Brainwave Australia

Brainwave held its inaugural Kids & Siblings School Holidays event on Friday 12 April at Kids In Motion. Situated in Port Melbourne, Kids in Motion is a purpose-built kids gym with great activities such as trampolines, a rock climbing wall, rings and ropes. Entertainers from Circus Trick Tease and Magician - Anthony De Masi were also on hand to provide a fun and memorable event.The event was a wonderful success with forty children aged 2-17 attending, including twenty parents.

The Kids & Siblings event was developed specifically for the children with the brain illness to have a fun outing with their siblings, where they can step out of their comfort zones and try new things. The event also gave parents the chance to take a break, or to remain at the venue to observe the activities. Experienced trainers, plus Brainwave volunteers, were all on hand to run the program and provide support with the children where needed. Feedback received from parents has been very positive which reaffirms  the great benefits events such as this provide. (See below for just a small sample of testimonials.)

We want to thank the volunteers from Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific who did a fantastic job in helping us run our inaugural Kids & Siblings School Holiday event. Their enthusiasm and professionalism was exemplary and we are grateful for their support.

Also a big thank you to the staff and trainers from Kids In Motion for helping us run such a successful event.

I would like to thank everyone at Brainwave, all the volunteer,  and the staff from Kids in Motion. The kids absolutely loved the activities and the staff and volunteers interacted so well with all of them. They have been talking about what a great time they had and have told all their friends about it. All the activities were achievable for all the kids and really boosted their confidence. The looks on their faces at the end of the day was priceless. They had grins from ear to ear and talked about what they had been able to do all the way home. Thanks again for another great day!!! SS

Hamish and I both had a ball last Friday. Especially Hamish, if the flapping and happy squeals were anything to go by! Brilliant venue and certainly not something I would have thought of doing with Hamish. Loved seeing him dangling from the rock climbing wall. Was wonderful to catch up with some familiar faces as well. KG

 Dear Brainwave,

Thank you, thank you, thank you from my whole family. The kids had an awesome time and all the staff and volunteers were wonderful. Thank you for these opportunities. Without these events we would not get to try all these activities.  The kids also loved their lunch and have not stopped talking about the day. Thank you . CR

We are thrilled to be starting the year in a great position with recent funding received from the Collier Charitable Fund, the Flora & Frank Leith Charitable Trust, and the Pierce Armstrong Foundation. Funds received will go towards running our Care Programs.

A big thank you to the above foundations for their generous donation and support.  

On Thursday 22 November, Brainwave Australia presented to a room full of interested and enthusiastic students at Melbourne Grammar’s Year 5 Leadership Conference.

Caroline Scully, Director - Strategic Marketing & Partnerships, provided an overview of Brainwave before introducing the charity’s Junior Ambassador, Tiffany Wasnig, who shared her personal story. Tiff suffered from a brain illness as a baby and had to endure numerous operations and interventions. She explained how this  impacted her life, such as having a brain shunt, but also gave an inspiring overview of her accomplishments, including being Junior Ambassador for Brainwave, hoping to inspire future leaders.

A big thank you to Melbourne Grammar for inviting Brainwave Australia to participate at this conference.

Brainwave's Junior Ambassador, Tiffany Wasnig

A big “thank you” to the Keft family for opening their beautiful cottage garden in Moruya NSW, on the 17 November, to raise funds for Brainwave Australia.

The mild, spring weather inspired over 100 people to attend and enjoy a lovely stroll amongst roses, salvias and other fragrant plants. Visitors were also provided a delicious afternoon tea, plus a chance to win great prizes at the raffle draw. (Food, beverages and prizes all donated by local businesses). Funds were further raised through the sale of propagated plants, prepared by avid gardener, Liz. 

The response from the community was extremely positive as they were delighted to help support such a worthy cause. The event was a huge success, raising $1,651.95 for Brainwave Australia, tripling the original target of $500!  

The Keft family were inspired to organise this fundraiser as their own son Liam suffered from a brain illness several years ago. Thankfully, he is now doing well and enjoying life as a healthy teenager.

Our deepest appreciation to Liz, Andrew, Avalon and Liam Keft for their generous support of Brainwave Australia! Stories such as theirs are very inspiring and encourage us to continue with our support of families dealing with paediatric brain illness. The money they have raised  will go towards funding special equipment or home modifications for a family whose child has a brain illness.

Pictured below on right: the Keft Family (from left: Avalon, Andrew, Liz and Liam)

If this story has inspired you to become a community fundraiser and help support Brainwave Australia, then please contact us on 1300 766 819 or email admin@brainwave.org.au

Camp Brainwave is all about connecting families, a time to relax,  and fun for the kids. Between Friday 26-Sunday 28 October, fourteen Victorian families experienced just that.

Held at the picturesque Camp Manyung on coastal Mt Eliza, Camp Brainwave provided a weekend of fun, interactive, and inclusive activities - such as the flying fox, giant swing and archery. Initially, heavy rain on Friday brought on some concerns, but this soon cleared up by the following afternoon, even inspiring some to take a swim in the sea!  The fresh air and sunshine was such a treat, as were the smiles on the children’s faces while they played in the sand or frolicked in the rock pools. 

By Saturday night many were exhausted and tucked in early, while others attended the customary “camp fire”, indulging in gooey, toasted marshmallows, playing games and sharing stories. By Sunday, the weather was truly glorious, ensuring the outdoor activities were once again in full swing.   Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, parents were also provided some precious respite, giving them time to relax and chat with others, knowing that their children were safe and supported. 

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and by Sunday afternoon there was a bevy of packing, hugs, waves of goodbye and promises to keep in touch, as families drove off from another successful Brainwave family camp.

A big thank you to all our fantastic volunteers from Mercedes-Benz Australia, our community volunteers, plus the YMCA staff for all their help and support during the camp.  Also, our gratitude goes to photographer Patrick Redmond for generously donating his time and for taking some great photos at the camp. Also, Stephanie from Mercedes-Benz Australia who also took some great pics. A sample of these can be found below. Families who would like copies of their photos can contact us at the Brainwave office on Ph: 1300 766 819.

We found the camp to be excellent. The staff, volunteers, programs, facilities, and other families were all outstanding. We have met so many wonderful people. The  highlight for us was connecting with other families who have similar issues in a warm and welcoming environment. B. Family

It is not easy looking after a child with a special needs and these camps are sensational. Thank you Brainwave! Our highlight was meeting other families in a similar situation to ourselves in a very supportive environment. R. Family

I loved  talking and relaxing with volunteers and other families. Being able to relax knowing that the boys were safe and someone is around, so we can turn off for 5 mins was great. C. Family

I loved having time out and meeting and talking to others. Meeting new families and catching up with families we met at previous camps and events was a real highlight for us. W. Family