Lifely

01/11/2025

🏃‍♀️ Let’s get moving with Lifely! 🤸‍♂️

At our Outside School Hours Care programs, physical play is part of the fun every week. From dancing 💃 and obstacle courses 🏃‍♂️ to running games 🏃‍♀️ and building challenges 🧱, active play helps kids:

✅ Build strength and coordination
✅ Improve balance and confidence
✅ Boost brain power and focus 🧠

Because happy, active kids are ready to learn, grow, and shine—while having a blast doing it! ✨

😊 What activity gets your child moving and smiling every time? Share with us below! 👇

30/10/2025

⏰ One week to go! 📅

Just one week to go until Inclusive Futures by Design, hosted by Lifely as part of Be.Bendigo’s Bendigo Business Unboxed 2025 festival!

Join businesspeople, professionals, advocates, and community members for a one-day event where ideas become action.

Your creativity could spark lasting change — and one or more ideas from the Hackathon will be brought to life after the event — you or your business can help make it happen.

📅 Thursday 6 November
🕒 10 am–4 pm
📍 Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre
💸 Free to attend
🍽️ Food and drinks provided
♿ Accessible venue

👉 Be part of something bigger: https://loom.ly/76zj1qA

28/10/2025

🎤 Get ready to laugh for a good cause! 💙

Join us for Stand Up for Inclusion: Comedy Show — a night of bold stories, big humour and hearts open wide! 🎉

📅 Date: Wednesday 3rd of December 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
📍 Venue: Academy of Creative Arts Theatre, Bendigo South East Secondary College

💡 Hosted by local performer Ben Reid, with a lineup including:

James G Warren — Winner of Class Clowns at the 2013 Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Oliver Hunter (Headliner) — Storyteller extraordinaire with a decade of sharing life with disability and neurodiversity

Why this night matters:

👉 We're celebrating the International Day of People with Disabilities with a comedy showcase where lived-experience takes the stage. Every act brings honesty, humour and heart.

👉 The venue is wheelchair accessible, with accessible parking and an Auslan interpreter provided. Other access needs? Just let us know when booking!

👉 Entry is FREE (gold-coin donation appreciated). 🎟️ A max of five tickets per order — for group bookings email stephanie.flynn@lifely.org.au or chris.lakey@lifely.org.au 📞 Questions? Contact 1300 799 421

✨ Whether you’re after big belly laughs, inspiration, or you just want a memorable evening, this is your ticket! Bring your mates, your sense of humour and maybe a tissue for those laugh-so-hard tears. 😂

Tickets are limited! Reserve your spot! 👉 https://lifely.org.au/events/stand-up-for-inclusion/

See you there for a night of inclusion, community and comedy! 🎭🙌

Proudly presented by Lifely and Amicus Community Services

Comedy show celebrating International Day of People with Disability 2025 in Bendigo, where lived experience meets laugh-out-loud comedy.

27/10/2025

🌟 Meet our Hackathon Judge — Michael McKern! 🌟

Michael is the Managing Director of McKern Steel, one of Victoria’s leading suppliers of residential structural steel. Guided by strong philanthropic values, he also leads the McKern Steel Foundation, which supports community initiatives like the Fresh Fruit Friday program — delivering fresh fruit to more than 10,000 students every week! 🍎

Behind the scenes, Michael’s generosity and leadership have powered some of Bendigo’s most iconic community projects. He knows what it takes to turn a good idea into lasting change — which makes him the perfect judge for Inclusion by Design: Social Innovation Hackathon. 💡

26/10/2025

💬 If you could change one thing about the NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme to make it easier, what would it be?

Your ideas matter — and they can help shape real change for people navigating the system every day.

💡 Got a thought or suggestion? Drop it in the comments and share your voice with the community. 👇

24/10/2025

🦺 Your safety and wellbeing always come first at Lifely 📋

Whether you're part of our Outside School Hours Care, access NDIS supports, or rely on carer services, you can feel confident knowing every Lifely team member is trained, checked and ready to support you with care and respect.

Here’s what gives families peace of mind:
✅ Current Working with Children Check
✅ Valid NDIS Worker Screening Check
✅ Ongoing training in safe, respectful disability support
✅ Up-to-date First Aid and CPR certification for staff working with participants

We’re also proud to be:
✅ A registered NDIS provider, audited regularly for safety and compliance
✅ Fully compliant with the National Quality Standard (NQS) for Outside School Hours Care, as overseen by ACECQA

Because when it comes to your wellbeing, there’s no compromise.

💬 What gives you peace of mind when choosing a provider? Let us know in the comments.

23/10/2025

🚀 School Holiday Adventures with the Mildura Sibling Social Group! 🕰️

What a great day out! Our crew had a blast at the brand new Wentworth Information Centre – full of fun, hands-on activities that kept everyone smiling. 😄

Then it was time to step back in time with a visit to the historic Wentworth Gaol. So many stories, so much to explore... and maybe just a little spooky! 👻

Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun – already counting down to the next adventure! 🙌

21/10/2025

Students and community members — this one’s for you!

Want to make a difference and build your skills?

Join Inclusive Futures by Design, hosted by Lifely as part of Be.Bendigo’s Bendigo Business Unboxed 2025 festival. You’ll team up with local professionals, advocates and community members to create ideas that make Bendigo more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

It’s a great way to: 💡 Learn about inclusive design and accessibility 🤝 Build connections with local leaders 🎓 Gain experience that looks great on your resume

🚀 Show employers you’re ready for what’s next 🌈 Be part of real change in your community

📅 Thursday 6 November | 🕒 10 am–4 pm
📍 Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre | 💸 Free to attend
🍽️ Food and drinks provided | ♿ Accessible venue

👉 Register now and help shape Bendigo’s inclusive future: https://loom.ly/76zj1qA

20/10/2025

👏 Thank you, Ben! 👏

A huge shout-out to Ben, a SEDA College VIC student who has spent the past six months volunteering with us, supporting the Our Choice group and Bendigo Braves All Abilities Basketball team. 🏀💚

Ben has been an absolute star — always joining in with enthusiasm, building great rapport with participants, and bringing positive energy to every session.

We’re proud to have supported Ben to gain practical experience working with neurodivergent people and people with disabilities, especially in the sport and social participation space — skills he’ll take with him into his future career. 🌟

Good luck with your journey, Ben, and thank you for being part of the Lifely team! 💚

If you’d like to volunteer with Lifely, contact us on 1300 799 421 or email info@lifely.org.au — we’d love to hear from you! 🙌

19/10/2025

🎮 Gamers, therapists, and disability professionals — we want to hear from you! ✨

How has gaming helped you or someone you support to:
🧠 Learn new skills
💪 Build independence
🤝 Make friends and stay connected
🎯 Work toward personal or NDIS goals

Whether you're a pro with a controller or using games in your therapy sessions, we’d love to know how gaming has made a difference.

💬 Share your experience in the comments 👇 Let’s start a conversation and level up together! 🎮

17/10/2025

🌳 Nature & New Friends🐴

Gary recently made a special connection with a new four-legged friend, just one of the many joyful moments from his day out. It’s so heartwarming to see him smiling, connecting with animals, and making the most of life.

These are the moments that matter. 💚

16/10/2025

Your lived experience can change Bendigo 🌟

Lifely is hosting the Inclusive Futures by Design Hackathon. It’s a one-day event where teams work together on real solutions that make our community more accessible.

Why go to the hackathon?
✅ Share your story and influence change
✅ Build skills and confidence
✅ See at least one project move forward after the day

This is your chance to shape the future 🙌

Save your spot: https://loom.ly/76zj1qA

Join Lifely for Inclusive Futures by Design, a one-day social hackathon where creativity meets purpose.