Ability celebrated at city awards
Organisers hail event’s fifth year as its best
“HUMBLED and honoured” is how Mike Hindle, CEO of Withcott Seedlings, described how he was feeling after his business was awarded the inaugural Judy Antonio Memorial Award at Tuesday night’s Business DisABILITY Awards gala dinner.
“It’s a fantastic thing. We have really great people working for us... it’s a great thing to be involved in,” he said.
The Judy Antonio Memorial Award was established this year to honour Judy’s legacy, after she lost her battle with motor neurone disease nearly 14 months ago.
Judy was the founding patron of the Business Disability Awards and she understood the importance of social and workplace inclusion and what it meant for people with a disability.
Mr Hindle said Withcott Seedlings had a proud business culture of tolerance and understanding.
For the past five years, the company has employed people with a disability with the support of the Endeavour Foundation and through its own recruitment.
“We’ve got a permanent requirement from Endeavour for at least seven assisted employees, but we can go up to 30-odd people at times,” Mr Hindle said.
“I couldn’t imagine the business without them. They’re part of the furniture now.
“Every opportunity we get to infiltrate other areas of the business, we’ll be using assisted employees.
“Of all the people we’ve ever had on our site, they’re happiest to come to work, they have great pride in their work and therefore in the company.”
Established by Graham and Wendy Erhart in 1983, Withcott Seedlings has gone from strength to strength.
On the night, Withcott Seedlings was described as a “shining example for other employers in the industry, and a most deserving recipient of the inaugural Judy Antonio Memorial Award”.
The company was one of seven award recipients on the night, which was hosted by newsreader Kay McGrath and also featured renowned Australian comedian Tim Ferguson - himself a sufferer of Multiple Sclerosis.
Sharon Boyce picked up the Social Inclusion Award, Westridge Fruit Shop received the Outstanding Employer Award, and Mikey Jones took out the Most Outstanding Employee/Volunteer Award.
They were backed up by Niamh Jarvis, which won the Innovation and Access Award, Ability Enterprises which snared the Business Engagement Award, and Deanna Brady who was the recipient of the Elissa Flanagan “Aim High” Scholarship.
The awards have been hailed by organisers as the most successful in the event’s five-year history, with 188 guests attending the gala dinner at the Highfields Cultural Centre.