The great work of CATS has been featured in the news many times over the years. Here are just some of the stories published about our work.

REECE SWAPS BATCAVE FOR YOUTUBE

A client with Raceview-based Community Access and Transition Service (CATS), Mr Streeting’s sonic sojourn started with a request for a kick drum. A request that was denied.

“I asked my parents for a kick drum and I never got a kick drum, so I decided to learn the noises with my mouth,” he said, not at all phased about the kick drum that wasn’t.

“After a while my parents said I had some talent that was going to waste. I started beatboxing and really decided to give it a go.

“I love mysic and I grew up listening to hip-hop, jazz and rock. I do beatboxing for the fun of it and with the help of CATS I started a YouTube channel to show people my talent.

CYBER SAFETY PROGRAM

IN A WORLD where faceless cyber criminals will target anyone, even young people with serious disabilities can fall victim.

Young clients of Ipswich’s Community Access and Transition Service (better known as CATS) are getting increasingly savvy with technology, however their increasing use of computers and tablets puts them at a greater risk of being duped.

SCHOOL SONG LANDS AWARD

A SIMPLE song capturing the spirit of Claremont Special School has won second prize in a national short film competition.

The song, developed by senior students working with Brett Briggs of disability support group CATS Inc includes the four elements of the school’s behavioural code, said teacher Johan Venter.

CATS SPARKLE WITH JULIE CROSS

Get your “sparkle” on with CATS annual Live Your Best Life fundraiser with entertaining, inspiring and uplifting speaker Julie Cross.

CHANGING ATTITUDES

CATS Inc launches their self produced documentary “NDIS Ipswich – Hopes & Dreams” at the 2017 Fresh Futures Market.

The documentary interviews people with disabilities, their families, providers, business, politicians and schools about the introduction of the NDIS and the difference they hope it makes in the lives of people with disabilities.

CATS RUN ON WITH TIGERS

A GROUP of young people with disabilities from Community Access and Transition Service (CATS Inc) mixed it with the elite footballers from Norths Football Club

Norths’ Glen Healey ran the first of a series of NRL clinics with his A-graders for the group at the Tigers home ground at North Ipswich.

Mr Healey said the purpose of the clinic was to provide the young people with real-life experience of what it was like to be an elite footballer, what A-grade footballers did and how a typical training session worked.

SPECIAL STUDENTS FINISH SCHOOL WITH A SONG

Students with disabilities are encouraged to prepare for one of the biggest transitions of their life through song.

YOUNG PEOPLE GO TO UNIVERSITY

In a first for Ipswich students with disabilities will undertake post school studies in a University.

NDIS KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

WITH the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme less than a year away, it is vital families prepare.

CATS INC has developed a range of free resources available for download from their website, in an attempt to assist families understand and prepare for the NDIS transition.

CATS TO SCREEN THEIR OWN SHORT FILM

DISABILITY support group CATS Inc has produced a short film and is aiming high after being pleasantly surprised with the results.

A group of young people with disabilities from CATS starred in and worked on the film, titled The Wedding, to raise funds for the organisation.

The film has been professionally developed by the CATS Inc team and produced by Luke Blair from Superior Producing. It will be showcased with a screening at Limelight Cinemas on April 18.

THUMBS UP FOR SHAVE FOR A CURE

The young people from CATS Inc teamed up with local Salon Robelle Hair Designs for Shave for a Cure!!

SAY THANK YOU TO HARD WORKING VOLUNTEERS

BRIANNA Smith is just one of the six million volunteers nation-wide who are being thanked for their hard work as part of National Volunteer Week.

Every week, the CATS member rolls up her sleeves and gets to work helping the staff and students at St Mary’s Primary School.

FUN IN THE SUN SONG

HOURS of toiling away under the hot Ipswich sun has brought out the musical potential of a creative group of CATS clients.

With the assistance of group facilitator and keen guitar player Brett Briggs, seven of the young Ipswich residents have produced their own sun-safety jingle that they hope will be used to educate schoolchildren across the city.

CATS CLIENTS PROVE A HIT

FOR the clients of Ipswich’s CATS service for intellectually impaired young people, volunteering represents much more than just a chance to give something back to the community.

The kind of work that many of us would take for granted is actually what gets people like 21-year-old Nick Lynch and his CATS mates out of bed and raring to meet the day.

With the help of individual disability carers, Nick Lynch, Claire Boulton, Paris Cruckshank and Jarred Owers are taking their rightful place in society, completing basic volunteer work in an environment where they are appreciated by their fellow workers.

THEATRE NIGHT BRINGS SHAKESPEARE CLASSIC TO LIFE

EXCERPTS from Shakespeare, Swan Lake and Madame Butterfly are set to be performed by members of Ipswich-based Community Access and Transition Service (CATS).

Members from CATS have been rehearsing since March, and are ready to get up on stage and entertain friends and family. The production, which celebrates this year’s International Day of People with Disability, will feature skits adapted from some great theatre classics, including Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.