News and views from our community

Meet Nigel Rich – Heritage Manor resident and drummer extraordinaire

Meet Nigel Rich, one of our beloved residents at Heritage Manor, Morwell, Victoria.At Baptcare, we love to see our residents continue doing the things they love – and Nigel is no exception! A talented drummer with a deep love for music, he started drumming lessons in 1958 at Ivan Lol’s Drum Centre. After a year of lessons, Nigel purchased his first drum kit, a three piece set obtained second-hand from the Drum Centre - and it’s fair to say, he’s never looked back.A band of brothersNigel and his brothers – Adrian, Peter and Colin – started a band with their mate, Johnny, in the late 1950s. Performing as The Rich Brothers, they played their first gig at Morwell’s Kernot Hall in 1959 as a support act for The Thunderbirds. Their group was in great demand, performing all around Morwell, including a town parade attended by Bert Newton.Bert wasn’t the only big name The Rich Brothers encountered! Nigel’s favourite gig was a fundraiser for the local football club at the Moe Town Hall in 1959. The Master of Ceremonies was none other than famous race caller, Bill Collins.Joining The Firebirds – and finding his soulmateThe brothers decided to disband in 1961. But performing was still very much in Nigel’s blood, so in 1962, he joined The Firebirds. They played all around Gippsland, including the YMCA, RAAF Base, The Karma in Morwell and at local rock’n’roll dances. Nigel performed with many well-known artists including Alison Durbin, Yvonne Barrett and Dave Rebecchi. By 1969, he had formed his own band – The Nigel Rich Quartet.Shortly after, Cupid’s arrow struck when Nigel met the lovely Brenda, a friend of his sister. After they married and had a little girl, Nigel decided to give up performing, becoming an Industrial Electrician at the APM. It’s a decision he never regretted, allowing him to spend more time with his family, which had grown to include two beautiful daughters.New tech – electronic drum kitsNigel continued to play drums in his spare time and took a big step forward in 2012, purchasing his first electronic drum kit from a former U2 tribute band drummer. Recently, he felt it was time for an upgrade and so has spoiled himself with a brand new electric drum kit, which was set up for him in one of the Heritage Manor nooks.Now Nigel can play the drums through his headphones without disturbing his neighbours. Of course, they still like to stroll past from time to time and listen to him play out loud. Follow the sound of the drums and you’ll soon see our residents dancing and singing along to Nigel’s tunes. Almost 70 years after those initial drum lessons at the Drum Centre, he’s still the consummate entertainer!

• 17 Mar 2023

• Faces of Baptcare

Faces of Baptcare #35 - meet Carla De Oliveira Magalhaes, Nurse Unit Manager at our Westhaven residential aged care community

How long have you worked at Baptcare?I joined in May last year, so I’ve been here around ten months now.Have you always been a nurse?I started in the aged care industry as a volunteer at another facility in Sunshine.An older lady reached out her hand to me for some support and I just knew instantly that I was making a difference. I had worked in warehouse and retail environments previously, had completed university, but I didn’t have a strong sense of where I was going in my career until that experience.I completed a Certificate III in Aged Care and worked as a PCA for about ten years, which was incredibly rewarding. I really understood that I was making a difference in the system and started thinking about how to lead positive change. It all stemmed from a strong feeling of empathy and connection with the elderly.I kept studying and became a Division 2 Nurse and then a Registered Nurse. I really wanted to get into management and help educate other staff about leading the way in providing the best of care. I’ve been a Nursing Manager for five years now and I love it!What training did you complete?Apart from my Certificate III in Aged Care, I’ve got a Diploma in Enrolled Nursing and a Bachelor of Nursing. Maybe I can go and do my Master’s now! I love learning and developing my skills.What do you love about your job?I love guiding the team and providing leadership on a range of things to make sure we are doing our jobs the right way – about the aged care standards we need to follow, legislative requirements and one on one care. I love teaching staff – with 20 years’ experience now, I’ve got a lot of insight to share. Being in a management role means I’ve got the opportunity to share that knowledge with others.What is a typical day at work like for you?I make sure I do a team check-in and a resident check-in. Ensuring that day to day care is running smoothly is a key part of my role. I take on any feedback, continuous improvement ideas and make sure that staffing levels are good. I’m the ‘go to’ person on the floor so if there are any issues, I’m immediately in solution mode.As a Nurse Unit Manager, there’s always going to be desk work and admin to take care of. But by nature, I’m curious about how we can always improve and make things better. Working on keeping strong connections between residents and their families is important to me. I’m a really curious person and I like to focus on problem solving and helping others. Sometimes I’ll pop in and see what’s happening on other floors and see if there’s anything I can help with. Resolving things gives me great satisfaction.What keeps you motivated?Without a doubt, it’s the residents.Many of them have no-one to visit them – their friends may have passed away. They aren’t able to look after themselves at home anymore so they’ve come here – this is their new home. So, I understand that I’m the person they can rely on and advocate for them.I think I understand their situation really well because of my own circumstances, growing up. When I was four years old, I moved to Australia from overseas and didn’t have a lot of extended family around me. I never knew my grandparents from my father’s side of the family. I had to build new relationships and bonds in a new place. I guess I’ve been looking for that connection to older people in my life – hearing their stories, the life lessons they’ve learned. They are looking for affection and want to hold my hand. I’m so happy to be able to do that.What do you like to do outside of work?I love spending time with my daughter. She was only four months old when I started working at Baptcare – I’m still a new mum. It’s fascinating to watch her play – I keep seeing things in her that echo my own personality traits. I see her trying to get hold of her toys and think – “Ha! That’s just like me – stubborn in a good way!” Any spare time I have, I want to spend it with my family.When I want to relax, I turn to nature. I love the outdoors and being around water – oceans and rivers are really soothing.What do you love about working at Baptcare?I get the flexibility I need as a new mum. I was able to adjust my working hours to 7am-3pm (instead of 9am-5pm) so that I can spend time with my daughter in the afternoon. If I need to look after her, I can get Carer’s Leave. There’s a really good understanding that people have their own lives outside of work.I enjoy the pace of the work – especially in the Transition Care Program – because I’m constantly meeting new people with different needs. The variety of work is fantastic.If you could meet up with anyone for coffee, who would that be? I would love to be able to meet all of my grandparents for a coffee, together. I’ve only got one grandparent left. So, to see them all again over a coffee, that would mean so much to me.What’s your motto in life?Go for it! Believe in yourself.I never believed that I could be where I am – but someone said to me, “You’ve got it! Go for it!” And now, I want to say that to everyone.Sure, there will be hurdles and things can be hard – but if you persist, you’ll get it.Dream big! I always want to keep climbing and really make a difference for others. So, go for it!

• 16 Mar 2023

• Faces of Baptcare

Meet Nicole McKenzie – Faces of Baptcare #34 - Carer Extraordinaire

Meet Nicole McKenzie, one of Baptcare’s Delivery Service Leads, responsible for supporting many of our team of over 400 carers. What is your role at Baptcare, and can you describe a typical day in your job?My role here at Baptcare is Delivery Support Lead. I’m here to support, mentor and guide our Carers.I’m here to ensure they are working safe and in a safe environment, ensuring they are happy and that they have the most amazing experience here on their journey at Baptcare.What do you like about working with Baptcare and in the In Home Care space?I love the family feel here at Baptcare and I feel honoured and blessed in my role to be able to be that person to make a difference in so many carer’s lives so they do not feel alone out there on the front line. Can you share a particularly special work day you’ve had recently? Every day with my carers is a special day. I am lucky enough to have phone calls, texts, emails weekly from my carers telling me how supported they feel and how they are so happy to have me there supporting them. This warms my heart and is very fulfilling. This is why I am in this particular role: because I truly care for my staff ( or ‘The Dream Team’, as I call them). Did you always want to work within the caring space? I moved from NZ 10 years ago and as soon as I arrived I had this feeling of needing to help more people. I got into aged care and it has been the most rewarding journey and I couldn’t imagine working in any other industry. I think that I’ve found my calling. What did you want to be when you grew up? Well – funny story – when I was a child I always said, “ Mum I want to help everybody and I don’t want anyone to be lonely so I want to talk to everyone and make them laugh.” Well, my mother laughed as she told me her first thoughts were “Oh no – she will chat their ears off with her chatter.” But I always knew caring for others was something I wanted to do.Can you tell us 2 surprising things about yourself? Firstly, I don’t eat any cooked vegetables (said with a screwed up face).Secondly, I am petrified of spiders (any creatures with more or less legs than me!! That is a No from me!)Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life? “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” How would your friends describe you? Caring, loving, happy vibes to be around, always there for you and would give you the shirt off her back. Do you have a mentor or idol? My sister is my idol, my rock, my world. She is beautiful inside and out.

• 24 Feb 2023

On Founders Day, Sadie Newnham remembers early Strathalan

Baptcare celebrates Founders Day on 24 February, commemorating the purchase of Strathalan homestead in 1945 by visionary Baptists to provide housing for people in need.Nowadays Sadie Newnham lives at Baptcare’s Strathalan Aged Care Community, but she visited the site even before the date of first purchase.“My brother Vic and I and others came out here on a Youth Hike in 1943,” Sadie remembers. “We attended West Hawthorn Baptist, and we took the train out, got off at the station and walked across the paddocks holding our lunches in paper bags.“We walked all around the old homestead. The driving forces then were (Rev) W. G. Pope and his wife Mary Pope. She had been a missionary and returned to Australia. She was a good-looking lady with lovely wavy hair. He was a bit of an entrepreneur.“They found Strathalan and opened it up to people who needed it.”Sadie is now in her 95th year. She remembers fundraising afternoon teas at West Hawthorn Baptist to help towards the purchase of Strathalan. These were years when money was scarce, and people had to scrape to contribute funds for charity purposes.Sadie’s own upbringing was not easy. Her mother died when she was eight. Her father was a gold miner, truck driver and handyman. Sadie left school after Grade Eight and got a job first as a piece work machinist and then in an office. For the first year she wore her old school uniform to work until she could afford other clothes.Through it all, church and her faith were always central to Sadie’s life. She was a founding member of Blackburn North Baptist Church where she was a deaconess and sang in the choir.She was inspired in her belief in Christian service by the big-hearted Baptists who raised £4,481 to purchase Strathalan homestead, opening it in 1945 as Strathalan Home for the Elderly.This is the DNA of Baptcare. Baptcare staff continue to come face-to-face with social disadvantage and injustice in our communities. We can look at the example of those who insisted on better care for older people at Strathalan in the 1940s, and be inspired.

• 23 Feb 2023

• Faces of Baptcare

Meet Michelle Turra, Registered Nurse and our Faces of Baptcare #33

Who would have thought that a young girl’s love of the Australian television series, ‘A Country Practice’, would lead to a rewarding career in nursing?That was Michelle Turra’s experience – and we could not be more delighted! She’s been a valued member of our team at Baptcare St Hilary’s for more than 20 years.The start of a brilliant career Michelle joined Baptcare in 2002 while completing her Bachelor of Nursing degree.“I saw an advertisement in the local newspaper. I remember my first shift as a personal carer – I was given six residents to attend to on my own!” says Michelle. “I think I only made my way through assisting four. It was initially overwhelming, but I stuck it out with the support from a great team.”Michelle’s career always revolved around healthcare, starting out as a receptionist at a medical centre before joining us at St Hilary’s. After earning her qualification as a Registered Nurse, Michelle knew that a career in aged care was for her.“Aged care nursing is really rewarding,” she explains. “You have the opportunity to meet so many different people who have led impressive and interesting lives.”A love of learningSince joining Baptcare, Michelle has gone on to complete graduate studies in Cancer Nursing at Latrobe University. Throughout her career she’s consolidated her knowledge and experience across mental health, chronic disease management, palliative care, dementia care, infection control, pain management, clinical deterioration and emergency care.“It’s never boring and every day is different,” she says. “You get personal satisfaction from knowing that the comfort and care you provide enriches the lives of our residents. You are improving the quality of life for others.“It’s a myth that you will lose your skills by working in a nursing home. Elderly people have complex medical needs. You get to learn skills such as geriatric assessment, communication skills, leadership skills, critical thinking and problem-solving.”A day in the life of an aged care Registered NurseMichelle describes St Hilary’s as a smaller 51 bed ‘boutique’ home with a great family environment. “You get to know the residents really well,” she says.The value of having regular contact with a familiar face is a key factor in clinical care, Michelle explains, as it allows for quick identification of any deterioration in wellbeing. “You can sense when a resident is simply not themselves,” she says.Michelle leads and supports the St Hilary’s staff, ensuring day to day running of the home and that all residents’ needs are met. She oversees resident clinical care and supports management with governance tasks.“I liaise with doctors and allied health staff to ensure clinical care needs are attended and meet with family members to discuss any issues or concerns.”A keen work ethic – forged on a dairy farmMichelle’s colleagues speak with glowing praise about her dedication, hard work and reliability. She’s been described as ‘their backbone’ and it’s clear that staff and residents alike love having her as part of the St Hilary’s team.When asked what her secret for staying motivated is, Michelle doesn’t hesitate to reference her childhood experiences growing up on a dairy farm. Especially, watching the work ethic of her father.“I grew up in Trafalgar on the farm,” she explains. “I watched my dad work tirelessly, seven days a week, all year round: rain, hail and shine. I’m pretty sure this gave me the foundations for a strong work ethic.”In terms of keeping the team motivated, Michelle notes the importance of respecting and valuing each other. Acknowledging people have different strengths and weaknesses (and different ways of working) is key to building a strong team who can support each other.“I also believe in promoting positive morale amongst staff,” she says. “I’m always happy to organise social dinners, movie nights or lunch order days to brighten our moods. I definitely promote work/life balance.”On a personal level, Michelle tries to get up early every day and go for a walk before work. “It’s great for mood and sleeping. I make sure I have regular massages for relaxation and my health. It’s important to know that to care for others, you first need to care for yourself.”Relaxing outside of workMichelle is lucky to have two dogs who love going out on walks – a Golden Retriever named Rigby and Lucy, a Groodle.“I am lucky to live in Gippsland – one hour to beach, city or bush,” says Michelle. “I love spending time going for walks and exploring these areas.”When asked to name anyone in the world she’d like to have an opportunity to catch up over a coffee with, her choice naturally reflects someone who shares Michelle’s commitment to tender hearted care.“Princess Diana. For her kindness, compassion and her humanitarian efforts,” she explains. “I am sure she would have had some great stories to tell.”Her motto in lifeUnsurprisingly, Michelle’s motto is all about finding the silver lining in life.“I try to have a positive outlook on life and – as John Lennon said – ‘There are no problems, only solutions’,” she says. “I have definitely harnessed this thinking from my experience in aged care. If we just take a deep breath and prioritise what needs to be done, we can usually work through our stress.”Thank you, Michelle, for all the hard work, support and compassion you’ve provided to our residents over the years. Baptcare is proud to have you on board – you are definitely our ‘Queen of Hearts’.If you are interested in working for Baptcare, explore our career site here. We also have a variety of volunteer opportunities available.

• 22 Feb 2023

Baptcare’s Corporate Volunteering event with Bega Group

Some background to Bega and their event with BaptcareThe Bega employees were a part of Bega’s award-winning Talent Leadership program called Aspire for employees within the business to develop their leadership and work on group projects to strengthen skills.Each group works on a project to improve the lives of a Bega community to align with the Bega goal of making a positive contribution to the greater good of society. The Great8 team chose to work with the Morwell community as one of Bega’s regional sites.What is the Bega Group?The Bega Group is an Australian owned group of companies specialising in manufacturing and delivering dairy, juice, yoghurt and spreads. Their range includes well-known brands including Vegemite, Bega Cheese, Dairy Farmers, Dare Iced Coffee, Farmers Union, Big M, Yoplait and Zooper Dooper. The Bega Morwell factory is Australia’s largest yoghurt manufacturer.How did this volunteering event come about?The mother of one of Bega’s Morwell employees is a resident of Baptcare Heritage Manor Community.Bega commented that they found Baptcare’s website made it easy to approach us to discuss volunteer opportunities. “The enthusiasm from the Volunteer program team members (Lana Davis and Bryan Mooney) matched the Bega team and we were keen to jump on board,” said Kate Anderson, Logistics Optimisation Lead from Bega. What happened on the day?The Bega volunteers arrived around lunchtime and were given a briefing by Baptcare Volunteer Program Specialist Bryan Mooney and a tour of Heritage Manor. Following this, they were involved in a coffee afternoon with 18 residents, including a Christmas reindeer decorating activity.Bega donations/cardsBega donated one year’s worth of Zooper Dooper icy poles to our site, and also donated a generous hamper of Yoplait yoghurt, Vegemite and Peanut Butter. Bega also gave personalised cards to all 160 staff and 96 residents of Heritage Manor.Testimonials from Bega, Heritage Manor and BaptcareBega attendees:“My grandma doesn’t use her hearing aid and I find it really difficult to communicate with her, so I was worried it would be just as hard to interact with the residents. But I had so many wonderful conversations with the residents, that I enjoyed myself immensely.” Kate Anderson“I’ve not spent much time with the older generation, and I was a little nervous. The activity we did together allowed me to interact with the residents without any pressure of knowing what to do or say.” Shalini Singh“Some residents don’t get many visitors, so they were happy and grateful for a chat and interaction with me. I was amazed that my positivity came back tenfold to me - I felt so happy and grateful for interacting with them!” Tim TielenGeneral impression from Bega“The Bega team were thrilled at the residents’ reactions to the personalised Christmas cards and the hugs, laughs and even one marriage proposal!”, said Kate Anderson, Logistics Optimisation Lead.“The Bega team left on a high from such a fun and positive day and can’t thank the team at Baptcare enough for the opportunity to volunteer with them. Not only did it allow us to give back to the local community and enrich the life of others, but it was surprisingly rewarding to us as individuals and as a team,” she said.Comments from Heritage Manor “The Bega visit was such a great day! The Bega Team came with lots of energy and excitement on their part and it was definitely matched by our residents. We are all very excited to see how our future corporate relationship with Bega progresses. What an amazing organisation to be able to work with.” (Kate Eaves, Lifestyle Co-ordinator).“The visit from the Bega Team was absolutely fabulous! We had an amazing time with them all making our Christmas biscuits and getting to know them personally and find out what they do for the Bega business. We were all surprised by how many different products they make. We especially loved our Christmas cards that gave us all a good laugh! It was lovely to have them come visit us, especially during Christmas time when some of us can feel a bit lonely. They definitely lifted our spirits!” (Resident Lucy). Future of Bega volunteer relationship (and other corporate volunteer programs)Baptcare is already planning to invite Bega back for the next event and we hope to include a member of the Executive Leadership Team and a member of the Communications team, if possible.“Bega is our first Corporate Volunteering relationship but we aim to encourage at least two more major, non-competing partnerships with Baptcare. This will not necessarily be in Aged Care – it could be fundraising or another arm of our business,” said Lana Davis.

• 14 Feb 2023

• Residential Aged Care

For John and Margaret, it's love, actually

Valentine’s Day is not just for teenage romantics. It is a reminder that love takes many forms, it endures, and it reaches out. Happy Valentine’s Day, Margaret and John, and thank you for the love you bring to the world.

• 13 Feb 2023

• Faces of Baptcare

Faces of Baptcare #32: Meet Michelle Atkins, Communications Advisor and one of our We Care Award Winners

The We Care Awards are designed to identify and reinforce behaviours that are consistent with our WE CARE values and assist in achieving our strategic goals. The Awards are peer nominated, with the eventual winners selected by our Baptcare Reward & Recognition Panel. Winners are selected for their demonstrated professional excellence, deep commitment to our organisational values and outstanding contributions to Baptcare.* * *Teeming with bubbly positivity, it’s easy to see why Michelle is such an asset to our Baptcare family.As a Communications Advisor within our busy Mission and Corporate Development group, bouncing from COVID communications, to supporting new starters in the team, and all the while keeping an ear to the ground for some of the remarkable stories about Baptcare clients, staff and volunteers is enough to exhaust the most seasoned professional.But it’s all catnip to Michelle – or should we say ‘dognip’? (More on that later!).Writing was not her first choiceMichelle’s talent for writing - along with her seemingly boundless energy - is legendary amongst her teammates. Interestingly, though, a career in writing was not Michelle’s first choice. She graduated with a double degree in Arts/Law (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and joined the ranks of a prestigious city law firm.“My legal career was a bit accidental,” explains Michelle. “I had ‘primary school teaching’ and ‘journalism’ as my first choices for university courses but was encouraged to put in law at the last minute by the teacher because I liked words and debating.“I found the world of law a bit dry so I started my freelance writing career on the side, doing lifestyle articles, book reviewing (I still do this!) and eventually writing and publishing about ten books in the children and young adult categories when I changed careers into publishing. But I still haven’t achieved my dream of writing a bestselling piece of fiction.”Behind Michelle’s winning We Care Awards nominationEach We Care Award relates to one of Baptcare values: Wellbeing, Ethics, Co-creating, Accountability, Respect and Effectiveness. Baptcare’s Co-creating value speaks to our desire to build personalised and innovative solutions with clients and allied partners.An essential part of co-creating for the benefit of our clients is that often overlooked skill – listening. It’s here that Michelle truly excels, carefully peeling back the detailed layers of each story and skilfully rendering that information into compelling copy.Her nomination speaks beautifully to that essence:“In her role as a Communications Advisor, Michelle works with all areas of the organisation. She is highly skilled at listening to people and working with them to bring out their stories. Michelle's super-power is that she value-adds to every interaction, identifying the key elements of every story and presenting them in the best way to celebrate all that is good about Baptcare, our mission and vision. This is co-creation that is effective, respectful and inspiring.”How did she feel to know she had taken out a prestigious We Care Award in Co-creating?“I was so excited to win the We Care Award, particularly for Co-creation because I’m happiest when I’m collaborating with people (except for my teenage daughter’s endless shopping lists…). I had no idea that I was nominated and got a genuine surprise. I’m not usually someone who wins things. Here’s a bit of a violin story…but when I was ten years old, I went to a musical concert and bought a raffle ticket where the prize was an organ. Anyway, the tickets were based on seat numbers and, at the last minute, I changed seats… and, yes, you guessed it, I moved from the winning seat!”Why Michelle loves working at BaptcarePut simply, it seems the people are the glue that keeps Michelle bound to Baptcare.“I have never met so many inspirational and big-hearted people in one workplace. A special callout to my Comms team members here too – I adore and respect them all and feel so lucky to work (and laugh) with them daily. (And yes, they are hovering over my screen as I type this…).“I also love the core/mission of Baptcare. Having worked in some soulless corporate environments, I find great purpose in the breadth and depth of the work Baptcare do - work that at the end of the day, makes a difference to people’s lives (and not just to a cold spreadsheet).”And … about that ‘dognip’ …One thing you cannot help but learn about Michelle upon meeting her, is that she loves her dogs. Actually, that’s too narrow – she loves her dogs, but also adores shopping for dog accessories, dog themed items and recommending great doggy related deals from the world of online shopping. Ask her about a great little doggie patterned notebook at Kmart for a few dollars – her mates at work all have one now!When pressed to explain where her love for all things canine comes from, Michelle is quick to respond: “I am a bit dog-obsessed (my family call me ‘the crazy dog woman’) but this is only a recent thing!” she laughs.“I used to be petrified of dogs after a German Shepherd jumped on my sister when we were little. But then about ten years ago, I moved to Singapore with my family for three years and we were asked to rehome a dog, Scruffy, who had been left behind by his Australian family. After Scruffy, we welcomed two ‘oodles’ into our family, Billi (the toy cavoodle) and Pinji (a lockdown puppy schnoodle) and I love the mayhem of a house with dogs! I love the natural happiness of dogs, and particularly how affectionate and funny they are, every single day.”Bravo Michelle! We’re so glad to have you in our ‘pack’!Congratulations on your award from everyone at Baptcare.

• 23 Jan 2023

• Faces of Baptcare

Faces of Baptcare #31 - Meet Nicholas Coleman

The skills and heart of Baptcare’s staff never ceases to amaze!Meet Nicholas Coleman, our Faces of Baptcare #31.A marathoner who credits running for helping keep his mental health in check, Nicholas has organised the Run for Rural Relief on 22 January where he will be doing a 68km Ultra Marathon in the Devonport Latrobe area. The run will raise money for Rural Business Tasmania’s Rural Relief Fund for farmers and small businesses affected by flood in north-west Tasmania last October.Helping comes naturally to Nicholas. Starting in Baptcare’s Karingal aged care community kitchen four years ago, his connection with the residents meant that he was asked to take on a Care Assistant role. Nicholas, you are about to run in an ultramarathon – 68km. Firstly – wow, and secondly, have you always been a runner and involved in marathons?I have always been a runner from a young age and always played lots of sports. My parents entered me into running events as a kid and back then I had natural ability. Nowadays it takes loads of hard work!As for marathons, my preferred run is actually 10km. I’m also a very keen footy umpire, currently a senior footy umpire for the North West Umpires Association in the North West Football League in Tasmania.Have you done any marathons before? Do you have any marathons on your bucket list?Yes, I’ve run marathons, but only in training. I would love to do international marathons but they are a bit pricey for my stage of life with a young family (two children) to help support.As for a bucket list marathon – I’d like to do some local Tasmanian/trail marathons such as the Gone Nuts 101 km run in a few years time.What do you like about running?I like the freedom of running and also being able to explore your city or state.I’ve suffered with anxiety/depression throughout my whole life and have found that running is a good way for me to manage my mental health and to de-stress for a couple of hours.I’m leading a good healthy life now with some good strategies in place – and running is a major part of this.Tell us about the Run for Rural Relief. What inspired you to organise this?It’s a 68 km run that I’m doing to raise money for Tasmanians affected by the floods.It’s a community thing and fully inclusive. People can walk and/or run alongside me for small sections of the run.This run is not about me – it’s about the whole community – about joining together to help those who have gone through the floods in Tasmania.Do you have any special running rituals?Not really. I run off feeling.For the actual run I will eat Revvies energy strips, gels plus other food in addition to keeping hydrated.I listen to music and podcasts for my training runs but for the actual run, I’m hoping to chat to people who may run alongside me. It will be a great chance to share stories and for the community to enjoy being active.One person has already volunteered to run 34km with me, so I’m really excited about that!What are your top songs to run to in training - or do you run to podcasts?Music: Foo Fighters, and I’m a huge Country music fan, so I like Tasmanian band the Wolf Brothers and also the Zac Brown band.Podcasts: Talk Hard by local Tassie man Brendan Hingston.Everyday Lions, where Bryan Lyons interviews an everyday runner who has a great back story to tell.I also listen to former AFL football player Dylan Buckley on his podcast Dyl and Friends.What is your current role at Baptcare, and what does it involve day to day?I’m currently a ECA (Extended Care Assistant) in the Leisure and Lifestyle area at Baptcare’s Karingal Aged Care Community.The job is quite broad and involves doing whatever I can to help my residents including showers, personal care or putting them to bed. Other days it may be just sitting and talking with them.How long have you been at Baptcare?I started in the Karingal kitchen four years at ago before being moved into a care role. Apparently, people liked my interaction with residents, so I was encouraged to do my Cert 3 in caring and became a carer. I’m now about to start Cert 4 in Leisure and Lifestyle.What do you like about working with Baptcare and in the aged care space? I really like to help people. I love the connections you make with residents, their families and my colleagues. I find that they become like family to me – like your grandparents or friends. It’s a really rewarding job. Yes, it has its challenges but mostly it is very rewarding.In my past I’ve had some mental health challenges and been through something hard. I was so grateful for the care I was given then, so I wanted to give something back. It just took me a few years to get into the right place.Can you share a particularly special workday/resident interaction you’ve had recently?Recently, I dressed up as Santa and took the residents on a bus trip to see local Christmas lights. The residents loved it!I also feel very privileged to be able to spend time with residents at their palliative stage. This feels very special because the family have given you permission to be with their loved ones at such a vulnerable time.Do you have a favourite quote or motto in life?#getitdoneI use it in a hashtag in my posts – ‘get it done’. I used to be a procrastinator, but in 2020 when I reunited with running and just made myself do it, #getitdone became my mantra.If you could go on a long run with someone, who would it be and why?Nedd Brockmann, who just ran 4000km across Australia. A good day would be going on a 30 km run with Nedd and some of my local Tasmanian running mates. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Just to say that this run is not about me – it’s about the whole community and especially those who have gone through the floods in Tasmania. I’m really just the campaign awareness guy. You’re much more than ‘just the campaign awareness guy’ to us Nicholas and we’reso thrilled that your running feet led you to Baptcare. We thank you for your wonderful care and wish you all the very best on Saturday 22 January with your Run for Rural Relief.You can read more about the Run for Rural Relief at https://runforruralrelief.com/ and donate if possible.

• 16 Jan 2023