Somerville Community Services

14/11/2025

✨ Celebrating our people! ✨

Last week, we celebrated the 2025 Somerville Staff Awards, a special night honouring the individuals whose compassion, leadership and teamwork make Somerville what it is.

Across seven award categories, we recognised staff who go above and beyond to support participants, uplift colleagues, and live our values every single day.

A huge congratulations to all of our finalists and winners, including:
🏆 Emerging Talent Award – Esharag Gamal
🏆 Mentor Award – Sinu Thomas
🏆 Active Support Excellence Award – Joanne Daley
🏆 Excellence in Teamwork Award – Jitender Singh
🏆 Innovation Award – Justin Smedley
🏆 Leadership Award – Anjana Gauchan
🏆 Margaret Somerville Award – Gede Mahendra

We are so proud of every one of you.
Thank you for the care, heart and dedication you bring to Somerville every day.

13/11/2025

Well done Andrew!

We’re delighted to share that Andrew is now a Board Member for the South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability (SACID).

Recently, Andrew travelled to Adelaide, supported by Somerville staff, to attend SACID’s Annual General Meeting. He contributed his lived experience, engaged with fellow board members, and explored the city during his downtime.

We’re incredibly proud of Andrew’s leadership and the valuable perspective he brings to every room he’s in.

11/11/2025

We’re pleased to share Somerville’s 2024–2025 Annual Report.

This year’s report highlights our achievements, milestones, and the positive impact made across our services and communities.

https://somerville.org.au/publications/annual-report/

31/10/2025

Check out our latest Somerville newsletter!

This edition is packed with stories that celebrate connection, courage and community — including:
✨ Dancing with the Celebrities
🎉 60th Celebration in Katherine
💛 Participant Day in Alice Springs
🙏 Staff profile: our Chaplain, Sarah Pollitt

Take a look and see what we’ve been up to across the Territory 👇
🔗 https://somerville.org.au/news/somerville-newsletter-october-edition/

28/10/2025

Congratulations to Matthew and James, who participated in the Dancing with the Celebrities Ball on Saturday Night.

Well done and congratulations to James and his dance partner, who were the overall winners of the night with their Cha Cha and Rock 'n' Roll Jive.

Amy Southwood General Manager, Disability Services, was partnered with Matthew for the evening.

Thank you to Total Recreation for another fantastic Dancing with Celebrities Ball.

20/10/2025

October is AAC Awareness Month

At Somerville, we believe there are many ways people can communicate.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to the tools and strategies that support communication when speech is limited or absent, helping people express their needs, preferences, and thoughts.

AAC includes both unaided methods, such as gestures and facial expressions, and aided systems like communication boards, devices, and apps.
Recently, Fabian was supported by Georgia, Manager of Supported Independent Living Options and staff, to share his activity preferences using Talking Mats - a visual communication framework that helps people express their feelings and views.

Talking Mats can be used physically or digitally on tablets and computers, making it one of many effective ways to ensure everyone can be heard and understood.

14/10/2025

Last week, we had the pleasure of supporting the 2025 Disability Inclusion Awards. Well done to all the nominees and winners.

Pictured: Inclusive Communities Award winner - Emma Bobby from Sticky Fingers, Hon. Jinson Anto Charls MLA, Minister for Disability and Somerville Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ashley Perez

The ‘𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱’ is up next – a big round of applause to winner Emma Bobby from Sticky Fingers Kitchen. 👏

As chef and founder of Sticky Fingers Kitchen, Emma has created a vibrant, inclusive cooking school with tailored programs and adaptive tools that champions the success of student chefs. Her work is transforming lives - through every dish prepared, every skill learned, and every moment of belonging.

Well done Emma, and to our finalists NT Major Events Company and Miyalk Kitchen from Community Development Program by ALPA – and thank you to our category sponsor Somerville.💖

03/10/2025

Who else enjoyed the MXGP last week?
Rob enjoyed all the action trackside.