Programs & Projects

Welby Garden Centre is situated on the corner of the Old Hume Highway and Bendooley Street Welby, just 2 kms from Mittagong in the Southern Highlands of NSW. The Centre offers a wide variety of plants, trees and shrubs specifically suited to the climate of the Southern Highlands and is renowned as a leading supplier of quality fruit trees and rose bushes for more information click here to go to the website The Growing Abilities projects will duplicate the activities undertaken at Welby Garden Centre to provide supported employment opportunities and choices to individuals with disabilities in other areas. Click here to go to the Growing Abilities website

Challenge Southern Highlands also provides the following services:

The primary contract held by the Light Packaging Division is the processing of the Highlands Post, a free to home newspaper, for weekly delivery. The division, using sub-contract drivers, distributes in excess of 15,000 papers for 50 weeks of the year. In addition the division will collate and insert advertising material into the papers. The papers are machine wrapped in plastic in preparation for delivery. The entire process is undertaken by the supported employees under minimal supervision. In addition to the light packaging activities this division also undertakes light assembly work and a Secure Document Destruction Service. The Light Packaging Division creates the opportunity for supported employees, who find nursery activities difficult, to be gainfully employed and productively employed in activities which better suit the individuals abilities.

ASSISTED ACCOMMODATION SERVICE

Challenge Southern Highlands has established an Assisted Accommodation Service to provide accommodation facilities to individuals, capable of independent living, who are excluded from Public Housing accommodation and are currently living with their primary carer or reside in sub-standard accommodation.

Challenge Southern Highlands role is to procure residential properties and support the individuals make the transition from residing with their primary carer to independent living.

Challenge Southern Highlands may provide financial support to assist with security bonds, to assist the individuals to enter into leased accommodation. In addition Challenge Southern Highlands may provide limited support to ensure that suitable living standards are maintained in a safe and clean environment. As Challenge Southern Highlands has the head lease it also assists in the management of the property by ensuring that utilities are paid and the property is maintained to the owners requirements.

At present Challenge Southern Highlands rents a private residence and sublets this property as a Assisted Accommodation Facility. The aim is to acquire residential properties throughout the local government area to provided assisted accommodation to those individuals who are capable of living independently but do not have the financial resources and or confidence to do so.

The role of Challenge Southern Highlands is to allow the individuals to develop skills that will enable them to live in the community with minimal assistance.

This service is in need of affordable residential housing on an ongoing basis.