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.

Pharmacy brand strives to improve men’s health by launching industry first clinics

Looking to encourage Australian men to be more stringent in having key aspects of their health checked regularly, Discount Drug Stores is launching ‘Men’s Health Tune Up’ clinics in over 100 of its stores throughout July.

In an industry first, the Australian pharmacy brand is striving to improve health & wellbeing in men by providing a more convenient way for them to have a quick and non-invasive check-up of their blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

“We wanted to provide another avenue for Australian men to have all of their key vitals checked without it seeming too confronting or too much of a hassle,” explained Professional Services Manager at Discount Drug Stores, Casey Clark. “Our ‘Men’s Health Tune Up’ clinics will only take 15 minutes but in that time, patients will have their BMI, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol tested with instant results, as well as receive a lifestyle assessment and the opportunity to discuss other health concerns.”

While they may seem non-urgent, these small health checks are actually vital to picking up more serious health conditions before they become too far progressed, with Ms Clark continuing stating the clinics are aimed at encouraging men to be proactive rather than reactive with their health.

“Research has found that men visit their doctor less frequently than women and generally only when their illness is serious,” she said. “It’s this behaviour that needs to change in order to improve overall health in Australian men and to ensure they’re living longer lives.”

The pharmacy brand has a strong track record of picking up potentially serious conditions during its health clinics with close to 50% of patients tested during its bone, bowel and sun awareness clinics being referred onto their GPs or the pharmacist for further treatment or advice.

Acknowledging that many men don’t like talking about or seeking help when it comes to their health, Ms Clark states DDS’ ‘Men’s Health Tune Up’ clinics have been designed to make this process easier but that partners will play a pivotal role in keeping their loved ones healthy.

“Men’s health is always a challenging topic because we often find that men don’t generally make their health a priority,” she said. “This is where partners and family members can play a really valuable role.

“We strongly encourage anyone whose husband, boyfriend, son etc. hasn’t had a health check up in a while to book them into one of our clinics. It will ensure that any underlying issues are picked up before they become serious and will help bring much needed peace of mind to both the patient and their loved ones.”
Costing $20 for a 15 minute consultation with a registered nurse, most clinics will conveniently take place during lunch hours. Patients will also be able to discuss other key health and lifestyle issues that may be affecting them such as mental fitness, hair loss, sleep apnoea and weight. Ms Clark says the campaign is all about awareness and prevention and has been geared towards busy men, giving them no excuse to ignore their health.

“We’ve worked hard to remove the embarrassment factor behind men’s health,” she said. “Our clinics are designed to be quick and almost painless with no invasive exams.  The benefits of having a simple 15 minute check-up are huge and can make a real difference to overall wellbeing, so we hope to see a lot of men taking advantage of this service.”

Bookings are preferred. For more information, please visit www.discountdrugstores.com.au/health-clinics.

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

Campaign for Change unearths inspiring bright ideas

An ethical fashion line, a touch footy program for disadvantaged youth and an aquaponics program are among the bright ideas unearthed in the 2014 Wesley Mission Brisbane (WMB) Campaign for Change competition.  

More than 60 South East Queenslanders entered the unique competition that encourages local residents to share their bright ideas for improving the local community for the chance to win a $30,000 kick-start to get their project off of the ground.

WMB’s Executive Director Geoff Batkin says he was overwhelmed with the wide and varied entries that ranged from initiatives to combat bullying, to programmes aimed at encouraging Brisbane residents to grow their own produce.

“It was impressive to see the level of thought that people had put into the challenges facing their local community and into devising feasible solutions to those issues,” he said. “It made the judging process incredibly difficult as really, all of the concepts were fantastic initiatives for bringing about positive change and for helping those in need.”

Andrew and Leona Walker, finalists from Ipswich, want their program ‘Rise Above’ 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.”

Helping marginalised people in the local Brisbane community to find work is the mission for Rebecca Sheehan who plans to offer work opportunities for skilled refugees through her eco-friendly fashion label, WayWard Community.

“WayWard Community aims to provide society with an alternative to immoral fast fashion production,” she said. “Targeting abuse of labour, WayWard will employ skilled refugees for pattern making and construction, paying award wages and ensuring safe working conditions while developing clothing using 100% salvaged fabrics and trims.”

Other finalists include: New Farm local Rebecca Sheehan, Geoff Wilson from Mt Gravatt Wooloowin resident Angela Harrison and Kate Baker from Petrie.

All five finalists will now enter the next round of the Campaign for Change 2014 competition where they will present a full breakdown of their proposed project and business idea to a selection committee on the 19th of July. The winner will be announced on July 28 and will receive $30,000 from WMB and campaign partners, tailored support from WMB and a short course from Foresters Community Finance. Two runners-up will receive $5,000 from campaign partners PBS Building and enrolment into a short course focusing on starting a social enterprise, sponsored by Foresters Community Finance.

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.

DDS National Conference focuses on owners' bottom line

Discount Drug Stores has announced a number of new programs and two major initiatives to drive the bottom line of its franchisees at its 2014 National Conference, held in Melbourne from June 1 to 3.

Key among the initiatives, which include new product launches and improved e-commerce and loyalty strategies, was the announcement of an enhanced Medication Management Program, and a new partnership with DAA packing company MPS.

Discount Drug Store General Manager Douglas Kuskopf-Dallas said the initiatives will usher in the next chapter for the brand as the industry enters a period of consolidation as a result of the PBS reforms.

“This is an incredibly challenging time for pharmacy with PBS reforms having a significant impact on profit,” Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said. “At conference we announced a number of programs and strategies to address these challenges and give store owners not only new means to gain back some lost profits, but to achieve growth.”

The conference, which featured a keynote address from Pharmacy Guild of Australia Executive Director, David Quilty and was attended by Victoria Pharmacy Guild President Anthony Tassone, also saw a renewed focus on professional services.

In continued partnership with PharmEngage, DDS announced the enhancement of its highly successful TOP Medication Management Program (MMP), which will now deliver consumer information and patient support programs.

DDS also announced a new partnership with DAA packing company MPS, which will manage community Dose Administration Aids, preparing stores for growing consumer need and enabling pharmacists to spend more time in the front of store consulting with their customers.

Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said DDS would focus on driving both initiatives, which will improve customer health outcomes and drive customer loyalty.

“Our TOP MMP has been a significant success both for customers in improving medication compliance and health outcomes and for our stores in increasing loyalty and thereby profits,” Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said. "Our partnership with MPS will similarly help improve customer compliance and health outcomes, driving customer loyalty to the stores. Professional services continue to be one of our leading priorities and we remain firm that this will be the key differentiator for the future success of our business.”

Other initiatives announced at conference include an enhanced e-commerce platform designed to drive customer engagement with stores, new loyalty program strategies designed to increase brand loyalty, a DDS App designed to incorporate both the loyalty program and assist customers with accessing information from the MMP, an expansion of the brand's products in a number of categories, and a new focus on stocking control brands, with DDS taking on Premium Health Brands' goHealthy vitamin range.

Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said control brands will help stores compete against supermarket private label ranges, offering consumers better value and stores better margins.

“Through taking on pharmacy only ranges such as goHealthy we can both better compete with the supermarket chains and help our owners achieve a better gross profit,” Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said.

Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said all the initiatives aim to encourage owners to work smarter in order to combat the rising challenges in the industry.

“Our 2014 focus is about taking what we’ve done over the past few years to the next level,” Mr Kuskopf-Dallas said. “We need to be utilising our tools and resources more effectively, monitoring and measuring our business with much more precision and most importantly ensuring that our customers are receiving the highest possible level of care and attention at all times. This will be fundamental to our continued success and growth.”

For more information on Discount Drug Stores, please visit www.discountdrugstores.com.au.

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

New partnership sees Parmia take on the Australian weight loss industry

Leading Queensland based insurance broker Parmia Insurance has secured market leading cover for the Australian Institute of Weight Loss Consultants (AIWLC) in a new partnership that looks set to help take the rapidly growing association to the next level.

A challenging industry to cover due to the wide and varied skills and services that professionals offer, Parmia has successfully developed a policy for AIWLC members that provides comprehensive public liability and professional indemnity protection.

Founder of the AIWLC, Sonja Bella says Parmia’s ability to provide coverage for multiple streams within the weight loss industry was one of the key reasons she engaged the award winning broker.

“The AIWLC covers all aspects of the weight loss industry from nutrition to psychology to personal training and physiotherapy so our members come from many different fields, all of which carry their own unique risks,” she explained. “We needed an insurance provider that would provide a tailored solution to meet all of these demands and Parmia was far and beyond the best choice.”

Established by the National Insurance Broker Association’s 2013 Broker of the Year Danny Gumm in 2002, Parmia is known for tackling hard to cover industries including the beauty and tattoo sectors.

Mr Gumm states he felt a strong need to help protect the weight loss market and specifically the AIWLC given the important role that professionals in this sector play in reducing obesity in Australia.

“Australia has one of the highest obesity rates in the world and fitness professionals, nutritionists and psychologists are vital to reducing this,” he explained. “We wanted to do our part to make sure that they’re able to carry out their jobs confidently and without worrying about whether their insurance adequately covers them. More to the point though, we wanted to help the AIWLC to carry out its important mission of helping Australians to lose weight holistically.”

The AIWLC was established by Ms Bella, who is a highly regarded weight loss professional, in 2012 after she became frustrated at the lack of associations and industry groups that covered all areas of weight loss and management.

“In my ten years of working in the industry both in Australia and overseas, I couldn’t find any organisation that represented all of the different streams of weight loss consultants,” she said. “I wanted to fill this gap because I believe weight loss and management needs to be approached holistically. Psychologists, trainers, nutritionists and all other allied health professionals specialising in weight loss need to work together to address our current obesity epidemic.”

It’s a unique approach that has been met with great enthusiasm within the industry with more than 200 professionals signing to the AIWLC since March. However, Mr Gumm states it’s the fact that the AIWLC focuses on assisting both industry professionals and members of the general public that really drew his attention.

“The AWILC isn’t just about supporting the industry, it’s also about showing the community all of the different lifestyle changes that need to be made in order to lose weight effectively,” he said.

The organisation does this through holding weight loss summits across the country, including the Global Weight Management Congress to be held in Brisbane in December which will teach Australians how to take a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss.

For more information on Parmia or its policies for the weight loss industry industry, please visit www.parmiainsurance.com.au. For more information on the AIWLC, please visit www.weightlossinstitute.com.au.

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