News
4 April, 2022
ALARA makes its mark
ART displays, live music, morning tea and a head-shaving venture made for a happy “Morning Communi-tea” event at the Kilcoy Memorial Hall and Cultural Centre on Thursday, March 17.
ALARA QLD Limited staged the event to spread the word about its services, and ensure locals that all sorts of community support was available for people with disabilities and their families and carers.
Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, was among the attendees along with Somerset Regional Council’s Cheryl Gaedtke, and numerous representatives from ALARA.
ALARA chief executive officer Judy Dickson said the not-for-profit organisation, which was founded in 1991, provided services in the Somerset, Ipswich and Lockyer regions.
“We’re very much about the local community,” she said.
“Our approach is very organic.”
Judy said ALARA was very focused on the needs of clients, while there was also a focus on recruitment and employment opportunities in local communities.
ALARA client service facilitator Nicola Bratley said ALARA clients often went on outings on Mondays, to places such as the Caboolture Historical Village, and parks and galleries.
Nicola said artwork, swimming and cooking were among the activities on other days.
Phil and Gail Close from Woongooroo Estate provided the entertainment at the “Morning Communi-tea”, with Phil reading a couple of bush poems before the duo played music.
The first poem, titled “They don’t make ‘em”, focused on getting things fixed instead of throwing them out, before the next poem was about a three-legged chook.
The first song Phil and Gail played was Teach Your Children, which came from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s 1970 hit album Déjà Vu.
The second song was the Irish song Galway Girl, before other songs included Click Go The Shears, and Waltzing Matilda.
With midday approaching, Nicola had her head shaved in support of the World’s Greatest Shave, with local ALARA co-ordinator Gaylene Smith doing the bulk of the work with the clippers.
Sporting a shaved head after having long hair only about 20 minutes earlier, Nicola said “it feels great” as it was the third time she had had her head shaved for fundraising purposes.
Nicola later said about $380 was raised this time.
