|
Travelling far from the Riverview Gates
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
|
|
Since leaving the SEIP program and Riverview Liam Peake OR2020 has ventured far from these great communities that supported him at Riverview.
Most recently, Liam took his first “annual leave” from his full-time role and cabinet making apprenticeship at Fox Wardrobes. Travelling with 5 friends from his Travengers (travengers.com.au) social group, Liam flew to London and then Paris. Navigating the hustle and bustle of airports, security checks and passport control to get to his ultimate goal in London - visits to Warner Brothers Studios and Harry Potter World. His green screen recording of riding a broom from the Potter movies is one of his prized memories. Along the way he took in the King’s coronation and toured the sites and sounds of London Town. Onwards through the Chunnel he spent days in Paris (favourite French food - croissants!) and then onto Disneyland Paris. Apparently Disney characters in French was not up to his standards, but he hastened to add that his favourites did speak English as well. Now with a job and a thirst for travel, Liam is wondering when he will have enough annual leave saved up to do his next trip.
Prior to taking up his full-time role at Fox Wardrobes, he also took himself to a daily training and development program, as part of his NDIS school leavers support package, at Jigsaw in Frenchs Forest. Over many months he gradually learnt about goals, team meetings, 1:1s, onboarding new recruits and the world of team dynamics. While he developed a number of these soft skills he also acquired proficiency in data management, quality control, and production processes. Jigsaw them supported him in his transition to working progressively from 1 to 5 days week.
Working 5 days a week, necessitated the biggest learning challenge – driving. Over about a year and a half, he took adapted lessons and a longer run up to his Ls, and then eventually Ps on his second try. Feedback from the instructor and the testers and NSW was similar - they all wished other young kids drove with such care and precision. With Ps under his belt, he bought a car from the savings earned at Fox Wardrobes. On a daily basis he commutes in his little Mazda to his start time at 6:00AM. He also gets himself to other appointments on the way home, and around his neighbourhood.
The next big thing that Liam is thinking about is an apartment. He’d like to be closer to work, and to have his own stuff in his own little place. So now he is focusing on mastering all the tasks of saving, budgeting, shopping and taking care of home and laundry to be ready for this next step in his journey. Hopefully he can achieve this as his apprenticeship finishes, and he enjoys the pay his from being a fully qualified Cabinet Maker.
Liam’s far from the gates of Riverview these days, but he still talks about the SEIP program, the boys of Riverview, and how he loved being at such a cool school that made a place for a person like him.
Big shout out to the SEIP program, the boys and teachers of Riverview, without who we do not know where Liam would be.
|