The Growing Space 10 Year Fundraiser Lunch

Lisa Dallow is a Petroleum Engineer with over 25 years of industry experience. She took the challenging road to get there; working part time, whilst completing her degree as a single parent.

Life changed in December 2019 when she was involved in the White Island volcano disaster. This took the lives of her husband Gavin and 15-year-old daughter Zoe. As a result of the eruption she sustained burns to 2/3 of her body, underwent 16 operations, and spent six months in hospital.

Lisa returned to work in February 2021. She is now working for Santos as Project Lead for a helium project in the Northern Territory. She lives in her home in Adelaide with her dog Mimi, and drives a 1970 red MGB Mk2 called Barbi.

Ruby Nankivell is a spokesperson for people living with disabilities. Sharing her knowledge to make the world a better place for everyone. She shares her experience about Resilience and persisting through the disability and NDIS sector.

She supports other people with disability to achieve their goals and find their voice. She believes everyone has a sparkle inside them and that’s what she helps everyone find.

Natalie Wade, our MC for the day, is a respected disability rights lawyer and advocate. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Natalie is the Founder and Principal Lawyer Director of Equality Lawyers, a disability-led, disability rights law firm providing premium legal services to the disability community.

Natalie is an authentic leader who believes in designing law reform, public policy and community campaigns through lived experience and expertise and in 2021, authored Disability Rights in Real Life, a practical handbook for disabled people, their families and allies on everyday disability rights law.

Natalie holds several senior advisory roles including on the Australian Disability Strategy Advisory Council and the Premier’s Council for Women.

Katharine Annear is an Academic at Flinders University, a registered Developmental Educator, and has served on local and national not for profit boards for over 20 years. These include incorporated associations and companies limited by guarantee, in the Disability and Arts industries, and National Disabled People’s Organisations.

A founding member of the ASAN AUNZ, Katharine has spent more than15 years in the autism advocacy space, in both grassroots and high-level policy settings. Katharine also sits on the ministerially appointed Autism Advisory Group for the NDIA, and the Children, Young People and Families Reference Group for the NDIA’s Independent Advisory Council.

Her experience as an Autistic person who also has numerous Autistic family members is also complimented by almost 20 years as a practicing Developmental Educator working predominantly with Autistic individuals who have complex support needs and their families.

Esther Simbi is a former South Sudanese refugee, the youngest of six children, the first one in her family with a university degree and a single mother of two beautiful daughters. Esther is a polio survivor, the Founder and Managing Director of Zion Disability Services Inc, a social worker, a mediator, an award-winning author, a motivational speaker, a disability community educator, a disability advocate, events manager, organiser and coordinator, and a member of the Rotary Club of Campbell Town.

Esther is the first African woman from a refugee background to run for Parliament in Australia to represent people with disability in the Upper House. Esther is a two-time community volunteer award-winner for leading women from a refugee background in Australian politics and for her work with African women with disability in South Australia. Esther also won the Author and Publisher of the Year 2022 Award in May 2022 as part of the Annual Africa Day Celebration in Adelaide.

🗺️ Getting there

🚌 Public transport is available via bus, train (get off at Adelaide Railway Station) and directly next to Adelaide Railway Station Tram Stop.
https://goo.gl/maps/qUxsd2uwn1PN6rdc6

🚗 There is an accessible undercover drop off zone on Victoria Street, just off North Terrace.

🅿️ Regular and Accessible parking ($30) is available at the Playford Carpark (enter from Victoria Street).

🚪 The accessible entry is from the Victoria Street entrance. If entering from the North Terrace entrance, there is a set of six stairs.

👨‍🦼 The Playford Hotel Ballroom is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible bathroom and standard toilets near the ballroom.

👂 Live captioning (large screen and/or BYO device with link provided)

🤟 We will have an Auslan interpreter.

📄 Easy Read English available for all written stuff.

🔇 Sensory Room will be available for a quieter, lower light space.

👂 Hearing Loop will be available on request.

👥 We will have a support worker available to assist as required. If you require your own personal unticketed personal support worker in attendance, please contact us so we can make room.

🦮 Closest natural dog toilet for assistance dogs is directly across North Terrace at the front of the Intercontinental Hotel.

🗨️ Please let us know if you have any other access needs in the booking form, or email us at events@thegrowingspace.com.au so we can make this an inclusive event.

👟 You can wear what makes you feel comfortable.

👔 Some people will be in work clothes.

🤔 What will happen at the 10 Year Anniversary event?

🕚 People will start arriving from 11:15am. It’s good to get there early.

🤒 If you are sick, you will need to stay home.

😷 There will be masks for people who want to use them, and hand sanitiser too.

🏷️ Everyone will register and get a name tag.

🥤 You can get a drink before the event starts.

🕛 The event starts at 12 noon.

👥 There will be about 200 people in a very big room with windows.

🪑 People will sit at tables of 10 seats.

🚫 The seats won’t be reserved for individual ticket holders so you should come early if you want to sit with friends.

📋 People who book a whole table of 10 seats will get a reserved table for their group.

🎤 There will be an accessible stage at the front.

🗣️ Disabled speakers will be talking about employment and work.

😊 Sam will probably get all happy emotional and very proud.

🎉 There will be a fun surprise activity but you don’t have to do it.

✂ The activity uses scissors.

🍽️ Everyone will get a main meal, dessert and non-alcoholic drinks included.

📣 You will hear about our new project to help disabled people get jobs and have small businesses.

🍷 You can buy alcoholic drinks at the bar.

🕝 The event will finish at about 2:30pm.

🍺 The bar will stay open after the event until 3:30pm so people can catch up more if they want.

😪 Please stay home if you are unwell – we don’t want covid to make people sick because some of our guests might get very sick if they get covid.

😷 Masks will be available at the check-in desk for anyone who would like one.

💧 Hand sanitiser will also be available at the check-in desk.