Over 140 CTC staff came together to celebrate CTC Day on Friday 23 March. CTC Day is an annual event held to allow staff from all services and all areas to get together and learn more about each other. South Burnett CTC Inc is a leading not-for-profit community organisation that has been working for our community and helping the region’s most disadvantaged individuals and families for 28 years.  Over the years, we’ve grown and diversified our operations to include a vast variety of services that encompass areas such as Foster Care, Residential Care, Disability Support, Youth and Community, Social Housing, Employment and so much more!

With staff located all over the South Burnett and stretching as far as Gympie and the North Burnett Region CTC Day offers an opportunity for everyone to get together in the spirit of CTC and by working together achieve something great for our community. This year’s project was the makeover of Gumnut Place, an Australian Disability Enterprise that has supported people with a disability in the South Burnett for over 25 years. Today, Gumnut Place provides meaningful supported employment opportunities for up to 20 people with disabilities in the region.

Known simply as Gumnut, the building and surrounds have seen the test of time and although the place is full of spirit and pride it was in desperate need of some work. Thanks to the generosity of Stanwell and Thiess who kindly donated funds for the materials and the hard work of all CTC staff Gumnut is looking it’s very best. With paint brushes and shovels in hand, CTC staff were divided into a number of different workgroups with tasks varying from sewing new curtains, to assembling new furniture, painting, spreading mulch and gravel, paving, plating seedlings or scrubbing the house from top to bottom. The kitchen crew did a fantastic job preparing a delicious bbq and snacks that kept the troops going all day.

When all the work was done everyone sat down together and shared lunch with special guests including members of the Board, Mayor David Carter, Cr Kathy Duff as well as staff from Stanwell and Thiess. It was a fantastic part of the day and a great opportunity to talk about the hive of activity that Gumnut Place had been earlier that day. After sharing a few laughs there were a number of awards acknowledging staff members who had been selected by their peers for exceptional service and teamwork throughout the year.

There was a Monster Garage Sale held on the front lawn with items kindly donated by CTC staff to raise funds for charity. This year the Gympie Employment Services staff nominated Little Haven Palliative Care to receive the funds. CTC would like to thank all members of the public who supported this fantastic cause by stopping by or donating items to the sale. Together we raised over $500 – a top effort indeed. The CTC team would also like to acknowledge Crow FM’s support and thank them for their extensive coverage of the event on the day.

Thanks to the hard work of the CTC Team, Gumnut Place is looking its very best. Be sure to call in sometime and have a look at the extensive range of services Gumnut provide throughout the South Burnett. From a Commercial Laundry Service, to Wood Workshop, Trophies, Plaques, name-badge/sign making and not to mention the Commercial Kitchen that offers the best jam drops around – there is something for everyone at an exceptionally good price.