Kicking grass with a new ride on mower

Thanks to a donation from building development company Wel.Co, Vivid’s supported employment business, Work Crew, is the recipient of a brand-new Husqvarna ride on mower worth over six-thousand dollars.

Work Crew provides paid, supported, employment opportunities to more than 80 people with disabilities in Echuca, Kyabram, Kerang and Swan Hill.

“Gardening contracts are a valuable source of skill development and job creation for Work Crew’s supported employees, however contracts are currently limited due to not having the infrastructure to meet demand,” said Vivid CEO, Scott Alexander.

“Acquisition of the ride on lawn mower enables Vivid to pursue more and varied gardening projects and further advance the skills of Vivid Work Crew members. We are extremely grateful for this generous donation.”

The mower is more ergonomically suitable for supported employees to operate, and it has many features that ensure additional safety of Supported Employees.

“The mower will be physically less strenuous for the Supported Employees to use and much easier to operate in the hotter summer conditions,” Mr Alexander said.

Work Crew is now in a better position to undertake more boutique gardening contracts.

With a catcher to ensure a cleaner finish to the mowing, supported employees will have greater job satisfaction and pride in the work they undertake.

Vivid has received support from Wel.Co over a number of years with exclusive football tickets provided to participants, allowing them opportunities they may not have otherwise had.

Vivid and Wel.Co continue to strengthen their relationship based on shared values in people and relationships.

Wel.Co founder and managing director Andrew Welsh said the relationship with Vivid has been built on common values offering equal opportunity to everyone.

“Wel.Co is a dynamic and inclusive organisation and we are thrilled to be able to inspire and deliver dreams to not just our customers but for the Supported Employees and Support Workers at Vivid,” he said.

“We are delighted that our donation to Work Crew will assist adults with an intellectual disability in making valuable contributions to their community while learning new skills and challenging themselves in a supportive work setting.”