CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mrs PHILLIPS (Gilmore) (10:22): Whether it's making coffee, potting plants, baking muffins or sorting clothes for sale, there are so many people living with disabilities and doing really great things across my electorate. Today I want to give a shout-out to all our community and disability workers who do such important work to inspire and support our most vulnerable every day.
This month, Interchange Shoalhaven opened the new BridgeHaus cafe, which provides an incredible supported training ground for people with disabilities. Participants gain real-world experience in the cafe, restaurant, bar and kitchen. They gain the skills, accreditation and confidence to help them transition to employment in the hospitality and retail industries.
Congratulations to the Interchange Shoalhaven team, the enthusiastic participants and the many local businesses that support inclusive employment opportunities. With the flowers in full bloom, spring was the perfect time to pop into the Yumaro nursery and cafe in Ulladulla. Yumaro supports people with disability to propagate and look after the plants and serve coffee, and now they have a beautiful new activity studio as well.
At Sow Good Studio, participants and members of the public can learn all sorts of skills, including sewing and yoga. I'm proud to have delivered federal funding to support the redevelopment of Yumaro's Sanctuary of Support, and I just love popping in when I can to see the team enjoy a coffee—and to buy a few plants, of course. Yumaro also supports participants in Moruya, and I was welcomed with huge smiles and big hugs when I visited their Good Finds second-hand store in Moruya recently.
The workers do a great job sorting and displaying the pre-loved clothes, toys and books and making the shop look bright and colourful, all while learning a range of retail and customer service skills. It's just fabulous to see how much the participants love their job and how incredibly proud they are of the work they do. On Sunday, I was pleased to officially launch another confidence-building activity for young people with disabilities.
The new Rainbow Club at Vincentia provides inclusive swimming lessons. Living in a coastal region, I know this will have a huge impact for local families enjoying our pools, lakes and beaches. There's a big Rainbow Club carnival coming up in Sydney, and I've heard there are going to be some very keen local swimmers taking part.
A huge thanks to the Rainbow Club, the swimming instructors at the Bay and Basin Leisure Centre and all the families that go above and beyond to brighten these kids' lives.