A message from our CEO, Liz Forsyth
With the funds raised, Northcott will expand and grow services in regional areas, recruit and provide extra staff training, and give people with disability personalised support and the extras that make life brighter. Your generosity enhances our capacity to provide exceptional service offerings for people with disability. Thank you for believing in our purpose and for your support.
The far-reaching impact of your generosity in 2022-2023
Fundraising and Philanthropy has had a tremendous impact this year
$560,000
in bequest income received.
120
adults with disability forged positive social connections over 2 date nights.
65
people including 7 corporates volunteered their time, gifting 602 hours to our program, people and places.
donors embraced the Giving Day appeal, raising over $88,616.
230
school aged children enjoyed inclusive fun and competition at sports carnivals.
30
grants were won, totalling 2.2M, benefitting 937 people, including 300 families of young people with disability.
contributed $320,000 through appeals, major gifts, and regular giving.
school leavers with disability completed over 4000 hours of work experience.
23
geographic regions and communities received improved disability support and services through grants.
students supported with scholarships to pursue tertiary education.
300
hours of driver training support empowered 15 teens to prepare for their learner's licence.
250+
children received the support they needed beyond the NDIS.
PEERS Program
Andrew
Speech therapy makes a difference
Through their work supporting people with disability, therapists at Northcott identified a need for a specialised social skills program known as the PEERS program. This evidence-based program supports young adults with disability, empowering them to navigate the world and learn skills to form positive and ongoing friendships.
Claudia, our speech therapist in Wagga who works alongside two occupational therapists, and an allied health assistant is passionate about running the PEERS program. The team works hard to provide services for people with disability to achieve their goals.
Meet some of the participants
Raine, Lily, Alex, and Andrew are participants who accessed the PEERS program at Northcott Wagga Wagga. This program supported them to manage their anxiety in social interactions. It taught them strategies to build social skills with their peers and acquaintances in the community.
Sadly, social skills programs are not covered by the NDIS. They’re only made available through the donations we receive at Northcott. Thanks to your incredible generosity, we have offered this program to young people with disability who need it the most, especially those in remote and rural areas where services are limited.
Occupational and speech therapy provided through the PEERS program has positively impacted our participants’ social skills. Each participant needed support in areas such as gaining independence in daily activities, developing job-ready skills, and enhancing communication skills.
We are pleased to share updates from Lily, Andrew, and Alex, and shine a light on the significant impact the PEERS program has had on their lives.
Lily
Lily who loves making and selling scrunchies at local markets in Wagga, has attended many social events organised by The Guthrie Collective (a local support agency). She is enjoying her work at a local childcare centre and has also enjoyed organising catch-ups with a new friend.
Alex has now had conversations with people to organise get-togethers. He is not interrupting others as much and his conversations are more reciprocal and enjoyed by both parties. He held a conversation with one of the therapists at the local Book Fair and introduced his friend. Alex is also communicating with his workmates and raising issues with the boss.
Andrew and his mother enjoyed the PEERS program. They felt the content was good for anyone to learn as communication skills are important for everyone.
Social skills programs such as PEERS are critical and can make a huge difference in the lives of young adults with disability who are starting their journey to adulthood and independence. A big thank you to our donor community for supporting us in making programs like this available to people with disability. We couldn’t do it without you!
Going NEON for Northcott
The brightest Giving Day yet!
Thank you for supporting Northcott during our first NEON-Northcott Giving Day! We were thrilled to have hundreds of people come together to make Giving Day a success again in 2023.
Everyone embraced our goal to make life brighter and donned their neon best to raise more than $88k! Thanks to each of you, Northcott can continue supporting people with disability to live life to the fullest. Here are some of the important projects this initiative is supporting:
Swimming Carnival
In March, our annual interschool swimming carnival was held, bringing smiles to the faces of children with disability from across Sydney
Dapto Hub
We are just months away from completing construction on our new Dapto Hub - a purpose-built centre supporting the Illawarra community
Emergency Fund
An emergency fund is helping us respond to the needs of people with disability and their families in crisis
Complex Health Coordination Clinic
Your funds helped us equip a new Complex Health Coordination Clinic in North Parramatta, providing care for those with complex health needs in partnership with a specialist geriatrician
We loved seeing all the creative ways you came together to raise awareness and funds - walks, karaoke, BBQs, and more. We can’t wait to see what you bring to Giving Day 2024!
Volunteers & Corporate & Friends
Hearts beat loud!
At the heart of what we do, you'll find champions who make it all possible—you our volunteers, and donors. Your contributions, often made quietly and without seeking recognition, are the spark of so many of our initiatives and improvements that support individuals with disability and their communities.
"I can see potential in these young adults and enjoyed chatting to them." – Simon, Citi Volunteer.
