Mambourin CEO Rohan Braddy hopes to build Wyndham’s first overnight respite facility. 73722 Picture: XAVIER SMERDON
By XAVIER SMERDON
DESPERATE pleas from Wyndham parents of disabled people may be answered soon with a charity making an application to build the municipality’s first overnight respite facility.
As previously reported in Star, there are currently no overnight respite centres in Wyndham.
The Wyndham Respite Mapping Report issued by Wyndham Council claims that parents are sick and tired of waiting for the State or Federal Government’s to do something to improve the situation.
“Parents are tired and stressed from the daily challenge of caring for their young person with special needs,” the report reads.
“Many of those who have previously worked hard advocating for more respite and have seen negligible results are disillusioned.”
Families are forced to travel as far as Sunshine, Glenroy or Melton if they want respite and if they can secure one of the highly sought-after rooms.
But local not-for-profit organisation Mambourin Enterprises is hoping to change this situation.
The charity has made an application to the State Government to fund a seven bedroom facility, five of which would be available for disabled customers, at the Mambourin Sensory Gardens in Werribee.
CEO of Mambourin, Rohan Braddy, told Star that if they are successful at gaining funding at the state level, they will then move on to the Federal Government to gain more funding.
Mr Braddy said parents had been waiting too long for change in Wyndham.
“Over the course of my nearly 10 years in the role, families have constantly identified it to me as one of the highest priorities in their lives,” Mr Braddy said.
“I’ve had families in my office in tears saying Rohan, you’ve just got to help us.”
Mr Braddy said if everything goes to plan the facility could be built by the end of next year.
