Meeting This Week - Let Lorna know if you are NOT attending in person.

Hybrid Link

Last Week's Meeting

Guest Speaker: James Bennett (All Access Holidays)

• James worked in Special Needs Camps in the US when he was younger and got great personal satisfaction from this so joined a company similar to AAH in 2007.
• Started his own niche business started in 2017 to provide supportive travel for people with a wide variety of disabilities
• It provides transport, care and accommodation
• Staff primarily comprised of ex-nurses and those experienced with the disability sector – usually women
• Based in Victoria but do holidays countrywide and sometimes overseas (e.g. Japan)
• Extremely hard to find truly “accessible” accommodation but after having done this now for 6 years, pretty good at finding this
• Groups typically comprise 4-12 people
• People often rebook with AAH
• Some ‘interesting’ excursions including one to a nudist resort
• AAH has its own retreat for disabled people on Philip Island which is used regularly

Committee Reports

• Board has approved support for the ‘Clean up Australia’ activity which will be held at Hogan Park (Scout Hall will be HQ) on Sunday 19^th March 10am -12.30pm
• Tea and coffee on arrival and BBQ lunch at 12.30pm
• Looking for support from Club members and also trying to get some other members of the public to help
• Vicki to circulate ‘commitment sheet’

• RCED has been invited to help out with the Holland Festival at Akoonah Park on Saturday 18^th March (clean up tables, man ticket booths etc)
• Starts at 10am
• Cathy to circulate ‘commitment sheet’

• Quite a few stall holders  signed up (including the Australian Blade company)
• Market will go through to May then stop over the Winter

• Attended by Ken, Tina and Sangeeta over the weekend all of whom found it inspiring
• Key activity was initiated by D9810 and forms part of a pilot project which is aimed to be rolled out across Zone 8
• Dramatic positive impact on young people’s lives

• Needs help on the Registration Desk for conference at the Realm Hotel – please advise if you can assist

• Will be provided with mask, stuff for wrists, arms and body
• Need Club female members to wear black leggings, tights or pants
• Need Club male members to wear black pants
• Everyone to wear black shoes or boots
• We are aiming for a “steam punk look” https://www.blossomcostumes.com.au/blog/post/18-badass-steampunk-costume-ideas/

• Golf Ball drop raffle progressing well with great support from sponsors
• 239 balls sold already
• Over $2k profit made to date which will go towards Ken’s project - Foundation

• To be held at the Puffing Billy Centre, Emerald Lake Park on Tuesday 28^th March, 6.30pm for a 7pm start
• Six businesses signed up so far
• Capacity for 120
• 43 paid up attendees so 77 spaces available
• Open to RCED members
• Applications will be on a first-come-first served basis

Images from Monash Children' Gala Dinner