Damien Parkes appointed to the Sydney Community Welfare Centre
Community Welfare Centre
Former University Lecturer Damien Parkes has been appointed as a consultant to the Sydney’s Community Welfare Centre.
This centre assists a wide range of people dealing with government departments, access, and disadvantage. Damien’s background in welfare is well known, having established a number of the more successful welfare agencies dealing with disability in the past.
Damien’s background included being a founding director of Technical Aids to the Disabled, the Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, the Institute of Rehabilitation Personnel as well as having been instrumental in providing proper work for handicapped people by proving government work enclaves for physically handicapped people, the first time this was achieved in Australia.
The sheltered workshops he ran for many years were well known for their inspiration, both in the selection of work, the training components they contained and their profitability.
Damien also was involved at the highest level of providing advice to Ministers of the Crown, both state and Federal. He also had a large involvement drafting of both state and federal legislation affecting handicapped people, providing some of the things we take for granted now, like ramps, wheelchair access, accessible public transport etc.
“Damien will bring a little bit of spark and volatility to the group”, its chairman Dr Hendy said yesterday.
“Apart from having established grass root support groups, he tirelessly engages with people with problems, takes them on as a crusade, and usually achieves a great result.”
Recently, the Centre involved him in a case where a refugee had been granted Australian Citizenship, but was living in a two bedroom apartment with three other families. She had been victim of considerable personal violence, her husband having imprisoned her for over eight years. Her understanding her rights and our support services were minimal and culturally, she felt much shame because of the position she found herself in.
“Once we got involved, largely through Damien’s involvement, we were able to provide alternative shelter for her and her family, we arranged for her to shift interstate so as to avoid future violence, and put her children back to school. We also found her part time work to supplement her income and through conciliation, negotiated a family support program with the husband. A remarkable result from what was prior to that, an absolute dysfunctional family. We welcome Damien’s involvement.”
