Welcome to Season 2025
Posted on: 1 February
The new MGC season for 2025 was officially opened at Sandy-by-the-bay.
During what was a delightful and convivial lunch to open the new season at MGC there was much chatter, exchange of holiday news with plenty of greetings and well wishes for the new year. The cheery buzz of golf talk suggests that members are looking forward to another year of friendly competition.
As is customary in this yearly event, we were joined by guests from Inclusion Melbourne, Sarah Stephenson (Head of Services and Development) and Ruth Morgan (Team Leader, Community Support), to launch another year of fun, competition and fundraising. Due to the amazing generosity of members, guests and sponsors supporting Charity Day in October 2024, the staggering amount of over $9000 was raised in a cheque presented to Sarah Stephenson by Treasurer Krys Bennett.
Inclusion Melbourne is a community support organisation who provides recreational, educational, vocational and many other meaningful opportunities for the intellectually disabled. It is always inspiring to hear of volunteers’ accomplishments and personal rewards at Inclusion.
Here is a heart-warming story shared by Ruth Morgan.
” Volunteer Zak and Participant Harvey were matched together in Inclusion Melbourne’s Leisure Buddy program last year. Leisure Buddies links a volunteer with an NDIS participant with a cognitive disability. This program creates unique opportunities for participants to make new friends, have fun and complements more traditional relationships such as family and paid support.
Harvey is in his early 20s, has Down Syndrome, and lives at home with his mum and dad. Harvey loves going to the gym, most sports, animals, the coffee culture, and watching You Tube videos. Zak is studying psychology, works in retail and sees his future working in the field of disability. Zak really wanted to give back to the community and thought becoming a Leisure Buddy volunteer would be a great fit for him.
During the first meet and greet at Harvey’s house, both were a bit nervous, Zak asked for a coffee with three shots and three sugars! However after a bit of time they both became quite comfortable and found some common ground. The next week they went out for brunch together, they have also gone to the gym and enjoyed the outdoors. So far, the match is going well, and Zak and Harvey are enjoying their new friendship.”
