Disability support service Multicap celebrates 60th anniversary at Mackay Community Hub

A birthday party celebrated decades of service to disabled people across Queensland, with one Mackay woman sharing how the support changed the lives of her mother and autistic brother.

When Sharron Varnham’s ageing mother couldn’t keep caring for her younger brother, they needed help and turned to a support agency that this week celebrated 60 years of changing lives.

Ms Varnham’s late brother moved into Multicap accessible housing in 2007 after their mother started to have trouble caring for him at the age of 75.

“For him, it gave him such a wonderful life, because living with your mum when your mum’s 75, it was a bit boring,” she said.

“It opened both their lives.”

She recalled her mother saying to her that in the 70 odd years “since my baby sister was born, it’s the first time in my whole life (that) I haven’t been responsible for anyone”.

Even after her brother’s death, Ms Varnham had a lot of appreciation for Multicap’s quality service.

Sharron Varnham's younger brother Scott was supported in Multicap housing before his passing last year. Picture: Zoe Devenport

“The staff treated him like he was their own,” she said.

“You could see they loved him, they cared, but they were very strict as well. They were fair but kind.”

Community members and leaders gathered to celebrate Multicap’s 60 years of disability support work on Monday at Mackay Harbour.

CEO Joanne Jessop accepted the Mackay Community Hub’s contributions for a time capsule and to meet the people her organisation supports.

Multicap staffer Kristy Rayner and customer Vicki Chapman enjoy the 60th anniversary festivities. Picture: Zoe Devenport

Multicap customer Vicki Chapman agreed she liked Multicap for it’s one-on-one support, as well as the craft and pottery activities.

Mackay service manager Michelle Steadman has worked with Multicap for more than a decade and said “everybody’s very different, so we cater for those differences”.

“We don’t group everybody into one program, we run programs that are specific to individual needs,” she said.

“We’re celebrating Multicap’s 60th birthday, but it’s all about the customers at the end of the day.”

Multicap customer Jordan Brown and service manager Michelle Steadman at the 60th anniversary event. Picture: Zoe Devenport

Dawson MP Andrew Wilcox attended the event and said as a farmer he “employed a vast array of different people and some of those were people of all-abilities”.

“So I used to focus on what people could do, rather than what they couldn’t do,” he said.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson celebrated the “absolutely outstanding” work of Multicap in the region.

“It’s tremendous to see the (Community Hub), but more importantly its tremendous to see the care that’s delivered to our high needs individuals in our community,” he said.

Ms Steadman and the staff at the Multicap Community Hub prepared a photo album of the service’s accessible housing, their customers, and staff to contribute to the company’s time capsule in Eight Mile Plains.

For the 60th anniversary time capsule in Brisbane, the Mackay community created a photo album of Multicap's customers and housing. Picture: Zoe Devenport

Multicap CEO Ms Jessop said the photo albums were “really cool mementos of a time and place”, and the time capsule was made “by our artists with disability in Monte Lupo, which is one of our employment programs”.

CEO Joanne Jessop speaks at the Multicap Mackay Community Hub to celebrate the 60th anniversary. Picture: Zoe Devenport

She said five families whose disabled children were turned away by schools started the organisation, and decided to create the Multiple Handicapped Association of Queensland in 1962.

“They got told their (children) were too disabled and they should take them home and – the thinking at the time was – hope they die quickly,” she said.

“Luckily for us, those five families believed in the future for their sons and daughters and they aspired their (children) being part of the community, having a voice, being valued for who they are, and community being better because of their contribution.

“We are a better community when people with disability are part of it.”