Mary Doyle (Aston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As many of my constituents know, I'm a strong advocate for community organisations that focus on bringing people together and ensuring the wellbeing of the people of Aston. Social enterprises and day service providers like Knoxbrooke perform an important role in helping provide a supported workplace for young adults and other people of all abilities. Last week I attended the opening of Knoxbrooke's brand-new facility in Bayswater. Integrating participants with diverse abilities to learn and develop skills is crucial to bridging the divide between school and work as well as introducing them to the workforce. Knoxbrooke, throughout its life, is a fantastic example of the ever-changing needs in this space. Knoxbrooke have been around for over 50 years, and the Achieve and Outsource programs, which have been running since 2017, mean that they have been able to build strong business-to-business relations with recognisable brands and customers.

Knoxbrooke currently supports approximately 265 NDIS participants and provides development and support services to them. Community organisations provide crucial support services and safe settings for individuals to come together and provide creativity, friendship and support for each other. Thank you to Annie and Amanda from Knoxbrooke, who took me through how the program works and how it achieves great things for the people involved.

Also, whilst I waited in line for a much-needed coffee from the Coffee Vibes van, which is one of the social enterprises run by Knoxbrooke, I met the wonderful Claire, who explained how Coffee Vibes works with communities and supports their employees with diverse abilities. Also, thanks to Kelly, who made me a great coffee. I'd like to give a big shout-out also to Jenny, who is one of the workers at Knoxbrooke in Bayswater and who was a terrific MC on the day.

On a recent visit to Rowville Men's Shed, just on Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting some more wonderful community members. The Men's Shed is a great space for members of our community, which now includes women members, to socialise and put their handiwork skills to good use. I was rapt to hear that the Men's Shed has a repair cafe, where locals can bring in all manners of items for repair, from vacuum cleaners and radios to kids' toys. You can also grab a cuppa and have a chinwag.

It's great recognition—especially for many working families that I represent—that the values and training that many older generations have are still being passed on to future generations. The canny organising skills of Barry were on full display as he talked about the challenges of setting up Rowville Men's Shed and how they included women in the initial set-up, with three women members—very progressive altogether!

Not only that but Rowville Men's Shed also tend their own beehives, and we're aware of how crucial bees are for the local ecosystem. There's also some honey available, and it's a great tasting treat. So, of course, I bought some honey—and it's a bargain to boot—because supporting local communities and organisations is something that I'm very proud to do.