The Lifestart Kayak for Kids event needs 36 volunteers! Sunday 30th March 2008 at Manly, Blues Point and the Transistion Areas in between. From 6am to 5pm. If you can spare an hour or a whole day we can keep you busy.

Click here to see the schedule of the day, then please send an email to info@lifestart.org.au with your name, contact details and time/s you are available. Please state any preferences you have for your volunteer role.

We will contact you a couple of weeks prior to the event to confirm all details.

The children and families of Lifestart thank you for your time and support!

Volunteer for 5 years for Hornsby and Eastwood Lifestart Area, Rosemary Layman, has recently been awarded a Commonwealth Volunteers Recognition Award at a ceremony with Dr Brendan Nelson Member for Bradfield on 2nd October, 2007.

Rosemary has attended a weekly intervention group to prepare children for school and usually works another day a week dedicated to individual support for children.  Her dedication and warmth has done much to support both the staff and families of Lifestart.  We congratulate Rosemary on her award and thank her sincerely for her immense contribution to Lifestart.

The Lifestart Family Fun Day
Sunday 2nd December 2007
St Marys South Public School, Monfarville St, St Marys
10am – 2pm Free Admission

Celebrating International Day of People with a Disability, Lifestart’s Family Fun Day is designed for all types of families! Kids will love the ride on trains, jumping castles and craft, Dad will enjoy the vintage car club displays - Minis and Austins - and Mum can browse the craft and market stalls (or she might prefer the cars too). The whole family can visit the Police information booth and have their finger prints taken then find out more about Lifestart and how we help special kids with Autism, Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. Don’t forget to buy your raffle tickets for some great prizes and of course there will be a sausage sizzle and coffee van.

There’s lots more to see, do and eat so join in the fun on Sunday 2nd December and help celebrate International Day of People with a Disability.

Download our Lifestart Family Fun Day Flyer and start spreading the word.

Corporate Challenge
When hundreds of people line up with their kayaks at Manly on Sunday 30th March, they will be doing much more than a physical challenge. Not only will they be challenging themselves, their friends and their colleagues to take on the 21km paddle from Manly to Blues Point they will also be raising much needed funds for children with disabilities such as Autism, Down Syndrome and developmental delays.

Lifestart is challenging corporations to put together teams of up to 15 employees, family members and/or friends to tackle this kayaking course made up of five legs of 4 – 5km each. This is a great opportunity to keep fit, be part of a team building exercise and support your local community at the same time.

Why not challenge your competition to see who gets to the finish line first and who raises the most for Lifestart Special Kids. There are prizes to be won for categories such as Best Individual, Best Team, Best Fundraiser.

Click Family Perspective to read just a couple of the stories of the children who will benefit from your day on iconic Sydney Harbour.

For children with intellectual disabilities such as Autism or Down Syndrome there is no cure. But with Early Intervention these children will reach their potential.

A great day for you, means a better lifetime for them.

Register on-line by clicking the icon on the right and build your fundraising page as soon as your registration is complete. All fundraising is on-line so you don’t have to worry about anything - except maybe some training!

We have a huge Golf Day on October 26th at the Penrith Golf Club with Rugby League Legend Mark Geyer. Mark will be playing golf all day and then will entertain us with his anecdotes along with some other great entertainers at the dinner that follows. For all the details go to events.

Mark Geyer at Lifestart Golf Day in March 2007

This is THE Lifestart Ball. It is our major fundraising event of the year, a once-a-year excuse to get out the frock or tux, feel glamorous and have a great night out with your partner and friends. Many thanks to our Major Sponsor, Hillross Financial Services who are generously supporting this event and would love to see you there having a great time.

Come and show your support of the families of children with intellectual disabilities and delays. The Ball is organised this year by a hard working team of parent volunteers from the Cumberland Prospect Centre and they invite you to enjoy a great night out with MC Vic Lorusso and live music from Peppermint Jam.

Vic Lorusso recently visited the Cumberland Prospect Centre and enjoyed getting to know the children and their families during an Open Play Group session. The kids loved having Vic visit – although one or two tried to upstage him in front of the camera!!

Be warned - if you come to the Ball you could come home with some great items from the live or silent auction! Confirmed prizes to date include Sapphire & Diamond earrings, 8kg Fisher & Paykel washing machine, 2 x Matthew Hayden signed Cricket bats, Steve Waugh signed cricket bat, Football Guernseys, Oroton accessories…..just to name a few.

The venue is a beautiful location at the very central, Sydney Showground easily accessible by public transport or car (though they do suggest pre-booking parking as the Sydney Swans are playing at Telstra Stadium on the same night.)

Organise your table of friends and colleagues or just book for yourself and you will be placed on a table with likeminded Lifestart friends.

To book, please click on this link to the Lifestart Winter Ball Invitation 2007 or order your tickets on-line at Everyday Hero. (Booking fees apply)

A surprise guest at the annual Lifestart Sportsman’s Lunch on Friday 30th March was celebrity landscape designer and dancer, Jamie Durie.

Although he was there as a guest of Nettleton Tribe Architects he was generous with his time posing for photographs (pictured above with Lifestarter Josh) and making an impromptu appearance on stage with Mark Beretta (MC) and Gordon Bray (Guest Speaker).

A highlight of the day was the speech by Daniel Harrowell, 14, who has Down Syndrome and is a regular speaker at this event. He spoke about the sports he loved playing, the sports he followed and how he was saddened by the murder of Pakistan cricket coach, Bob Woolmer.

200 guests participated the day which included a Trivia version of Heads and Tails, live and silent auctions and audience interaction with our guest speakers. Great bidding on items such as Superbox Seats at the Australian Open Tennis, Retiring Cricketers Memorabilia and a trip to New Zealand to experience the Bledisloe Cup in style, all contributed to raising $40,000 from this event to help Lifestart’s special kids.

A special thank you to all our sponsors and guests for helping to make this event a success.