BUSY At Work recently supported the inaugural Work for the Dole (WfD) Mackay Peaks Charity Ride which helped raise over $7,000 for local charities.
BUSY At Work, Work for the Dole Coordinator, Kristy Gostelow said BUSY operated in partnership with non-profit welfare organisation, New Life Community Services and MAX Employment to help local job seekers gain confidence and learn new skills in events management.
Ms Gostelow said the charity ride was a great success with 80 riders taking part in the event.
“New Life Community Services staged the ride as part of the Mackay Regional Council’s Bike Week. The money raised was donated to local charities, The Smith Family and New Life Foundation to assist them in their work with “at risk” children in Mackay and overseas.”
Ms Gostelow said the charity ride was just one of the outcomes of New Life’s WfD project called the Innovative Design Project.
“This program is about helping local job seekers improve their computer literacy and develop their creative problem solving skills as well as gaining jobs and training opportunities.”
“The New Life Community Services Centre have been part of the WfD program from the start and they have done a wonderful job in helping the smaller not-for-profit organisations in Mackay,” Ms Gostelow said.
Kristy praised the efforts of Mackay WfD Supervisor Frank Mason who organised and coordinated the bike ride with the participants.
“We are proud of what Frank and the participants have achieved throughout the project and we congratulate him on his efforts,” Ms Gostelow added.
Frank said the charity event was chosen and designed by the participants to encourage Mackay residents to get fit and healthy and discover some of the hidden scenic gems in the Mackay region.
“A lot of Mackay families are facing difficult economic circumstances and we not only wanted to raise finances for these families but also provide a challenging ride for riders to tackle some of Mackay’s beautiful scenic locations.”
“The WfD participants designed the four rides routes, gained approval from the Mackay Regional Council and Queensland Police, designed the logo, built the website and Facebook page and managed the sites for the event. Further, they developed the list of observation stations for volunteers to man on the day,” Mr Mason said.
The WfD participants were commended by the riders for the outstanding organisation of the event and Frank said following this year’s success, New Life Community Services were already planning to host the event again next year.
New Life Community WfD Coordinator, Nathan Cunneen said New Life was excited to work with BUSY to help realise the potential for greater employment opportunities in the community.
“Without the support of BUSY At Work and the WfD participants we would not be able to deliver the service we currently provide to the smaller not-for-profit organisations that get involved with these charity events and benefit the entire Mackay community,” Mr Cunneen said.
BUSY At Work CEO, Paul Miles said BUSY was pleased to be an active supporter of the new WfD initiative.
“We are excited to be supporting this project which has helped local job seekers gain new work skills and raise funds for the local community. At the end of the day we want job seekers to be proud of what they have achieved and the community they live in,” Mr. Miles said.
As the jobactive (WfD) Coordinator for the Mackay region the Innovative Design Project is just one of a number of exciting new projects BUSY is supporting in the community.
The WfD program is an initiative of the Australian Government and administered by the Department of Employment.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator
0438 173 960 leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au
