About the Foundation

Killarnée Civil & Concrete Contractors is a successful business enterprise, but - more importantly - an enterprise with a well developed social conscience. 

On a personal level Paul and I have been blessed with a son who has sustained disabilities from a complicated premature birth. We are extremely proud of him for his accomplishments to date. His condition and the manner in which he has dealt with it, coupled with our own struggle to succeed in a new business in a new country, has served as a stimulant to assist those among us who are less fortunate.

Because of the impact our outstanding young man has made on our daily lives we have come to understand first hand many of the barriers faced by Western Australia's disabled children, youth and young adults.  These brave young people face their futures with energy, ambition and - often - uplifting humour, but their various challenges make the process of living their lives just that much more difficult.  To many - particularly their families - they are remarkable people who are loved, respected and admired without reservation and who are deserving of wider public recognition.   

In view of the fact that we truly believe that everyone - at whatever level, but particularly, no matter how small - has talents to offer, and because of the growth and development of our company, Killarnée Civil and Concrete Contractors, we reached the stage where we had the ability to benefit the wider community. We established the Killarnée Foundation in March, 2006, aiming to utilise our company's success to create opportunities for disadvantaged young people.  Those opportunities help these remarkable people to continue to indulge their desires.

We have supported and developed relationships with many organisations over the years.  Since its inception, the Killarnée Foundation has donated in excess of one million dollars to not-for-profit community organisations.  Among others, these include the Variety Youth Choir, the Boys Brigade and organisations supporting post (high) school programmes.

Disability generally decreases the person's opportunities. We have come to realise that as they battle their way through the obstacles in their path - bureaucracy, the ‘system', the disability jungle, et al -they press on with immense endurance.  In the process, some lose confidence in themselves and - worse - weaken their sense of self-esteem.  This can lead to social isolation and deep unhappiness.  The barriers can seem, and often do become, insurmountable.   

One example where these barriers can be found is in the entertainment industry.  This, in Western Australia, as for anywhere else in the world, is a difficult enough industry to break into for fully abled young performers, let alone for those who suffer a disability.  The opportunities to succeed in any way are few for talented young people who endure a disability, who are economically challenged or who are chronically ill.  These circumstances are also exacerbated by the general public perception that disabled people, however talented, are too often too difficult to ‘market'.

Many of these young people are well aware first-hand of this attitude and, because of the public indifference it produces coupled with a lack of on-going support, they often abandon their dreams of ever pursuing their chosen career paths.

The Killarnée Foundation aims to tackle this situation head-on.  As both a strong and caring organisation it has the intensity, the means and - most of all - the altruistic desire to advocate on their behalf.  This is where we believe our niche exists. 

We believe that, with our Foundation's strong financial backing and our own equally strong emotional commitment, we can add immeasurably to the quality of life of our disabled young people; we can make a difference.  We do so by:

•1.     granting them their right to continue to contribute to their dream,

•2.     eliminating the barriers and thus easing the journey to their dream, and best of all

•3.     by assisting them directly to realise those dreams. 

This will help us in our aspiration to create, as much as is humanly possible, an equally levelled playing-field for all.

_________________________________________________

For more specific information regarding our projects please click on the Projects tab.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN PARTICIPATING IN THE KILLARNÉE FOUNDATIONS

OR

TO DONATE to KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE PLEASE CONTACT US.