In a devastating turn of events, AEIOU Foundation’s long-held centre in the Townsville suburb of Kirwan was burnt down by arson around Easter this year. The centre, which has been providing expert therapy and early education for children with autism for 17 years, was completely destroyed.
Fortunately, the event occurred over a weekend, with no risk of injury to staff or families in our care. Despite confronting scenes, the AEIOU team sprang into action with the support of our major partners and friends in the community.
AEIOU Townsville Centre Manager Emma Newham reflects on the shock, explaining her first priority was what to do with the children and families, and her team.
“The children we work with are very vulnerable, and we explored various options, searching for local providers who might partner with AEIOU. We even considered at-home therapy and care,” Emma said.
Within two weeks, the team and families had relocated to Billy Lids Kindy in Cranbrook, a centre which had previously referred students to AEIOU for additional support. Manager Kristine Ham proactively sought an opportunity to help, sharing a commitment to making a difference for these young children.
“We knew AEIOU and the important work they do, and were very sad to see what had happened to the centre. The support from our management team at Billy Lids was immediate, and Education Queensland were also quick to move things along for these children,” Kristine said.
Emma and Kristine say their teams have found a great benefit in the partnership: being able to share professional learning.
Nothing could be saved in the fire, and many learning materials and assets needed to be urgently renewed. AEIOU expresses sincere thanks to all members of the community who donated towards the recovery appeal.
Our friends at Hutchinson Builders were also quick to lend a hand, offering immediate and long-term office space in their Townsville headquarters for our team, and working hard to expedite construction on our new centre, which is anticipated to open to families in mid-2024.
The centre, to be located in Idalia, is proudly funded by the Resources Community Infrastructure Fund – a voluntary partnership between the Queensland Government, Participating Mineral Resources Industry Parties, the Queensland Resources Council and its members in association with the Chain Reaction Foundation and Perpetual Trustees. It is jointly funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
To support the recovery of resources, make a donation that counts for children at AEIOU here.
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