Endeavour Foundation Learning and Lifestyle participants are celebrating as they return to the centre for the first time in more than three months.
For more than two decades Ben Horton and Kathleen Brosnan have been supported by the Endeavour Foundation in Bundaberg and they are both happy life is returning to normal as COVID-19 restrictions ease.
The Endeavour Foundation Learning and Lifestyle centre at Kepnock was one of the many local not-for-profit disability organisations that had to close its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now the doors have reopened with more activities for the participants to not only enjoy but to help them learn new life skills.
The reopening is great news for people with an intellectual disability who will be able to once again access group services and see their friends after three months.
Ben, 41, is Bundaberg born and bred, and he said he had been going along to Endeavour Foundation for 20 years, making many friends during that time.
“I am happy to be back working again,” Ben said.
“It gives me something worthwhile to do.
“A lot of people with disabilities have some sort of brilliance in some way that’s different from ordinary people, and I enjoy it here.
“We have a program with an events crew, and we organise different events such as fundraisers and things like that, here and for other organisations around the area.
“We are now organising one for in a couple of weeks’ time; it’s a lunch for the Endeavour Foundation and it’s internal, and we are looking forward to that.”
Kathleen agreed with Ben saying it was nice to return to Endeavour Foundation Learning and Lifestyle, and she couldn’t wait to be banging on the African drums once again.
Learning and Lifestyle staff also happy to return
It wasn’t only the participants at Endeavour Foundation Learning and Lifestyle who were excited to return.
The staff said they had missed the clients and they were incredibly excited to get back to their regular jobs.
Endeavour Foundation Learning and Lifestyle site manager Nicole Novak said it was nice to be returning to routine and structure, which was important for someone with a disability.
She said there were new things happening at the Kepnock facility, including the new raised garden beds which were perfect for participants in wheelchairs.
“We’ve come up with a few new ideas since the closure,” Nicole said.
“The raised garden beds are perfect for the guys in wheelchairs, but also the for people like me and Kath who don’t like to get down on our knees to take part in gardening,” she said.
Endeavour Foundation Learning and Lifestyle assists people with intellectual disabilities learn new life-and-work skills, in a social environment.
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