CRU Upcoming Events | News
| Events | News
| Event
| News
| Events | News
| Event
Succession Planning: How to safeguard a good life for a person with disability
This full day workshop will assist people with disability and their families and allies to plan for the future when their current supporters may not be able to do what they are currently able to do. It will be a broad-brush approach but will give participants practical steps to take and provide motivation to start or keep planning to ensure that their lives continue to be joyous, productive, and safe.
About the Topic
At this workshop you will:
- Understand the importance of not putting off succession planning.
- Learn the practical steps involved in effective succession planning.
- Build your capacity and motivation to plan and prepare for the future.
- Recognise and build on what you already know and are already doing.
- Gain new insights and knowledge.
- Be encouraged and inspired to get started and to keep going.
- Connect with others on the same journey.
Who Should Attend?
People with disability, families of people disability, and supporters and allies of people with disability.
This event is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Hosted by: Dianne Mandeville, CRU Presenter, is the parent of a 39-year-old son with complex disabilities. Alongside ensuring a secure and meaningful future for him, she has supported many families and individuals over the years in planning for the future and safeguarding a good life. Through her previous work throughout Queensland with Pave the Way, Mamre and Bespoke Lifestyles, Dianne has helped people build networks of support and create independent, fulfilling lives. She is deeply passionate about the importance of future planning, believing that while it can be challenging, it is essential to ensure the long-term well-being of people with disabilities of all ages.
CRU is holding this full day workshop in three locations:
- Wednesday 18 March, 2026 Kedron Wavell RSL, Chermside
- Wednesday 22 April 2026 – The Treehouse, Urangan Community Wellness Centre, Hervey Bay
- Wednesday 13 May – The Warwick RSL, Warwick
Registration is essential: click here to learn more/register.
There is a cost to attend – we have a scale of ticketing prices to make the workshops accessible.
Advocacy for People with Disabilities and their families: Find Your Voice, Hold Your Ground
Unfortunately, people with disability are not offered the same opportunities as others in our community and they regularly need to speak up or have people to speak up for them to get a fair go. Often, families must become advocates because their family member faces rejection, discrimination or low expectations.
This workshop will help people with disability and family members to ‘find their voice’, stand their ground, and become more effective in influencing what happens in their life, or for their family member.
This workshop, led by presenters with experience in advocating for and alongside people with disability, will introduce participants to the principles and fundamentals of social advocacy.
This workshop will help you with:
- Principles of advocacy to guide your thinking.
- Strategies for advocacy to guide your actions
- Identifying pitfalls and barriers
- Becoming more effective in influencing what happens in your life, or for your family member.
- How to stay focused on your best interests, or those of your family members.
The workshop covers similar material to The Meaning of Advocacy workshop previously offered by CRU.
Presenters:
Jenny Smith has been involved in disability advocacy for several decades, primarily operating as both an individual advocate and Citizen Advocate. She was a founding member of Capricorn Citizen Advocacy in Rockhampton and remains actively involved on that board to this day. She was herself a Citizen Advocate for 12 years before her much loved Protégé passed away in 2025.
Jenny also has her own small business focussing on supported decision-making.
Deb McNair is a Facilitator at CRU. She has experience in both family and systemic advocacy, through advocating for her school-aged daughter with disability in various educational settings. Deb is also an experienced teacher who has lived and worked in remote, rural and regional Queensland. Her work and advocacy have always been grounded in a strong vision for inclusion and equity. She has a deep passion for inclusion and values diversity and developing connections in communities.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is for people with disability and family members, as well as close friends and allies, who take up an unpaid advocacy role, or would like to learn where to begin. It is not suitable for workers.
Cost to attend:
- Standard price for this workshop is $30.
- If the cost is a barrier, please choose the Concession Rate, $10.
- If you would like to support CRU’s work you can choose the Supporter Rate, $50.
When: Wednesday 11 March 9am to 2.45pm
Where: Townsville RSL, 139 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park Townsville 4812
RSVP: 3 March, 2026
To learn more and to register: https://events.humanitix.com/advocacy-for-people-with-disabilities-and-their-families_townsville
Responding Well to People with 'Challenging Behaviour' and its Messages
This one-day workshop will encourage participants to understand more about the situations in which people with “challenging behaviour” find themselves and to explore how they can best respond to support the person.
You will explore ways to develop strategies with the person, so that, regardless of the level of their disability, they can better understand the motivations, effects and consequences of their behaviour.
This workshop will involve information sharing, practical tips and strategies and learning through stories. It will not provide a recipe to ‘fix’ the person.
Topics covered will include:
- Defining and describing “challenging behaviour”.
- Communication and its role in behaviour.
- Understanding our part in the behaviour of others.
- Practical tips for ‘making a start’.
About the Presenter:
Ann Greer has over 30 years’ professional experience working with people whose behaviours are seen as challenging. As well as drawing on the teachings of Donnellan, LaVigna and Willis, most of her learning and understandings have come from her greatest teachers, people with disabilities themselves.
Ann works with people with disability and their families across Australia to develop creative options and understand what’s possible in making a good life. Ann is the mother of three adults, two of whom live with disability.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop will be of interest to anyone supporting a person labelled as challenging – whether as a parent, family member, friend, or in a work role.
Cost to attend:
People with disability and family members:
- Standard price for this workshop is $30.
- If the cost is a barrier, please choose the Concession Rate, $10.
- If you would like to support CRU’s work you can choose the Supporter Rate, $50.
Workers, friends and allies:
- The price for workers, professionals, friends and allies is $150.
Learning Objectives
Participants in this workshop will:
- Understand forms of communication and interpret its role in behaviour;
- Learn how to work collaboratively to understand the motives, effects and consequences of behaviour;
- Understand their part in the behaviour of others;
- Learn how to respond to behaviour in ways that are respectful and non-punishing;
- Develop strategies for working with people to better understand and respond to their communication and ‘behaviours’.
This event is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
When: Thursday 12 March 2026 9.30am to 4pm
Where: Bowen Neighbourhood Centre, 34/38 Gregory Street, Bowen 4805
RSVP: 2 March, 2026
To learn more and to register: https://events.humanitix.com/responding-well-to-people-with-challenging-behaviour