Hi all

Now the footy season is over we depart for Kokoda in just a few short weeks.

Over these months of preparation I’ve learnt more about family violence and Windermere’s work.

One of the stories that really sticks with me is the one about young Kayley and her sister. Kayley was referred to Windermere because she had been abused by her mum. This young girl also has severe autism and an intellectual disability. She had difficulty eating, dressing, even washing herself and was being fed through a tube.

Can you imagine what this terrified girl must have been going through?

Luckily Windermere was able to make a real difference.  The team provided family violence counselling to give Kayley’s dad the skills to support his daughter in dealing with her emotional trauma. Windermere’s disability services team also organised occupational therapy to teach Kayley how to dress and wash herself, as well as speech therapy to help her learn to swallow and chew.

I hope that through our team’s efforts we are able to provide more support for children like Kayley so they don’t have to live in fear.

Team update

Everyone on the team has had or will have their tough moments. Kokoda is going to put everyone way out of their comfort zone.

I am aiming to take the journey at my own pace and be as physically and mentally prepared as possible.

This will be the last blog from me before we go.

Thanks for joining me on this journey. Wish us all luck.

Cheers, Richo

You can make a difference to children and families in need by making a donation to Windermere here.

Gathering for a team dinner