Our community of unstoppable changemakers are the ambitious instigators of an exciting new revolution in kids’ health. Discover how they are giving, volunteering, supporting and fundraising.  

Spending the better half of two decades at Ausgrid and living with a disability himself, Darrel is committed to going all in for kids’ health through his role.

Tell us about yourself and your connection to SCHF? 

My name is Darrel, I’ve been an Ausgrid employee since the late nineties and I’m also involved in the disability community in NSW. For us it’s about being invested in community action and our partnership with Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is a really big and important part of our investment in community.  

Everybody likes to be a part of something, it’s even more valuable to you as an individual and I know that for myself, that I’m contributing to the outcomes that can help make life better for somebody else who is going through a tough time. That’s not limited to a single space in time, but as a contributor, I know we can get outcomes for the greater good. That may be for someone close to me, and as a community I think that it is so important to remember that we contribute to the next generation.

What inspired you to get involved?  

My personal connection to the cause is I also have a lived experience like the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation patient ambassador, Ollie. I’m an amputee and growing up around the same age he would have grown up, for me the experience is very relatable and connected. Being an Ausgrid employee, I see a pathway for someone unique and wonderful as Ollie to participate and that expands out into the greater part of the Foundation.  

On a corporate level, Ausgrid has been a supporter of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation for many years. Understanding the value it brings to the community, to children in need, who will one day become contributors to the community.

Why are you proud to be a part of SCHF’s Movement of Many? 

For us as a community, we represent such a broad and diverse spectrum of the community at large. Our employee base, and as an organisation that feeds NSW and in particular the energy distribution across Sydney, this is our community. For us, the hospitals and the Foundation supports our people, our staff and our families and that’s what it’s all about.

Ausgrid is proud to be a contributor to the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation through a range of programs. This includes our employee giving program, but we’re also really proud to be providing the canvas for their brand campaign mural. As a whole we look forward to growing that process as we are dedicated to connecting and delivering empowerment through our community.

Do you have a message to others out there who are thinking of getting involved? 

If I was to share a message, it would be to remember that we are part of a much greater community. The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation delivers outcomes not just for the general population around us, but everybody within the corporate space. It’s our family, our friends, our community that lives and breathes through this Foundation and that’s worth every last investment.

As someone who identifies as having a disability, being in a workplace where you’re valued and considered important to the outcome of an organisation, it’s really important that I as an individual suggest to others to not to be afraid to step forward and embrace your uniqueness, diversity so you can grow both in a corporate space and as a person within yourself.

To find out how you can join our Movement of Many, click here.