Chorus Voices

“On any day there are 20 different things that I could do, but I look forward to coming in and helping with Chorus because it's a delight,” says Bill with a smile. Bill, 78, is a retired teacher of 36 years and now volunteers with Chorus, teaching English at the Chorus Bull Creek Activity Centre. Some of the students have lived in Australia for 20 years or more and speak very little English. Bill explores innovative teaching methods. “I pursue everything that works and I step back from things that don't work,” he adds. Bill starts the lesson by looking at the front page of the West Australian and uses words like ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ to describe the photo of the Megan and Harry interview from the previous night. Bill also runs the Memory Café for people living with dementia. People with dementia tend to be like people with no English,” says Bill. “They're there, but no one sees them, no one knows them, they're isolated.” Dan maintains that social relationships and engaging in conversation can lessen the effects o

Chorus is undergoing some exciting changes to work more locally - to become less of a service provider and more of a facilitator in the community. In this episode we talk to Elli Moody, facilitator of inclusive art programs at Chorus, about the inspiring community engagement that is going on locally in Mandurah. “We try and have an annual exhibition each year, which is really about showcasing what our guys have been producing and getting it out there in the community,” says Elli. Elli and the Ability Arts team got involved in the Selfie Portrait Exhibition last year. They sent out a kit with a canvas, paints and paint brushes to various groups in the Mandurah community. “We could have done it just in-house with our customers, but we thought we'd throw it out to the wider community,” Elli explains. “It's really good for building some connections within the community. We had about 25 students from John Tonkin Ed Support Centre take part.” The team has a strong relationship with the City of Mandurah and have tak

We look back on what was memorable in 2020:  taking the plunge to get in the pool; leaving the house to pursue fashion design; and staying connected with the community after a paratrooper accident.  We reflect on how it felt to save a life through a simple gesture of a meal delivery. At the end of 2020 we also welcomed a new family members from disability provider Kira. In a year dominated by COVID, it was a time of adaptation and growth as we were challenged and inspired to stay connected and work safely.  “Customers were getting a bit scared of coming in. So, the team came to me and said, look, we need to look at a different way of working,” says Mandy. “Make a plan on the Friday; change it on the Monday. That was exactly how we were working.” We also talked to people across the Chorus community about what was memorable for them in 2020. Overwhelmingly it’s been a year of caring for each other. “I’ve learnt compassion and understanding like I never have before,” says Susan. “And so we've gone into this proc

We hit the gardening trail with Chorus gardeners John and Paul to see what it was like helping people in their gardens. While gardening is at the heart of what they do, it is so much more than that. “We have lovely connections with our customers,” says John. “It makes us all, as our gardening team goes, dig in and it doesn't feel like a job when you're doing that.” John and Paul agree that they enjoy having a chat with customers and seeing the customers come alive when they talk about their earlier lives. “I've even been sitting down in the shopping centre and the client's walked up and sat down and we’ve had a chat,” adds Paul. When volunteers join in with the crew it’s particularly special. “They come out, gain some skills, and we all have a good time. They look out for us, we look out for them,” says Paul. Earlier in the month John did some work with volunteers from Cannington ESC for now retired volunteers Jim and Wanda (who talked on Ep 50: 50 years in the community). “Wanda came out and gave, very gene

Episode 50 of Chorus Voices celebrates 50 years of Chorus in the community and, as it turns out, it’s our 50th episode! “Our longest ancestor train traces our lineage back to 1970 when Volunteer Task Force was founded by John and Sandra Penrose," says Dan Minchin. Volunteer Task Force and then Chorus volunteers Jim and Wanda Bennett contributed an extraordinary 18 years to their community. They met Jeannette Olsen in their first year and the three have remained close friends. One day Wanda sat with a customer instead of doing her gardening. The customer’s husband had just died. “It wasn't just about the gardening. It was interacting with the people,” says Wanda. Jim recalls an emotional moment when a man in his 90s asked for help for the first time. There was much food to be shared on a day out gardening, and it was fun, too. Jeannette remembers Wanda unloading a lawnmower one day. “I turned around to look for her lawnmower and it was racing down the hill.” Ina Hart has been with the Albany Senior Citizens Ce

Chorus is a team of kind, caring people. In this episode Dan Minchin and Nikki Drury explore the relationship between teamwork and kindness. Nikki Drury, Co-designer for the Chorus Fresh Approach project, has looked at how we can be kind and relational at work. Building supportive teams that can share ideas, work through challenges and have difficult conversations helps teams flourish. But there are barriers to relational work such as time as funding. “Sometimes having a cup of tea and a chat is much more valuable to a person than making sure the bed linen is changed,” says Nikki. Support workers in the community can be quite isolated and Nikki outlines the importance of debriefing with their team. Getting together. Having a laugh. Sharing the challenging moments. “Even, on paper, a fairly simple task like helping someone with the shower, if their context is so really difficult, that could be a really tough day for a Chorus support worker,” says Dan. The Fresh Approach team ran experiments by creating “huddle

In this episode we learn about the journey and joy of supported independent living. Krystyna lives with disability and been on a long journey to find a supported living arrangement. Krystyna, Krystyna’s mum Caroline and Angela from Chorus tell us about what it’s like to be independent and supported in your own home. Angela helped Krystyna to find an Individualised Living Option (ILO), an NDIS package that funds people to live independently. Through Support Coordination Krystyna now lives with a friend and has drop-in supports. She has more freedom and independence. It’s all about capacity building. “You pay your own rent, your own bills, you organise your grocery shopping, plan your meals.” says Angela. Krystyna has a lovely home and garden where she is growing vegetables out the back. She loves art, dancing and going out with her friends.  Her mum has taught her how to cook and Krystyna is quite the chef! “What's different is I want to move forward... be a good friend to Jess and a housemate,” says Krystyna.

In part two of Lex’s mental health journey we learn a thing or two about designing clothes for musicals as Lex takes the next step towards realising the dream of becoming a fashion designer.

After an accident, professional cyclist Chek stopped eating and wanted to give up on life. One day he reached out and turned his life around.

During National Volunteer Week 2020 five Chorus volunteers take centre stage and talk about what volunteering means to them and the Chorus community. “The only thing that I can do is just give them a bit of time,” says Gary.

As the coronavirus changes the world we live in, Chorus has changed the ways we deliver services. In this episode, Lou and Dan talk about how, almost overnight, Chorus has adapted to the coronavirus while keeping our community connected.

Billie trained men how to jump out of planes. One day her life changed. “I was given a white cane and told that I wasn't allowed to ride a bicycle,” says Billie. Listen in to Billie’s incredible story of survival.

People can, and do, recover from mental illness. In this episode Peta talks about becoming the person she likes when she wakes up in the morning.  “I want everyone to hear my journey because I think it can be an inspiration from where I came from to this new person.”

I've been asking for quite a while to join a group,” says Jen. “It's been the best thing. I love coming here.” Jen talks about what life is like getting around in a wheelchair and how being part of the Chorus community has helped her stay positive.

In a special Chorus Voices podcast people across Chorus share their most memorable of 2019. Listen in and enjoy!

In part two of our Dementia journey series we talk to Sarah about the joy and sadness when caring for someone living with dementia.

In this episode we talk to Jason Burton, Head of Dementia Practice and Innovation at Alzheimer's WA. We also have a chat to Sarah Newbold and her mother Blanche, who lives with dementia.

How do you start a culture evolution? In a special episode of Chorus Voices Louise Forster joins Dominic Gourley and Sam Mead on their Culture Bites podcast.

What pushes people to homelessness? As people age, how does the danger of becoming homeless increase?

Can you date when you’re in your 80s?  This podcast starts with a love story about Elizabeth and Kevin who are challenging the negative stereotypes associated with ageing.