MULLERATERONG has provided much-needed disability support and services to the Hamilton community and is a big part of the lives of two members of the board of management, and they are keen to see others join in.

Its history goes back to 1953 when a meeting was held in the Hamilton Town Hall where it was decided that a centre for "intellectually handicapped children" should be commenced in Hamilton; two years later the name Mulleraterong was chosen.

Now over six decades later the centre is a well-established part of the fabric of the town, and the board of management is an integral part of how it runs.

However, the board is meant to be for nine members, but currently only has seven people, leaving two vacancies open - a situation they said they want to change.

For president, Becky Morton, the journey began with small steps a long time ago; in the 1970s she volunteered for a range of organisations that provided recreational programs for children with disabilities.

“I started volunteering and getting involved on community committees of management years ago,” she said.

“I see it as an opportunity … of starting to get involved in volunteering on boards … or committees of community organizations is great for people who've got leadership aspirations.

“I think it certainly gives you great experience about how meetings run, and all the sort of things you have to think about when you're on a board.”

“Subsequent to being on those community sort of things, I've actually gone on to be on other boards like the hospital board, Glenelg Water, when it was based here.

“So there's those opportunities from that starting experience to build up to go on to more ‘sophisticated’ things.”

For vice-president, Kara Winderlich, her own journey with Mulleraterong started in October 2018.

“I expressed an interest in the board and joined because I have an interest in the field of disability,” she said.

“I have an uncle who has since passed away but he had a disability so I've always been passionate about the space and I really love my community and volunteering so that's why I put my hand up when I saw the ad in The Spec.

Ms Winderlich was quite clear about what she has given and what she has gained.

“I’ve learned so much,” she said.

“I’ve learned about the governance structure … you're helping your community and you're learning how to run a business - you're not running it yourself, but you're assisting the chief executive because the chief executive reports to the board.

She said it was helpful to see how decisions actually work because “you could see how the policy fits into the overarching structure” and the commitment did mean “you have to read all the papers” in preparation for the meetings.

“That can be a little bit time consuming,” Ms Winderlich said.

“But you have a few days to read before meeting so … I look at it as a low time investment.

“What you gain from it … you're supporting a fantastic organisation volunteering in the community.

“I really believe Mulleraterong is making a difference in the lives of people with a disability.”

Chief executive, Annette Read agreed and said there was scope with some companies to allow such roles to be part of their job description.

“The message I'd like to get across is that first of all, it's a really good thing to do as a community, volunteer position,” she said.

“Some companies like banks … actually give people time release to volunteer for community organisations - I don't know whether people actually realise that.”

Ms Read wanted to make sure young people felt they could step up into a role on the board.

“There’s definitely an opportunity for younger people who want to meet some really switched-on business people, because we have a very strong board,” she said.

“It’s a very formal process, it’s done by the book and kids can learn.”

Ms Morton agreed and said a diverse combination of people was definitely a strength.

“It's important to have good variety of people and different voices on the committee,” she said.

“We're looking for people with skills in a lot of different areas, such as marketing skills, or financial skills.”

Mulleraterong would welcome hearing from any interested people to join them.

“The board itself is a fantastic group of people - really passionate about the services provided by Mulleraterong and all with a vast range of different experiences,” Ms Winderlich said.

“There’s so much you can learn from the people on the board … it's like a little community.”