Maverick Supports

24/08/2026

We’re a fair way through August - but there’s still time to donate! 💙
Maverick Supports is proud to be a Share the Dignity Drive AUGUST collection point located in Currans Hill this month.
Note: If you would like to donate; DM us for the exact address.
If you’ve been meaning to donate, make this next week count. Add some period products to your shopping & drop them into our collection point so they can reach women who genuinely need them.
Period products are not free in Australia (YET), & so not equally accessible to everyone. In a country like Australia, no one should have to choose between buying basic necessities & putting food on the table.
Menstrual dignity is everyone’s responsibility. So, if you can spare a packet, a few products or even a whole bag, please get them to us this week.
It might feel like a small donation to you, but for someone doing it tough, it can be one less thing they have to worry about. Let’s fill that collection box. 💙

21/08/2026

Wednesday was adventure day for our no1 participant - Pep!
Pep & Trev Smith caught the train, jumped on the ferry & headed off to explore Manly Wharf together.

We love seeing our participants out there exploring, trying new things & enjoying their community.

Well done, Pep & Trevor; Manly looks like it was a pretty great Wednesday! 👏

20/08/2026

The developing story of Lily Hooper over the last 8 days has affected many in the Maverick community.

The devastating news today has hit our community hard. We stand with you.

Despite the miscommunication by authorities, we want you all to know support is available if you need it.

Our love and support goes out to all the rescuers, friends and family of Lily Hooper.

Please support the family if you can through donations in the link in the comments

Lily Hooper & Family Support Page

⚠️ This post references a distressing event.

🤍 Our community is grieving today following the heartbreaking news about local hiker Lily Hooper.

Our thoughts are with Lily’s family, friends, loved ones and everyone in our community affected by this loss.

News like this can affect people deeply. If you need someone to talk to, support is available; you don’t have to cope alone.

💙 Kids Helpline (ages 5-25): 1800 551 800
☎️ Medicare Mental Health Phone Service: 1800 595 212
☎️ NSW Mental Health Line (24/7): 1800 011 511
💙 Lifeline: 13 11 14
💙 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
💙 QLife (LGBTIQ+ support): 1800 184 527
💙 13YARN (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support): 13 92 76
💙 Transcultural Mental Health Line: 1800 648 911
🚨 Triple Zero (000) if there is immediate danger

Please take care of yourself and one another 🤍

14/08/2026

What a night. 💙

was incredibly proud to attend the The Blue Butterfly Institute (BBI) Mayor’s Charity Gala on Saturday 8th; & even prouder to have played a part in supporting BBI over the past six years.

Our CEO, , has been involved with The Blue Butterfly Institute board for six years, first as Public Officer, then as Vice President, & we have been incredibly proud to support the organisation through significant financial sponsorship & ongoing involvement throughout this period.

For us, community support isn't just about putting your name on a sponsorship or making a donation. It’s about being present, participatory & willing to do the work. It means showing up, getting your hands dirty & advocating strongly.

exists to support people’s mental health, wellbeing & lives; so being able to stand alongside an organisation doing such important work for sexual assault survivors, while also investing in education & prevention, is something we are genuinely honored to be part of.

The Gala Dinner was a beautiful example of what can happen when a community comes together, backs a cause & puts words into action.

We are chuffed to have been able to contribute to Blue Building Institute (BBI) over the years, & even more proud to see the community get behind them in such a big way on the 8th. The work doesn't stop when the gala does.

We need to keep talking about these issues, keep supporting survivors & keep investing in education that helps prevent these experiences from happening in the first place.

Community is stronger when we don't just talk about change, we participate in making it happen. 💙

What are you going to do to keep this action happening??

12/08/2026

What does "community connection" actually mean for someone in recovery?

For a lot of the people we support, formal supports ARE their community connection. There's no informal family network to fall back on. So when we talk about connection, we can't just mean "introduce them to a social group" - sometimes we're the only consistent relationship our participants have.

That means rethinking when support happens. A person doesn't stop needing connection at 5pm on a Friday. If we only show up 9 -5, Monday to Friday, we're asking people in crisis to fit into society's business hours instead of building supports around when they actually need them.

Recovery doesn't run on a roster, & neither should we.

11/08/2026

🏆 We won!

On 24th July, Maverick Radio was announced as the winner of the Excellence in Community Accessibility Award at the Enablement Awards.

The best part? We didn't nominate ourselves.

Someone from our community nominated for the award, & we were later notified that we'd been named a finalist via an email. We still don't know who nominated us; but we are incredibly grateful. 💙

Maverick Radio was created to remove barriers to connection & create another way for people living with mental ill health, psychosocial disability & other disabilities to participate, be heard & feel connected. Through music, lived experience stories, mental health education, community information & wellbeing content, it's available 24/7, & is now reaching listeners beyond our local community, including overseas.

This award is a wonderful recognition of our team, our contributors, our listeners & the community that continues to support what we're creating. To whoever nominated us - thank you for seeing the value in Maverick Radio. 🫶

Haven't listened yet? Check out our socials, download Maverick Radio from your preferred app store & have a listen. 🎧

Keep an eye out - our first interview series is coming soon!

10/08/2026

What makes a business successful isn’t just how well it runs. I reckon it is how well it's lead.

Leadership is more than making decisions. It’s listening, learning, taking responsibility - It’s creating an environment where people feel valued, supported & able to contribute.

Ultimately, how we lead (you &me) impacts how we serve. That’s something worth getting right.

Isn't it?

09/08/2026

Message from Kara - Our CEO:
Sector change is exposing something uncomfortable:

How providers behave when it gets hard, tells you who they really are.

Leaders should be advocating with peak bodies constantly, IMO not just when a policy threatens their bottom line. You earn credibility by showing up consistently, not just when it's convenient. Sometimes that means advocating against the system itself, when it stops serving the people it was built for.

Here's the part I feel REALLY strongly about:
You don't get to bail on people when it gets too hard, even when you're technically within your rights to. Walking away when a participant becomes "too complex" tells them exactly one thing, that they were always just a number.

We don't do that at . The NDIS was built as an insurance-style scheme to serve people, & increasingly it doesn't function that way. People weren't set up to be "phased out" of support. You can't phase out disability.

Here's to wishing all the businesses I am connected to are of ethical & decent nature = those that stick it out.

07/08/2026

This last two weeks has been a strong reminder that leadership is not always about having everything under control.

We have had some really challenging participant situations arise over the last two weeks, involving multiple stakeholders, larger organisations, & authorities.

These are the moments that truly test me as a leader, not because they are easy, but because they require calm decision-making, advocacy, & the ability to keep the person at the center of the conversation, not just the bureaucracy of systems & processes.

One thing I want to be clear about: When things get hard, we (Support NDIS organisations & businesses) should not walk away from the people we support. Support shoudl not only be provided on the easy days or for the easy cases!

Now with daily business going-on, the above, & trying to (MAYBE) do too many thinsg around that, my own health decided to add another challenge. What started as a scratchy throat week before this, has turned into losing my voice & by this Monday, a delightful chest infection.

Not ideal when your role involves constant conversations, meetings, problem-solving, & being present for others!
It has meant slowing down where I could, trusting my incredible team, & leaning into delegation. Which I normally suck at!

I had to miss a networking luncheon, partnership meetings, a contractor consultation, & many important conversations with both my team & the people we support. I won’t pretend I found that easy. I’m someone who likes to be present, involved, & moving things forward.

Here’s hoping this weekend & next week brings fewer curveballs, better health for mwha, & plenty of productive conversations ahead. 😊