CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd.

02/06/2026

Angela Amado presenter spotlight

Presenting her workshop Building Friendships and Connections in Everyday Community Life for CRU in Brisbane on Tuesday 23 June, Dr Angela Amado is an internationally respected expert on building friendships between people with intellectual disability and community members. She has delivered training across United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Angela's experience spans research, direct support, policy, and international consulting. She was previously based at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration and is the Executive Director of the Human Services Research and Development Center.

Register now for her Brisbane workshp with CRU, and see the other locations of her national tour below:
https://events.humanitix.com/building-friendships-and-connections-06-26

If you'd like a sense of Angela's approach, you can check out her short guide to friendship:
https://rtc.umn.edu/docs/Friends_Connecting_people_with_disabilities_and_community_members.pdf

Angela will share practical ideas, stories and strategies to help people move beyond “community presence” toward genuine belonging, reciprocity and connection.

National workshop dates
Newcastle — Tuesday 16 June — Hunter Circles:
https://www.huntercircles.org/event/hunter-circles-listening-to-people-rarely-heard-2/

Parramatta — Thursday 18 June — Side By Side Advocacy: https://sidebysideadvocacy.org.au/event/connecting-with-community/

Brisbane — Tuesday 23 June — CRU - Community Resource Unit Ltd.: https://events.humanitix.com/building-friendships-and-connections-06-26

Canberra — Thursday 25 June — Imagine More:
https://imaginemore.org.au/events/building-friendships/

Adelaide — Saturday 27 June — Community Living Project Inc:
https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-with-community-a-workshop-with-dr-angela-amado

Melbourne — Tuesday 30 June — Belonging Matters Inc.:
https://www.belongingmatters.org/event-details/building-friendships-and-connections-in-everyday-community-life

02/06/2026

Do you have a teenager in Years 10 -12?

Are you wondering about their life after school and what could be next for your teen?

Join us for our "Life After School" peer discussions that start this Friday 5th June.

Session 1 features Lisa Bridle, a parent & CRU CEO, who will speak about how she navigated Sean's transition from school to build independence, community connections, and contribution through work and volunteering.

Hope to see you online this week. RSVP for Session 1 by Thursday 4 June. There is no cost. To learn more and to rsvp:
https://events.humanitix.com/preparing-for-life-after-school-discussions

31/05/2026

You are invited to join our final CRU peer conversation and morning tea facilitated by Dianne Mandeville in the series - Building and Maintaining an Effective Support Team.

Please note the date change from 11th June to the following Thursday, 18th June from 10am - 12pm.

These conversations have proven to be very useful for people who have been attending so would encourage people to attend this final session in the series, focusing on how to maintain a good team to ensure ongoing quality of support.

RSVP by email to dianne.mandeville@cru.org.au or by phoning the CRU office on 3844 2211. RSVPs are very helpful but not essential and there is no cost.

Look forward to seeing you!

29/05/2026

Often our best life experiences are shared with people we care about. Whether an extraordinary achievement, or an ordinary but precious moment, friends make good times great, celebrate and appreciate us, and give us companionship and belonging.

Everyone deserves to have friends, to be known and appreciated for everything they have to offer.

CRU's upcoming workshop on Building friendships and connections in everyday community life is about how to ensure people with disabilities don't miss out on the joys of friendship.

Presented by internationally recognised expert Dr Angela Amado, this workshop is for families, workers, professionals and allies to help you make genuine friendships between people with disabilities and community members a reality.

Tuesday 23 June, in Coorparoo, Brisbane. Register now at https://events.humanitix.com/building-friendships-and-connections-06-26

28/05/2026

Real stories that move, inspire, and connect. This one-day CRU event explores the power of lived experience, featuring people with disabilities and their families sharing their unique journeys.

Vision in Action: Real stories of inclusion, creativity and courage at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane, Friday 24 July 2026.

A day to listen, learn, and build understanding of what is possible.

Registrations now open, more information about our incredible presenters coming soon.
https://events.humanitix.com/vision-in-action-0726

27/05/2026

This week (27 May to 3 June) is National Reconciliation Week (NRW). CRU acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of this land. We recognise the importance of listening, learning and building communities where all people are valued, included and connected.

This year's theme is ALL IN - a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.

"All In" reminds us that reconciliation is not just about one week each year - it is everyone's responsibility, every day of the year. It reminds us that reconciliation and advancing the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples isn't passive, and it's not solely the responsibility of First Nations people.

Reconciliation won't happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us.

Want to get involved? Check out the NRW QLD Events: https://bit.ly/QLD_NRW

Want to know more about reconciliation? Check out Reconciliation Australia: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/

26/05/2026

Join an evening discussion and dinner at CRU for brothers, sisters, and siblings on contributing to a good life for your sibling.

Through posing the question of ‘what is important in your own lives?’ We will discuss how we can support and advocate for our siblings to lead similar, ordinary yet meaningful lives, from moving out of home, to careers, travel, relationships, and everything else in between.

The session will include a light meal upon arrival and opportunities for conversation and connection with other siblings.

Tuesday 30th June
5.30pm arrival for 6-8pm
At the CRU office in South Brisbane.

Registrations essential: https://events.humanitix.com/brothers-sisters-and-siblings-evening-discussion

21/05/2026

CRU was invited to be part of a panel at Health Consumers Queensland’s recent Annual Forum. The topic of the panel was ‘Inspired Action: Supporting consumers to move from voice to influence’.

CRU Facilitator Lindie Brengman joined panel representatives from SUFY and Queenslanders with Disability Network. Thank you to Nina Carr who created the panel after discovering the 3 organisations through her own experience. Nina facilitated a unique opportunity for us to present to health service consumers, clinicians and leaders, researchers and policymakers, and share what we have learnt helps people with disability step confidently into advocating for positive change.

21/05/2026

Holding a clearly articulated Vision of the future you want, for yourself or for a family member with disability, is a powerful strategy. Your Vision guides decision-making, helps you to prioritise, and can inspire you and the people you need to support you.

CRU is hosting a series of monthly peer discussions at Indooroopilly Library from Tuesday 26 May (10am to 12pm) for people with disabilities and family members on Developing and Sustaining a Vision.

The discussions will be led by Di Kerr, a CRU Facilitator and parent who know first-hand how transformative a positive Vision can be.

Whether you are curious about the difference a positive Vision could make, or you want to re-visit and refresh a long-held Vision, you are welcome to join Di, to connect with others, share ideas and be inspired.

RSVPs are appreciated though you are welcome to pop in on the day. Contact Di at diana.kerr@cru.org.au or 07 3844 2211.

21/05/2026

Friendships, connections and freely given relationships in the spotlight

CRU recorded three presentations at our Building Capacity for Lifelong Inclusion event last year, on intentionally building relationships in the life of a person with disability with CRU CEO Lisa Bridle, on citizen advocacy with Jenny Smith from Capricorn Citizen Advocacy in Rockhampton, and on circles of support and the neighbourhood circles project with Katrina Fredberg from Community Living Project (Adelaide).

These stories and presentations are important because many people with disability in Australia continue to be isolated and have few meaningful relationships beyond family and people paid to be in their lives. https://cru.org.au/recorded-presentations-friendship-connection-importance-of-freely-given-relationships/

If you want to learn more about what families, workers, professionals and allies can do to assist people with disabilities to build and sustain authentic relationships with community members, you can also join CRU for a full-day workshop with internationally respected expert Dr Angela Amado in Brisbane on Tuesday 23 June.

For more information or to register for the workshop Building friendships and connections in everyday community life - A workshop https://events.humanitix.com/building-friendships-and-connections-06-26

Relationship and connection for people with disability can be treated as an optional add-on after all other ‘care’ is provided rather than a fundamental human need.