SPACE Open Day

Thank you to all those who helped and/or participated in the SPACE Open day. The event was a huge success thanks to the beautiful morning tea supplied by Kenmore's Simple Pleasures, Allan Borders SPACE Cricket Match, the Rotary BBQ lunch and Pip and Dan with the crew from Life. Be In It! Also, to all our devoted and enthusiastic volunteers who assisted on the day. It goes without saying that we could not have done it without you!

Two New Prgrams At SPACE

Check out the SPACE Calendar to learn about our two new programs starting in July. SPACE Active and SUPERART - Get involved

Fundraising Campaign

The Open Day has been and gone, however, SPACE is only just getting started. Stay tuned for dates and details for our upcoming fundraising campaign. Lets keep the momentum alive and make SPACE a reality. 

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How it began PDF Print E-mail

SPACE was inspired by and created for the disabled community of Brisbane with an emphasis upon education of difference through exposure and experience of the wider public in programs and activities held at the centre.  

The non-profit disability sector is characterised by organisations that focus on the needs of a specific disability segment or the offering of specialised services.   Such organisations aim to support the needs of niche groups such as intellectual or vision impairment and offer services that support people with a disability in a particular task such as sport programs, employment or educational assistance.

To date, established non-profit organisations rarely cater for the encompassing needs of people with a disability in a community centre, while encouraging the integration of all members of the community.  SPACE will serve to meet the needs of people with a disability, working towards ensuring a greater quality of life through the localisation of services and integration of all members of the community.    

From the very beginning of her career, Registered Music Therapist Alissa Phillips identified a lack of social opportunities available for her clients to interact with their peers outside of traditional institutions such as schools, therapy or rehabilitative services. Alissa worked amongst intellectual impairment, speech language impairment, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis, Down syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, acquired brain injury, Autism and Asperger’s syndrome; all inclusive of careers, parents, teachers and accompanying allied health professionals. Throughout all subgroups the one strand of similarity seemed to be a desire to participate in regular, dynamic and meaningful social activities whilst still maintaining necessary rehabilitative therapy program.  

In response Alissa created B.E.A.T. and the Big Night Out, two music therapy programs which allow people with special needs access to regular and dynamic peer appropriate activities whilst still remaining focused on therapeutic goals and outcomes. As acknowledgement of these two outstanding programs Alissa received the ‘2007 Lord Mayors Youth Citizen of the Year’ Award. The public interest generated through winning the award persuaded Alissa to extend her work in the community and work towards creating a centre that catered for her clients therapy needs as well as providing opportunities for social interaction with their peers.

SPACE evolved rapidly as a team of supporters and willing volunteers emerged from within the local and surrounding communities. Health practitioners, corporate sponsors, families and friends of clients and associated community groups, council members and students until…

The concept known as Specialised Programs and Community Endeavours (aka ‘SPACE’) was formalised in October 2007 by the registration of a not-for-profit company Specialised Programs and Community Endeavours Ltd.  SPACE will be a clinic for allied health professionals; a space for community projects and programs; and a weekend retreat for planned and supported recreational activities. Those who manage the facility or visit SPACE will value diversity, aim to empower, and ensure the personal safely and well being of others.

One of the keys to success of a community centre like SPACE is the localisation of services.  Once the initial centre, Kenmore SPACE, is self-sustaining it is envisaged that the SPACE concept will be replicated at another site within the greater Brisbane so that we might reach those who are unable to reach us.    

 
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