IT takes a lot of passion and dedication to work in the community sector and an extra dose of both to stay there for 20 years with the same organisation that gave you your first opportunity.
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Cheryl Keogh has been working with Accessible Living Options, in its original and current configuration, since March of 1997, just two years after it became part of the community.
The organisation began its life as Evans Community Options, a service introduced to assist people with disabilities and the frail elderly live independently in the Bathurst, Evans, Oberon, Blayney and Lithgow local government areas.
Mrs Keogh was fresh out of university, where she studied a Bachelor of Nursing, when she joined the organisation as a part-time case manager.
The role saw her assist people, ranging in age from two to 97 years, that were living in the five local government areas.
Having been raised in a farming family, Mrs Keogh was committed to ensuring services were available to people living on farms, not just those who lived in the regional cities and smaller villages.
Her dedication saw her take on the challenge of country roads and all kinds of weather conditions to provide services and equipment.
Mrs Keogh remained in the role for two years before being appointed the manager of the organisation.
The new role did nothing but increase her commitment to helping vulnerable members of the community.
She worked tirelessly to realise the organisation’s vision, purpose and values in providing high quality, cost effective services that meet each individual’s goals and aspirations.
In order to ensure that the organisation remained sustainable, Cheryl re-framed and re-framed again the organisation’s business model.
Fifteen years after she assumed the position of manager, a merger between Evans Community Options and Bathurst Independent Living Skills saw them become one organisation: Accessible Living Options.
The merger was a way to achieve greater economies of scale to provide more affordable community services.
The organisation employs 34 local people who are supported with professional development to further enhance service quality.
Accessible Living Options is also supported by 35 volunteers, many which have worked there for more than a decade.
With such loyal, hardworking staff and volunteers, it is no wonder that the organisation was recognised as a finalist in categories for three major awards during 2016, including the Crowe Horwath Carillon Business Awards.
Mrs Keogh was also recognised for her many years of mentoring women when she won the Most Inspirational Woman award through the Bathurst Women’s Network 2016.
Twenty years in the community sector hasn’t been nearly enough for Mrs Keogh and she intends to keep working to assist vulnerable people.
“While the last 20 years have presented many, sometimes huge, challenges, they have also offered me the chance to work locally in my professional field, meet and work with some amazing people and allowed me the opportunity to get to know and understand the needs of the community in great depth,” she said.
“I am looking forward with enormous enthusiasm to the challenges and opportunities which the sector will no doubt continue to present in the coming years.”