Media Release


Gawith Villa changes its name to signal a new era in service delivery
Inclusion Melbourne is the new name for Gawith Villa – a change that signals a new era in the organisation’s delivery of services to people with an intellectual disability across Melbourne, ensuring that they are fully included in their community and have choices and control over how they spend their time.

Kevin Craig, chief executive officer of Inclusion Melbourne, said the name change is the result of a ten year journey to transform the organisation’s day centre services into individualised and personalised community arrangements.

“The new name represents the organisation’s past as well as its hopes and aspirations for the future,” Mr Craig said. “It also signals a significant change in the way we deliver our services, ensuring people are given the opportunity to participate in the activities they are most interested in and manage their funds in the way they want to. People now have more choice and control over how they spend their time, and are included more in the process of setting goals and activities.”

“Our primary goal is to see that people with an intellectual disability are able to access work,
leisure activities and social networks just as anyone might, and be able to live their life to the full, as they choose,” he added.

Inclusion Melbourne has a sixty year history of leading change, originally being formed by a group of committed parents known as the Helping Hand Association in 1951. It became known as Gawith Villa in 1954 and ran day programs for people with an intellectual disability in its premises at Sutherland Road, Armadale until the 1990s. Since then there has been an incremental shift in service delivery based on the belief that it is everyone’s right to live in, contribute to and be recognised by their community.

“At Inclusion Melbourne we work in partnership with individuals, their families and caregivers to understand their interests and goals, and support them to access the best community-based programs to achieve those goals,” Mr Craig said. “We provide access to meaningful employment, learning and leisure activities in accordance with their needs and wants, creating opportunities for them to contribute to and be welcomed by the community.”

The name change was formally launched and celebrated at the Annual General Meeting held on 17 September at the Glen Eira Town Hall.

Ends

For further media information contact:
Julie Stephens, Stephens Public Relations
Tel: (03) 9391 4603 0413 119 673
Kevin Craig CEO Inclusion Melbourne
Tel: (03) 9509 4266

18 September 2008