CARPET GOES WALKABOUT

The Dr Steve Burroughs Foundation has enabled 2000m2 (8000 tiles) of donated carpet tiles to be distributed to Halls Creek for local use. Initially, this carpet will benefit the community by being installed in the Halls Creek People’s Church Frail and the Halls Creek People’s Church Aged Care Facility.  The excess carpet will then be made available for other community use.

“But it is more than the supply of carpet tiles that are benefiting the local community of Halls Creek,” Dr Steve Burroughs stated. “Milliken-Ontera generously supplied and delivered the carpet tiles as part of their Revamped, Updated, Rework Program geared at the new use of carpet tiles diverted from landfill.  Mapei has also donated the adhesive supplies to lay the carpet. In addition, Milliken-Ontera has generously agreed to train six local indigenous members on how to lay the carpet.”

This is the first actionable item as part of Ontera’s recently launched Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP & Indigenous Training Program is Ontera’s Australian answer to Milliken’s (Ontera’s parent companies) “do good” global corporate responsibility objective. The Dr Steve Burroughs Foundation served as the perfect organisation to bridge these objectives, and assist in delivering tangible training benefits for the community. The delivery of the carpet tiles and training is occurring at Halls Creek from 29 August through 1 September 2017.

“The new carpet tiles are made up of excess/old stock lines. Recycling these carpet tiles is good for the community and for Australia. It means that instead of ending up in a rubbish tip, contributing to our ever-growing waste problem, the tiles are being put to good use,” Dr Steve Burroughs said.

He added, “Training locals not only expands their skills but also provides them with the opportunity to develop future business opportunities to lay the excess carpet tiles within the community. This project exemplifies how the foundation fosters sustainable development and the advancement of Australia’s first people.”

Dr Steve Burroughs believes “It is people that make a difference to our fellow human beings. We cannot change things overnight but maybe our efforts will empower someone to feel better about themselves and possibly develop future opportunities to do something different with their lives. The Foundation has been established to provide an important bridge between the corporate sector and Australia’s first peoples to enable local development and a sense of pride and achievement.”

The carpet tiles provide a positive contribution to improve the well-being and health of the community. Noise is a major cause of stress and irritation. Carpet reduces excessive noise and creates a more peaceful indoor environment. Slips and falls and the likelihood of serious injury is reduced with carpet. This will be particularly important in the aged care facility, where there are currently no floor coverings in place. Carpet also collects stuff like dirt, dust, allergens, and toxins and can trap them in its fibers. If a tile becomes excessively worn or damaged, it can be replaced.

Dr Steve Burroughs is passionate about supporting remote indigenous Australians and does so without any assistance from the Government. He set up the foundation to help bring about positive change. There are so many members of the corporate sector who share that passion and the Foundation provides the means to facilitate corporate support with local aspirations. As the Foundation is a not for profit organisation we rely heavily on private support. Donations of time, materials, or money are gratefully accepted and put to good use.