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Endeavour Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation supporting people with a disability in more than 4,000 placements from more than 230 locations in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Endeavour Foundation is one of Queensland’s oldest charities, founded in 1951 by a group of parents who refused to accept their children with an intellectual disability couldn’t be educated. ==History== Endeavour Foundation was founded in 1951 by a group of parents of children with an intellectual disability. Initially called the Queensland Sub-Normal Children's Welfare Association, the group received the patronage of Sir Fred Schonell, the first Professor of Education and later Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Schonell was Endeavour Foundation's first President and extended his research interest in education for people with a disability by creating the Remedial Education Centre (now known as the Fred and Eleanor Schonell Special Education Research Centre), one of the first of its kind in the world. In its first two years of operation, the organisation registered 300 children with an intellectual disability. The Association's first school and support group were established in a member's home, but moved to a large property in Bowen Hills in Brisbane in 1955. Endeavour Foundation's Head Office, one regional office and a non-vocational day service were previously based at the location, now known as Schonell House in Jordan Terrace, which was sold to property developer BMI Group in the late 2000s and has since been onsold. By 1954, the Association had grown beyond Brisbane, with the formation of the first regional sub-committees in Toowoomba and Ipswich. The organisation continued to expand rapidly, opening its first service for adults, a workshop in Bowen Hills and its first accommodation service in Toowoomba in 1964. In 1982 the Association voted to enact a change of name from the Queensland Sub-Normal Children's Welfare Association to Endeavour Foundation, reflecting a change in societal attitudes towards people with a disability and the organisation's growth. By 1984 Endeavour Foundation had grown to provide services to 3,440 people in 19 non-vocational day services for adults, 25 schools, 12 workshops, 6 farms, 34 adult residential homes, 24 group homes and 13 clinics across the state. In 1986 the provision of education to children was taken over by the Queensland Department of Education, and Endeavour Foundation's focus moved to support for adults. Through the 1980s and 1990s Endeavour Foundation continued to grow, despite recognition that the organisation was losing thousands of dollars per week through the provision of services to people without individualised funding packages by the Queensland Government. This resulted in the shedding of major property assets by the organisation, and the movement and closure of some services. Currently, Endeavour Foundation is divided into five geographical Areas for administrative purposes, North (incorporating Far North Queensland down to Townsville), Central (Bundaberg down to Gympie), Sunshine Coast, South East (including Brisbane and the Gold Coast) and South West (from Ipswich west to the Northern Territory border). The organisation is managed by Chief Executive Officer David Barbagallo and senior management, guided by an elected Board of Directors. Endeavour Foundation has ten Area Committees made up of Endeavour Foundation members. The committees provide feedback on policy and services, build community links and vote on elected members of the Board. In September 2009 Endeavour Foundation acquired Cumberland Industries of western Sydney, providing employment for a further 610 people with a disability; making Endeavour Foundation the largest non-government provider of direct disability employment in Australia. In December 2013 Endeavour Foundation acquired Bay Support Services Group in Hervey Bay. Bay Support Services went into voluntary liquidation and the state government asked Endeavour Foundation to take over the operations of Bay Support Services, securing the support of 68 people with a disability and 230 staff positions. In January 2014 Endeavour Foundation merged with Victorian supported employment service VATMI Group. VATMI http://www.vatmi.com.au/ was the largest employer of people with a disability in Victoria, with 4 locations. VATMI Packing has facilities in Kew and Keon Park, and Recycling facilities in Bendigo, Wangaratta and Stawell. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Endeavour Foundation」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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