All aboard the historic Bugle Ranger

A big group of the Strong & Capable Community traveled by diesel train through the beautiful Bugle Ranges on Sunday afternoon.

The heritage “Red Hen” railcar took us southwards from Mt Barker to the very peak of the ranges at the now closed Philcox Hill station site. Situated in an opening in the trees on level ground, the station site is the highest point on the line (1,304 feet or nearly 398 metres above sea-level). Read more about the trip from the Steam Ranger.

The train was jam packed with train enthusiasts and people out exploring the Adelaide Hills region.

The weather wasn’t on our side to take a lot of happy snaps, but safe to say a great time was had!

A smaller group enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Gawler St Cafe in Mt Barker beforehand.

It was wonderful to connect with our growing community of likeminded people.

Ready to join in? See what is coming up next. 

 

Bugle Ranger

Join us for a fortnightly online meet-up like no other! Fun Friday is your chance to make friends, have a blast, & sharpen your social skills—all from the comfort of your home.

Imagine a safe & secure space where you can let loose, laugh, &  learn. Each session is a new adventure with a fresh theme, ensuring no two Fridays are the same.

Join us online every alternate Friday from 11 am to 12 pm for a fantastic hour of joy, creativity, and connection. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with like-minded adults & experience the magic of Fun Friday!

We’ll cover themes including;

Who should join in?

These sessions are designed for adults with disability to connect in a social & informal way.

Cost;

FREE for members & friends of the Strong & Capable Community.
New to the community? No worries, register your interest and we’ll add you as a Friend, otherwise check out what it means to be a member.

Hosted by Graeson & Clair.

A Teams link will be shared prior to each event. First event is scheduled for Friday 2 August 2024.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST 

We’ve handpicked a range of events that you’ll want to shrug on a winter jacket for; from Big Screen Gaming to riding a Steam Train around the Bugle Ranges. And the one thing they all have in common – they’re designed to bring liked minded people together and have some fun!

Our events are fun, low cost and inclusive! And your supports are welcome to join in. If there is something we can do to make participation possible for you, let us know, we’ll try our best to make it happen.

We can’t wait to welcome you at an event soon.

WHAT’S COMING UP – JULY to SEPTEMBER

We have loaded up the fun this winter, here’s what you can look forward to;

🌟GAMING ON THE BIG SCREEN

🌟ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE FIRE GARDENS & DINNER

🌟BUILD A LEGO CITY

🌟RIDE THE STEAM RANGER

🌟HANDS ON POTTERY CLASS FOR ALL LEVELS

🌟TOUR CLELAND WILDLIFE PARK

🎫Bookings via Eventbrite are essential.

Find all of the details including dates & pricing on Eventbrite.

If you want to be part of a community where people with lived experience with disability thrive you are welcome to attend.

MEMBERSHIP PERKS

We’ve refreshed what it means to be a member of Strong & Capable and we’re pleased to be able to offer a range of benefits and perks, plus we introduced a Friends of the Co-op, so there really is something for everyone!

Read more about membership options.

Community Catch Up at Hey Caddy Mini Golf – June 2024

A few members of the Strong & Capable Community headed out for a round of mini golf and pizza as a good excuse to get together and have some fun!

The course was travel themed and took us all around the world, and nine holes was just long enough for us to see some real putting talent!

No mini golf tournament is complete without giving out some awards:

  1. The Finish Strong Award goes to Mark
  2. The Most Powerful Putt Award goes to Sally
  3. The Participation Award goes to Graeson.
  4. The Pro Award goes to Peter
  5. The All Rounder goes to Clair.

Strong & Capable Community Dinner Clair putting at mini golf with Strong & Capable Community Strong & Capable Mini Golf team

 Photo captions from left to right, Members enjoying pizza before the game, Clair taking a putt, Graeson & team taking a break between holes.

Get togethers like this enable meaningful social connections and this is what we are so passionate about!

Want to attend the next Community Catch Up and be part of our growing community? Then make sure you are signed up to the Co-op and keep an eye on our Event Calendar. 

Its FREE to be a Friend of the Co-op, check out what it means to be part of our community. 

There is so much you can get involved in around Adelaide.

Use this list to help plan your Peer Mentoring activities!

Whatever you are into, I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do.

FREE & LOW COST ACTIVITIES

LIVE EVENT VENUES – What’s On

ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS, FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Costs Vary

INCLUSIVE ACTIVITIES

LAST TIP

Check the venues & events where the SA Companion Card is accepted

Looking for someone who shares your interests? Make sure you are signed up to our Peer Mentoring Program.

If you need help enquiring or booking into activities please reach out.

What did we miss? We love hearing from you so please share your own tips to find things to do.

Quick tips to help you get started as a Peer Mentor

Onboarding as a Peer Mentor is self paced process and utilises an online platform called Volaby.

To make the process as efficient as possible, we suggest organising the required checks & clearances first.

The required clearances are FREE for Volunteers. There are no out of pocket expenses to become a Volunteer Mentor.

1. Required Checks & Clearances

If you need to apply for a National Police Clearance or a Working With Children Check, please follow the instructions below.

Applying for a National Police Clearance

  1. Download and complete the attached form
  2. Then attend a Police Station or Justice of the Peace with the form and 100 Point of Identification for verification.
  3. Return the form to us at;
    Email hello@strongandcapable.com.au or Post to 16-20 Hindmarsh Ave, Welland SA 5007.
  4. We then need to approve the request and await a response from the SA Police.
  5. If approved the Certificate will be posted to you.
Applying for a Working With Children Check (WWCC)
If you do not have current WWCC, we can apply for one on your behalf.
If you consent for Strong & Capable to submit an application, please email us with the subject: Application for WWCC.
And include the following information;
  1. Your full name,
  2. Date of birth and
  3. Email address.
Wondering why you need a WWCC when the program is designed for people aged over 18 years? The check involves checking the criminal history and any other relevant information that is lawfully available to the South Australian Screening Unit.
Already have the required checks?
Make sure you have them handy to complete the onboarding process.
Please note the Working with Children Checks last for 5 years from date of issue.

2. Ready to complete the onboarding process

We use a platform called Volaby to manage the onboarding process. Once you have the required clearances, this section may take approximately 60 minutes.
The process is as follows:
  1. Volunteer Profile
  2. Getting to know you
  3. Safeguarding policy
  4. National Police Clearance
  5. Working with Children Check
  6. Code of Conduct
  7. Volunteer Handbook
  8. Volunteer Agreement
  9. Reference Checks

3. Induction and Training

We have selected online training tools and resources to equip you with the knowledge to ensure everyone is kept safe and are ready to help people with disabilities fully participate in society.

Additionally we host a monthly Mentor Meet Up via Mighty Networks for an informal Question & Answer session.

4. Ready to Mentor

Once you have completed the process on Volaby, you are ready to go! You’ll be invited to set up a Profile on Mentorloop the platform where we facilitate the 1:1 peer mentoring activities. This process takes less than 5 minutes.

5. Measure your Impact

Your role is incredibly important and we want to make sure its a mutually valuable experience for both mentees and mentors, therefore we utilise a number of tools to track our impact, including data from Volaby, Mentorloop and engagement surveys.

Happy Mentoring!!

 

What. A. Night! ✨

Last Thursday 4 April 2024, we celebrated the launch of our new Peer Mentoring program – a program all about connecting people with disability with those with lived experience, to increase their social connections and community relationships.

We had such a fun night with plenty of games, food, drinks, and most importantly, we had the opportunity to connect and form strong bonds with those in our community 🤗

A massive thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our launch, as well as Hard Days Night ADL for the awesome venue, Peter from 7 Fold Media for capturing the night, and to our fabulous organisers and Board that made this night happen.

It means the world to us and we’re so excited for what’s to come!

Highlights from the night include;

Watch the video for a short overview of the event!

Learn more about our Peer Mentoring Program

Boosting social and community participation for people with disabilities in SA.

The Strong & Capable Cooperative are excited to announce they’ve have received funding and support from the Julia Farr MS McLeod Benevolent Fund to develop a 1 on 1 peer mentoring program that connects people with disability by shared interests to help more people ‘find their fun’.

Strong & Capable are a cooperative of people with lived experience with disability that have come together to take control of their lives by navigating life with disability and the NDIS.

They strongly believe that we’re all entitled to a good life, and that we all have passions and interests that should be shared and enjoyed. By participating in peer mentoring we can address the gap for finding meaningful social and community engagement.

The funds cover the development of the program through to April 2025. With the first task to recruit a Program Coordinator. They’re looking for an enthusiastic person with lived experience with disability to support the members of our growing community to lead a life of their choosing.

The program is open to people aged over 18 years living with disability in South Australia.

If your interested in becoming a participant or a mentor or you’d like to be engaged in the planning phase, please get in contact.

More information:

Peer Mentoring Program

Program Coordinator Job Opportunity

Julia Farr M S McLeod Benevolent Fund

 

Enquiries:

Clair Crowley

Clair.crowley@strongandcapable.com.au

0477 339 948

become a member