James Frizelle Charitable Foundation grant

We’re feeling incredibly blessed here at the Byron Bay Herb Nursery to have been chosen as a recipient for a James Frizelle Charitable Foundation grant. This grant has allowed us to move forward with our “Online Connection Pivot Project," a project aimed in strengthening our response and resilience as a team during unforeseen events like the current pandemic.

The significance of this grant is that, as a community here at the nursery, we have been able to ensure continuity of support, training and paid employment for our workers living with a disability, particularly during the recent extreme circumstances that required individuals to isolate. This has been achieved through training, coaching and support in mental health first aid, positive psychology, horticulture and adapting to online methods of communication. Allowing isolated employees to work from home and still be connected with each other.

The project ensures that our support workers are equipped with the necessary skills to nourish not only the emotional wellbeing of the workers they support but, also themselves. This transition into new methods of practice preserves the independence, confidence and empowerment that blossoms from a sense of belonging for all our employees.

From the bottom of our hearts we’d like to thank the James Frizelle Charitable Foundation in partnership with Katia Project Inc. for giving us this incredible opportunity and supporting the independence and wellbeing of our team now and into the future. Also a huge thank you to Elias and Kane for producing this wonderful short film!

A short film by Elias Johnson and Byron Bay Herb Nursery worker Kane Shields. The film is about Kane’s working from home experience during the Covid19 lockdown. The grant from James Frizelle Charitable Foundation enabled the nursery to pivot during the pandemic and allow their workers to remain employed at home and still be connected with each other.