My Turf-work

07/02/2025

🚀 – Your Space. Your Strength. Your Future! 🎉

We’re kicking off the new year with BIG plans, exciting events, and incredible opportunities for our My Turf community! Whether you're looking for hands-on skill development, confidence-building experiences, or just a place to belong, My Turf is ready for you in 2025!

🔥 Our latest blog is LIVE! Get all the details on:

✅ My Turf Autism Camps – A safe, supportive, and fun retreat for autistic individuals and their families.

✅ My Turf@work – Hands-on training in hospitality, media, and horticulture, designed for neurodiverse individuals.

✅ Open Eats Food Van – Serving up skills and social enterprise, with exciting events already booked for 2025!

✅ We’re Exhibiting! 🎤 Come see us at the in Adelaide on February 22-23—let’s connect!

💡 Interested in joining a program? Express your interest today!

🔗 My Turf Autism Camp
🔗 My Turf@work

💬 Who’s coming to see us at the expo? Drop a comment below! 👇

07/01/2025

🌟 Kickstart 2025 with My Turf@work – Empowering Autistic Individuals! 🌟

We’re thrilled to announce that registrations are NOW OPEN for our next intake of the My Turf@work Development Program—and there are TWO spots remaining! Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to join a program that’s empowering autistic and neurodiverse individuals to develop hands-on skills, gain practical experience, and unlock their potential for meaningful employment. 💼✨

📅 Intake Start: Late January/February 2025
🖋 Register your interest today and secure your spot!

At My Turf@work, we believe in celebrating individuality and tailoring our approach to help participants thrive. With a focus on customer service skills, community participation, and adaptable learning styles, our program offers:
✅ Real-world experience in a commercial kitchen and hospitality settings
✅ Skill development through our 4Matt Process
✅ Success coaching with our experienced team, including Results Coach Beck
✅ A welcoming environment led by the not-for-profit organisation Cooinda Retreats, which has over 100 years of expertise in community services

This is more than a program—it’s a pathway to employment and brighter futures, with participants stepping into roles like barista, cook, or server with our Open Eats Food Van and beyond. 🚐🍴

Let’s make 2025 the year of growth, connection, and achievement!
To register or learn more:
📧 Email: myturf@cooindaretreats.org.au
📞 Call: 1300 445 910
🌐 Visit: https://cooindaretreats.org.au/myturf-work/

📢 Share this post with your networks to spread the word and support neurodiverse employment opportunities! Together, we can make a difference. 💙💪

15/12/2024

🧩✨ Autistic & Finding the Right Opportunity to Enter the Workforce ✨🧩
For many autistic and neurodiverse individuals, the path to employment can feel like a puzzle with missing pieces. That’s where My Turf@work comes in! 🌟

Our program is designed to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity by offering:
✅ Hands-on hospitality skills training 🍽️
✅ Real-life work environments like commercial kitchens and food vans 🚐
✅ A supportive, strengths-based approach tailored to each participant 💬

No classrooms. No one-size-fits-all. Just real experience, real skills, and real pathways to employment. 💼

The success of our first cohort shows what’s possible when autistic and neurodiverse individuals are empowered to learn their way — and find opportunities that match their strengths. 🚀

📢 Enrolments for 2025 are now OPEN!
🔗 Learn more and submit your Expression of Interest:
cooindaretreats.org.au/myturf-work
Let’s create a future where everyone has the chance to shine. 🌱

My Turf@work offers neurodivergent individuals a pathway to supported employment that nurtures professional growth and independence.

26/11/2024

🎉 For Neurodiverse Individuals 14+ — Celebrating Our Graduates! 🎉

Yesterday, our Open Eats My Turf@work crew shone during their first trial service day, delivering a busy lunch with skill and professionalism.

Today, on Graduation Day, we celebrate their journey and the start of individual mentoring with Lead Facilitator and Coach Beck as they prepare for workplace opportunities.

My Turf@work is a program for individuals aged 14+ with neurodiversity, including autism, focused on building skills and creating pathways to employment success.

📅 Next Intake - Early 2025
Register your interest: myturf@cooindaretreats.org.au

25/11/2024

🌟 Celebrating Our Neurodiverse Participants & Welcoming the Next Intake! 🌟

Over the past 4 weeks, our My Turf@work pilot participants have been on an amazing journey, working through 4 incredible modules:
🍴 Basic Food Skills
👩‍🍳 Advanced Food Preparation
💬 Workplace Communication
🚐 Food Van Operations

Today, they’re ready to shine as they gear up for their Service Day Trial tomorrow in our very own Open Eats Food Van! 🎉🌮☕

The growth, confidence, and skills they’ve developed in just one month have been truly inspiring. From mastering recipes to perfecting service with a smile, their dedication and teamwork have been incredible! 🙌💪✨

We’re also excited to announce that we’re ready for our next group intake! 🎉 If you’re a young neurodiverse person in the area looking to gain valuable employment skills and opportunities, we’d love to hear from you.

Reach out to us at myturf@cooindaretreats.org.au for more info. 💌

We couldn’t be prouder of this group as they take their next big step toward becoming job-ready and showcasing their talents. Stay tuned as we share the highlights from their first service day. The future is bright for our Open Eats crew! 🚀💖

👏👏 Drop some love and encouragement in the comments below for our amazing participants! 🎊

21/11/2024

We made it to the Fleurieu Sun. 😊😊

15/11/2024

🎉☕🍳 My Turf@work is Brewing Success! 🍳☕🎉

Today’s module was all about stepping up our skills in the kitchen and mastering the art of being a barista! From perfectly frothed lattes to mouth-watering meals, our participants were on fire (not literally, we promise)! 🔥

With a dash of teamwork, a sprinkle of creativity, and a whole lot of fun, they’re gaining confidence and skills to serve up greatness. 💪✨

Stay tuned as we continue to whip up something special on this incredible journey! 🙌

12/11/2024

We’re excited to share the success of our 5 incredible participants in the My Turf@work pilot programme! 🎉🙌 In just a short time, we’ve seen them gain confidence 💪, build practical skills 🛠️, and develop a sense of independence that’s paving the way for their future careers. 🌞💼

What is My Turf@work?

My Turf@work is a hands-on development program designed to help young adults with unique talents and diverse ways of learning get ready for the workplace. Our current program is centred on hospitality, offering real paid work experience for our graduates at the conclusion of the program in the Open Eats Food Van.

We’re all about creating a supportive, friendly environment where participants can learn at their own pace, focus on their strengths, and develop practical job skills that prepare them for real-world opportunities. 🌈✨

This programme is especially suited to those who thrive with individualised support—including young people with autism or other forms of neurodiversity—and who may benefit from extra support as they work toward their employment goals.

With a team of experienced mentors, My Turf@work offers personalised coaching, skills training, and lots of encouragement to help each participant discover their potential. 💖🤝

If you’re ready to take a step toward new opportunities, or if you know someone who might be, reach out to myturf@cooindaretreats.org.au and we'll send you an information pack.

Our team is here to help young people explore what they’re capable of, build confidence, and create their own path to success. 🌄✨


🤲 🌏 🏅 🏖️ 💙 🧩 💙

Victor Harbor & Surrounding Areas Community Board

10/11/2024

Today, we initiate Module 2, focusing on practical cooking skills development through experiential learning, as My Turf@work readies neurodivergent participants for the workforce.

08/11/2024

Today, we proudly launch My Turf , our latest program. Our pilot participants have arrived, and introductions are underway. Our tailored five-module hospitality mentoring program paves the way for meaningful employment opportunities in our groundbreaking Open Eats food van.