Social Impact Report 2025 - 2026

Meet Colin

Colin Daw enjoys cooking old favourites like sausages and rissoles, for his housemates and loves getting out and about, browsing through the shops, buying clothes and eating his favourite lunch. He’s also a professional on public transport!

Before moving into an Endeavour Foundation Supported Independent Living (SIL) home, Colin lived in a place where he was bullied and did not feel safe. Instead of feeling safe at home, he was not feeling good, which caused stress and concern for both him and his family.

Everything changed when Colin moved into an Endeavour Foundation SIL home. For the first time, he had a safe and supportive environment where he could feel comfortable and settled.

Man in the garden wearing a casual black shirt with a collar and denim shorts. He has a balding heat and is wearing glasses and pointing to some plants in a raised garden bed.With support from a trusted team, Colin has become more confident and independent. He has built daily routines, enjoys cooking meals for his housemates, spends time with friendsand has the freedom to make choices about how he lives. The person his family always knew he could be has had the chance to shine.

The move has also brought peace of mind to Colin's parents. Instead of worrying about whether he is safe, they know he is living in a supportive home where he is respected, included and doing well. This allows them to focus on simply being his family.

Colin has more than just a place to live - he has a place to call home. It is a home where he feels safe, connected and valued and where he has the confidence to live life his way. For Colin and his family, that sense of security has changed everything.

Meet Curtis

Curtis, 27, has a smile that is infectious and loves getting out into his community whenever he can. With the help of his support workers, Curtis is also active on social media and loves to share what he has been up to.

Curtis was not always so active. When he came to Endeavour Foundation in 2025, his life had become very limited.

Curtis has complex support needs and requires a high level of daily care, including the use of a wheelchair, PEG feeding, hoisting and oxygen support. Before joining Endeavour Foundation, he was living in a Supported Independent Living (SIL) home that could not provide the level of support he needed.

As a result, Curtis spent most of his time in bed. Important supports were not always in place and basic items needed for his care, including oxygen supplies, were not being managed properly. His sister, Tiffany, often had to step in to organise supplies, coordinate care, advocate for Curtis and provide hands-on support herself. The constant responsibility left her feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

A young man in a wheelchair enjoying an outdoor disability swing at a park. He is wearing a cap. long sleeved shirt and denim shorts, with black socks.When Curtis moved to Endeavour Foundation, the goal was clear - to make sure he received the care and support he needed to live a better quality of life.

Today, Curtis is supported by a dedicated team that provides consistent, high-quality care. His health has improved significantly. After years of frequent hospital visits, he has now gone five to six months without being admitted to hospital, a major achievement for someone with such complex medical needs.

He is also gaining weight, showing that his health and nutritional needs are being met more consistently. One of the biggest changes is how he spends his days. Instead of being confined to bed, Curtis is now getting out into the community, taking part in activities, spending time with others and enjoying experiences that were not possible before. He is doing well not only physically, but also socially and emotionally.

The positive impact has also been felt by Tiffany. She no longer carries the full responsibility of managing every aspect of Curtis's care on her own. Instead, she has the reassurance of knowing he is safe, well supported and cared for by a team that understands his needs. This allows her to focus on simply being his sister again. It is a very similar story for Curtis’ parents.

Meet Greg

For the past 10 years, Greg Bonyhady has been a valued member of the Endeavour Foundation social enterprise in Kew. He lives independently with his brother and a long-time friend and loves to try new things and meet new people.

In his role, he works on packing lines and supports a range of day-to-day operations. But Greg’s impact extends well beyond the production floor.

As a person with intellectual disability, Greg understands the importance of having opportunities to be heard, included and supported. This understanding inspired him to become both a mentor and an advocate for others.

At work, Greg supports people he works with who may not be very confident or be adjusting to a new environment. He remembers helping one employee who was unsure of what she wanted to do when she first arrived. By encouraging her and helping her speak up, Greg helped build her confidence and make sure her views were heard.

Greg’s interest in advocacy grew during an 18-month Certificate II in Work Education. The course involved both study and practical experience across different workplace areas. During that time, Greg was encouraged to apply for an advocacy role. Although he was not successful, the experience sparked an interest in using his lived experience to support others.

He later travelled to Brisbane to complete Endeavour Foundation’s Self-Advocacy training, where he developed skills in communication, active listening and self-expression, while also building connections with other advocates.

A video production setup with a young man in a wheelchair being filmed against a green and pink backdrop with Endeavour Foundation branding. The man has his hands in his lap and is wearing a checkered shirt and black trousers.Greg is a disability adviser and advocate with the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. In this role, he contributes to projects that help improve health services and outcomes for people with intellectual disability.

He also works for Down Syndrome Australia. One recent project, for the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, involved helping to develop an easy-read app that supports people to understand what quality services look like, recognise poor treatment and know what action to take when their rights are not respected.

Greg’s experiences have strengthened his understanding and desire to improve choice, inclusion and self-determination for people with disability.

Meet Renee

Finding a job that is right can be difficult for many people with intellectual disability. For Renee Kelly, it took 14 years of searching and applying for jobs before she found the right one.

Renee works as a Reports Administration Assistant at Endeavour Foundation’s Cannon Hill Support Centre. She supports the recruitment team by helping people who are interested in finding work, arranging appointments, updating records and managing important documents. She also coordinates travel bookings for employees across the organisation, a responsibility she enjoys because it gives her another way to support her colleagues.

Renee is blind and uses screen reader technology to do her job. While some websites and systems can sometimes create accessibility barriers, she has developed strong problem-solving skills and draws on her experience with assistive technology to work independently and effectively.

The role suits Renee’s strengths, including her attention to detail and her passion for helping others. It has also given her the chance to develop new skills in areas such as travel coordination, administration and note-taking. With the support of her team, she continues to build her confidence and grow her skills.

A woman standing in front of a sign for Endeavour Foundation Support Centre. The woman has her hair pulled back and a smile on her face. She is wearing a beige zip up jumper with a green hedge in front of her.Having a permanent full-time job has made a real difference in Renee’s life. It has given her financial security, greater independence and increased confidence and self-belief. It has also helped her build social connections and be part of a workplace where she feels valued and respected.

Outside of work, Renee is a passionate advocate for people with disability. She attended Endeavour Foundation’s first Self-Advocacy Conference, where she spoke about issues that are important to her, including housing and the need for people with disability to have their voices heard.

Meet Nick

Nick B started working for Endeavour Foundation in 2024 and brings a range of interests and community involvement to his role.

For Nick, voting was never a simple experience. Like many people with disability, he found voting centres overwhelming. The noise, busy crowds and sensory overload made it difficult to participate comfortably. He also experienced situations where staff did not understand the Hidden Disability Sunflower Lanyard, leaving him feeling unsupported by the staff that were meant to assist people to vote.

Nick shared these experiences with Endeavour Foundation's Advocacy team. His story, along with feedback from other people we support, was included in a submission to the Victorian Parliament's Inquiry into Voting Centre Accessibility. Nick then presented his thoughts to the parliamentary inquiry into Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC).

By speaking openly about the barriers he faced, Nick helped decision-makers better understand the challenges that many voters with disability encounter. His lived experience became part of a collective call for more accessible voting options across Victoria.

That advocacy has led to a significant outcome. The VEC has announced that low-sensory mobile voting facilities will be available in all 88 Victorian electorates for this year's state election. These facilities are designed to provide a calmer and more accessible voting experience for people who may find traditional voting centres overwhelming.

Nick’s willingness to share his experiences has helped create better access not only for himself, but for many others.

As well as all this fantastic advocacy work, Nick enjoys cooking, gaming, visiting local markets and ten-pin bowling with Western Melbourne Special Olympics. He is also an avid board game enthusiast and regularly attends gaming sessions where he lives in Melbourne. At home, Nick is kept entertained by his four pets, two cats and two dogs, who are a constant source of fun.