Ipswich community set to benefit from Campaign for Change 2014

The Ipswich community will benefit from a new youth program aimed at mentoring disadvantaged youth after Ipswich residents Andrew and Leona Walker won Wesley Mission Brisbane’s (WMB) Campaign for Change competition.

The former professional rugby league and union player and his wife overcame tough competition from more than 60 fellow entrants to make it through to the finals and win the coveted $30,000 grant to kick-start their idea.

WMB’s Executive Director, Geoff Batkin said it was a challenge to choose a winner with five outstanding finalists pitching a range of worthwhile ideas from home makeovers for seniors to an online counselling portal.

“Andrew and Leona’s Rise Above program for local disadvantaged youth meets a real need in the local Ipswich community and we are looking forward to working with them to expand this program,” he said. “Not only does it teach youth the life-skills they need to be successful and break the cycle of self-harm and addictions, it gives them a positive place to be themselves and engage with healthy role models.”

Aimed at breaking negative behaviours, the Walker’s Rise Above program will build on their already popular free weekly touch footy games in a local Ipswich park. The Walkers will use the grant funds to secure regular premises for the games and begin a 16 week workshop that will counsel and teach youths a range of life skills from self-acceptance to forming positive, nurturing relationships and establishing healthy lifestyles.

A part of the couple’s Break the Cycle charity, Andrew Walker says it looks to break the cycle of self-harm, self-abuse and addictions among young people and encourage self-love and healthy living.

“Our idea is to create a base where young people can come to learn the life-skills that many of us take for granted,” explained Mr Walker. “We want to inspire disadvantaged youths to rise above their circumstances and empower them to break the cycle of negative behaviours.”

An inspirational mentor having represented Australia in both rugby league and union during his 16 year professional sporting career, Andrew and his wife Leona have already achieved significant success through their Break the Cycle initiative but say that winning Campaign for Change will take the charity to the next level.

“We have been voluntarily running a weekly touch footy game and free BBQ for the past six months which has received a huge response,” said Mr Walker. “Winning Campaign for Change will allow us to expand on this by securing a regular premises for the game, setting up a gym and implementing the Rise Above program to help young people in need.”

The Walkers aren’t the only Campaign for Change entrants celebrating though with runners up Rebecca Sheehan’s ethical fashion line and Geoff Wilson’s aquaponics program also receiving a $5,000 kick start in grant funds from campaign partners.

The winners and runners up will also receive enrolment into a short course focusing on starting a social enterprise, sponsored by Foresters Community Finance.

WMB’s Geoff Batkin says he’s thrilled with both the response and results of this year’s Campaign for Change competition which saw the local community come together to make a real difference in their local areas.

“Wesley Mission Brisbane has long been committed to improving the wellbeing of the community and the success of this latest campaign highlights the capability of the not for profit sector to instigate social change and encourage people to discuss community needs at a local level,” he said.

For more information on Wesley Mission Brisbane’s Campaign for Change, please visit www.wmb.org.au

Media Enquiries: please contact Suzanne Ross at Graymedia on 07 3250 9406, 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.

Notes to Editors:

About Wesley Mission Brisbane

Wesley Mission Brisbane (WMB) is a not for profit organisation that has been helping Queenslanders for over 100 years. WMB is a leading provider of innovative and responsive aged care, child care and community service programs that support those in need.

As part of WMB’s ongoing commitment to assisting and improving the Brisbane community, WMB has developed the Campaign for Change initiative, which for the first time, gives Brisbane residents the funding and support services they need to get their programs for improving their local community off the ground.

Parmia Insurance streamlines its new wholesale service offering for brokers

Leading Australian niche insurance broking firm Parmia Insurance is continuing to refine and improve its new wholesale service offering, making it easier for fellow brokers to leverage off its award winning policies for the beauty and tattoo sectors.

Implementing a resource portal on its website, brokers can now download documents for Parmia’s products and policies for the beauty and tattoo industry online, ensuring an even faster and more efficient service for clients.

Still a relatively new market for the firm, Parmia launched into wholesale in late 2013 to help ensure that all beauty and tattoo professionals had access to comprehensive, market leading protection.

“We worked incredibly hard with Lloyd’s of London to devise cover for the beauty and tattoo industry that would increase their level of protection, which previously had been virtually non-existent,” said Director of Parmia and the National Insurance Broker Association’s 2013 Broker of the Year, Danny Gumm. “The end result is a series of unique products that give brokers a highly competitive solution to offer their clients.”

Parmia's insurance solution for the tattoo industry is one of only a few to provide practitioners with full medical malpractice policy coverage, while its risk management and insurance solution for the beauty industry is one of the broadest material damage and business interruption policies available to aestheticians in the world.

Its move to extend the policies as well as its tailored insurance solution for tattoo property owners, has been met with open arms from Parmia’s industry peers, with Mr Gumm stating that many brokers are now taking advantage of the service.

“The response that we’ve had has been incredibly positive with many brokers saying that through our products they’ve been able to provide cover to their clients facing complex risks,” he said. “It’s prompted us to now consider extending our wholesale services and products further.”

Established in Queensland in 2002 by Mr Gumm, Parmia, which was recently named a finalist for Small Broker of the Year in the ANZIIF Australian Industry Insurance Awards, has fast made a name for itself for delivering Australian businesses personal and tailored insurance protection.

It currently represents over 3,000 professionals and 15 associations and industry groups. For more information, please visit www.parmiainsurance.com.au.

Media Enquiries: Suzanne Ross at Graymedia on 07 3250 9406, 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.

Innovation and personal service the key to success for Queensland businessman

When Queensland insurance broker Danny Gumm made the risky decision to leave his job as a divisional state manager for a leading international firm to set up his own business in 2002, he never dreamed of the success he would achieve.

Now 12 years on and with countless awards to his name, Mr Gumm is directing one of Australia’s most competitive niche insurance firms, working with internationally leading syndicates in Lloyd’s of London to secure cover for more than 3,000 professionals.

Based in Brisbane, Queensland, Parmia Insurance is continuing to go from strength to strength, with the firm recently nominated, for the third consecutive year, for the ANZIIF Australian Industry Insurance Awards’ Small Broker of the Year, along with a string of other industry accolades.

It’s due in large part to Mr Gumm’s innovation and strategic approach to establishing an insurance broking firm that would deliver Australian businesses tailored insurance protection.

“Point of difference was a vital factor to me in making the decision to break out on my own and form Parmia,” said Mr Gumm. “I knew that in order to be successful, I had to not just be providing Australian professionals with a competitive solution but also be filling a need or a gap in the market place.”

Recently named the National Insurance Broker Association’s 2013 Broker of the Year, an award which saw him fly to the United States in May to attend the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament and rub shoulders with George W. Bush and Bruce Springsteen, Mr Gumm continued stating he felt the industry was lacking when it came to providing professionals with tailored insurance cover.

“I saw a lot of professionals falling victim to standard ‘off-the-shelf’ insurance packages and felt there was a real need for a service that would actually assess their needs and provide maximum protection,” he said. “Ultimately, Parmia’s core focus is to ensure all upstanding Australian professionals are given a fair go and are equipped with the tools and cover they need to be profitable and successful.”

It’s an important focus that Mr Gumm says should be at the forefront of all service based businesses looking to succeed.

“Having a strong and loyal customer or client base is pivotal to all Australian businesses,” he said. “You can provide the best and most innovative product on the market but without the back up of personal and tailored service that brings customers and clients on board, it will most likely fail.”

Currently Parmia represents over 15 associations and industry bodies covering areas from allied health to graphic design, finance and fitness. However, its Parmia’s work in the beauty and tattoo sectors that has really set it apart from its competitors, with the firm now known for helping professionals gain cover where none is available.

“We look to work with industries where there are gaps in cover that are resulting in professionals being exposed to significant risks or potential damages,” explained Mr Gumm. “We find success in helping industries to fill these shortfalls so that they have maximum protection should anything go wrong.”

Having built a successful business from the ground up, Mr Gumm says he finds immense personal satisfaction in seeing how far Parmia has come and encourages others seeking to make their mark in the business world to take the next step.

“Going into business for yourself is always a risk but it’s incredibly rewarding when it pays off, which it will if you’ve carefully analysed the market and established a clear point of difference that will set you apart from your competitors,” he said.

For more information on Danny Gumm or Parmia Insurance, please visit www.parmiainsurance.com.au. 

Media Enquiries: Suzanne Ross at Graymedia on 07 3250 9406, 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.