Personal trainer and tennis coach wins Access Award

07 December 2018

2018 winners recognised at ceremony at Seagulls

Personal trainer and tennis coach, Glen Bowe, has been recognised as the overall Tweed Shire Access and Inclusion Award winner for 2018.

Glen, who owns Positive Fitness, was recognised for his dedication to helping people with a disability participate in tennis and gym programs.

He also employs people with intellectual disabilities and autism in his business and has supported many people with disabilities to obtain an international tennis coaching qualification through the Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association. This qualification enables participants to seek employment as professional tennis coaches.

The 2018 Belonging Award went to Kingscliff Performing Arts for supporting people with disabilities to do dance. Cudgen Leagues Club was recognised for the Dementia Friendly Community Award and President of Blind Citizens Australia, Suzy Hudson, received the Faye Druett Award for Advocacy.

The Shrink Company and Hastings Point Dune care were Finalists for Excellence in Access and Inclusion. The Shrink Company provides advocacy for people with mental health conditions. Hastings Point Dune Care was recognised for making all of their activities accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Certificate of Merit for Access and Inclusion winners were:

• Kyle Sculley who is a disability advocate that provides a positive voice for children with special needs.

• Tweed Regional Libraries for providing accessibility throughout their buildings, for being dementia friendly and for promoting inclusion of children with additional needs.

• Woofer Wares, a pet supply and dog grooming business that provides opportunities for employment, training and ease of access to their services for people with disabilities.

Guest speaker at the awards ceremony was the world’s fastest blind man on a motorcycle, Ben Felten, who recorded an average speed of more than 266km/h in March 2018. Ben spoke about the degenerative eye disease that left him completely blind by his late 20s and his journey to becoming a land speed record holder.

Patron of the awards and paratriathlete, Bill Chaffey, said these awards were important to recognise those who had opened the door to more inclusion in the community.

“However, I look forward to the day when inclusion is part of everyday life and we no longer need to hold Access and Inclusion Awards,” he said.

Visit www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/AccessInclusionAwards to see the full list of honoured businesses.

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Caption: The winners of the 2018 Access and Inclusion Awards. Photo courtesy Tim Morrissey Photography