Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently visited the Wheelchairs for Kids workshop in Wangara within my electorate of Cowan. The purpose of Wheelchairs for Kids is to assemble and then donate wheelchairs to disabled children around the world in order to improve their quality of life. I visited the workshop to recognise and thank the many volunteers for their outstanding work. They donate their time and effort to assemble the wheelchairs and then to prepare them for shipment overseas to disabled children in 60 countries. Since the Wangara workshop began assembling the wheelchairs in 1998, more than 14,000 have been shipped around the world to children in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Benin, China, Kenya, East Timor, Mongolia, Tanzania and many more. Leading the way with Wheelchairs for Kids is the inspirational community leader Brother Ollie Picket AM, ably assisted by Bob Sheridan and Ted Melvin. But they could not achieve the phenomenal result of more than 14,000 wheelchairs without the efforts of a great band of volunteers. But before naming those volunteers I should also make a special mention of the critical role played by the Rotary Club of Scarborough. They helped establish the workshop and continue to provide critical support.

I would also clearly state for the record that the team at the Wangara workshop of Wheelchairs for Kids, and specifically the volunteers, demonstrate the greatest examples of Australian volunteerism. The volunteer work they do for disabled children living in circumstances of extreme disadvantage around the world represents the very best in the Australian character. It was an honour for me to be able to meet them and thank them for their work.

On the day, I personally thanked volunteers who live within Cowan. They are Ted and Jean Melvin, Fay and Bernie Leach, Jill and Stan Broom, Kevin and Maureen Cunningham, Chris and Jenny Jansen, Geoff Bedford, John Brennan, Jack Buck, Bill Burns, Charles Cole-Bowen, Bill Culbertson, Bill Daking, Tony Freeman, Barry Haines, Barry Hayes, Frank Howe, Soubhi Jabbour, Don Kidson, John Linney, Tom Lowes, Ron Marshall, John McGregor, Colin Pearson, John Rae, Bob Ruscoe, David Rushton, Brian Williams, Ron Wood and Ray Opie. These men and women are outstanding Australians and I am very glad to take this further opportunity here in the parliament of Australia to thank them for the work they do for the children in need around the world. It is my hope that Wheelchairs for Kids in Wangara continues on into a very long and productive future.