An experience like this is what the NDIS is all about. Participants develop capacity and they increase their involvement in the community and in mainstream events. Additionally, it fosters independence, integration and participation, and teaches the value of relationships and how to work together.

“I loved being involved in the street parade, strutting down the road doing my thing and all the people noticing me. The atmosphere was amazing and I got kissed by 2 Elvis’s at the same time. I’m really proud and excited that we won best float again for the second year in a row.” Jocelyn (LuLu) Smith

It was pure joy and excitement written on the faces of all our customers who attended. It was their moment in the spotlight and was so fantastic they we were rewarded at the end of it all.

Coming up soon, is the Murwillumbah Banana Festival which kicks off in August this year. Stay tuned for further details and how you can get involved.

https://www.facebook.com/lifebridgeaustralia/videos/1053964624777495/

The post Lifebridge wins ‘Best Float’ in the Cooly Rocks On™ Street Parade appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

The Murwillumbah Art Hub is thriving

Ariel Hameiri — Thu, 24 May 2018 21:23:42 +0000

From the moment you set foot into our art gallery your senses are awakened. An amazing array of colourful artworks compete for your attention in every way you turn. Quirky sculptures stimulate the imagination in ways you never thought possible and upcycled creations make you re-think anything you’ve disposed of.

Creativity is certainly alive and thriving in our Murwillumbah Hub and there is no wonder why it is a stand-out feature in this years Murwillumbah Art Trail (MAT18).

“I am proud and honoured to be a part of MAT18 in our beautiful art gallery where we sell amazing artworks in a great community. The Lifebridge Visual Arts Program is not about your disability, it is about your ability and about encouraging you to be good at what you can do. To really enjoy art.” said Lifebridge artist, Jocelyn Smith.

Artists and tutors have opened the doors into the Murwillumbah art space welcoming the public to wonder inside and see where the creative process unfolds. For any budding artists, this is the perfect chance for you to connect with our artists and tutors and ask any questions about how you can nurture your creativity and passion and also how you can be a part of our Visual Arts Program.

In just the opening week of MAT18 we have sold over $1,300.00 worth of artworks which is a tremendous credit to our very talented artists and tutors who nurture each individual’s talents.

MAT18 has been themed ‘Moving On’, in relation to the devastating floods of 2017 which left the town reeling. It showcases the resilience of the town, when in a time of crisis, they band together as a community and support each other.

As well as supporting the Murwillumbah community, ‘Moving On’ has personal meaning to Lifebridge. In the past 6 months major changes have been made, which has taken many customers out of their comfort zones. Our biggest change, our move from Tweed Heads and into Murwillumbah.

The embrace of the community and the willing attitudes of our customers, however, has seen this turn into such a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Our customers are thriving in their new space and we are continuing to expand our involvement in community activities.

“A lot has changed for me this year, I have got a job and I am going on a holiday this year which I never thought would be possible. We are doing amazing things at Lifebridge. We are doing Cooly Rocks On and the Banana Festival and I really enjoy coming to the Murwillumbah Art Hub at Lifebridge.” said Jocelyn.

The Murwillumbah Art Trail runs from May 18 to May 27, 2018 and our gallery is open from 10am to 4pm every day during the event. If you haven’t already visited our Murwillumbah Art Hub, located at Shop 1, 131 Murwillumbah Street, please pop in and say hello.

A sneak peak into our wonderful art space

The post The Murwillumbah Art Hub is thriving appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

We’re settling in – Tweed Heads Seagulls Hub

Ariel Hameiri — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 04:11:53 +0000

We are delighted to report that our first day at the new Tweed Heads Seagulls Hub went very well. Our customers experienced minimal disruption or challenges which can be associated with change and this is a credit to the extensive preparation the team implemented, not only on our first day but also in the weeks leading up to the move.

Customers are already experiencing positive outcomes with groups spending increased time participating in the community and reduced wait/down times. Customers are also taking full advantage of becoming Seagulls members, accessing the main complex, outside garden areas, water views and menu sampling.

For many of our customers a pension card has been the only thing their purse or wallet contains and to see so many proudly showing off personalised photo membership cards really confirms that this new model promotes integration and an opportunity for participants to belong and feel welcome.

We have come so far! Three years ago Disability Programs had not been changed for over 10 years. Now we offer customised services in participants’ local communities, our customers are achieving goals such as exhibiting and selling art work, work experience, paid employment and sailing independently just to name a few.

US the Band are in hot demand, even taking performances on the road and overnight after being invited to perform at the Stanthorpe Apple and Grape Festival recently.

From our Art Hub and specialist accommodation at Coral Fern in Murwillumbah to our Pottsville Children’s House, Chinderah DIY renovation and restoration team, Southern Shores community explorers and everything in between our customers are achieving some fantastic outcomes and we couldn’t be prouder.

Stay tuned as we share more and more fantastic stories.

The post We’re settling in – Tweed Heads Seagulls Hub appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

Our Movements, A Quick Recap

Ariel Hameiri — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 02:41:30 +0000

As you may be aware, on March 31, 2018 Lifebridge Australia officially transitioned out of our Caloola premises (56 Caloola Drive, Tweed Heads) and shifted to a community integrated Hubs model of service delivery. This service model seeks to reduce travel times for our customers and additionally ensures that programs, activities and general day-to-day is all within the local community environment.

Our Disability Services programs will now be delivered via our Hubs situated at the following locations:

Tweed Heads Hub within Seagulls Club, Gollan Drive, Tweed Heads\
Murwillumbah Hub, 1/131 Murwillumbah Street, Murwillumbah
Chinderah Hub, 1st Chinderah Scout Hall, 2A Chinderah Road, Chinderah

Disability Services Support Coordinators are primarily based at each of these Hubs and can be contacted either by phone or email.

Earlier in the year we also introduced a dedicated Customer Service Hub located at our Coolangatta Office, 100 Griffith Street, Coolangatta. This Hub is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm and assists with all general enquiries, transport and rostering.

Aged Care Services continue to operate from The Cottage, at Kingscliff. Here you will also find the Lifebridge business administrative functions and the Aged Care team.

A reminder, if you’re sending us mail to please send all mail correspondence to our postal address – PO Box 338, Tweed Heads, NSW 2485. All general email enquiries please send through to admin@lifebridge.org.au

Our freecall telephone number is still the same 1800 043 186 and our website address is lifebridge.org.au

AFTER HOURS SUPPORT

A reminder to only contact the after-hours numbers on weekends and out of normal day program operational hours, which are 8.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday. This will ensure your request is actioned appropriately and in a timely manner.

Aged Care Services – 0400 087 077
Disability Services – 0400 288 344

The post Our Movements, A Quick Recap appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.

CEO Update April 2018

Ariel Hameiri — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 04:11:06 +0000

In our March edition I wrote of a pending major milestone being the implementation of our new Customer Management System. I am delighted to advise that Disability Services has successfully transitioned to the new system which will continue to deliver positive changes in our operations and processes and deliver considerable benefits to our customers.

While implementation has initially been with Disability Services, Aged Care Services will also transition in the coming months. I’m confident this too, will be a seamless transition with little to no disruption to daily services.

Another major milestone achieved this month was the successful transition of Disability Services from our Caloola premises, home since December 2014, to our new community integrated Hubs model. We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback we have received from customers, carers and the community alike who have all embraced the change and provided us with wonderful accounts of customers selling their artwork, successfully navigating the public transport system and enthusiastically participating in performance events at Seagulls to name but a few.

I’m also excited to share a new program of ours along with our brand new promotional video, ‘Move to the Groove’. This fantastic video captures the Groovers as they do their warm up Tai Chi before dancing to upbeat contemporary jams. Participants support each other as they learn the steps, have a laugh and get moving. Check out the full story and video online.

Finally, I take this opportunity to thank you again for your ongoing support of Lifebridge. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we transition and transform our business to ensure its viability and sustainability. We are all working extremely hard to ensure our success in to the future.

The post CEO Update April 2018 appeared first on Lifebridge Australia.