Courageous Solutions: Purpose, passion, and learning.
From the moment Phil began telling me about his tutoring and disability support service, Courageous Solutions, which is especially for children and young people that are struggling, I could sense the passion and purpose he feels for his service, underpinned by a serious steadfastness.
Courageous Solutions also works with Sprout Space on their micro-business services.
It has been great to work with young people and an organisation called Sprout Space to walk alongside people that are looking to get themselves established. Our biggest project to date was a 15 year old entrepreneur with a history of trauma that really flourished with a stable relationship from a mentor as he explored and grew his business. It began with cars, giving the inside a vacuum and extended to house window cleaning and car wash. He has a business name, and still appreciates working alongside his Support Workers.
The History
‘The genesis of the idea came from before I was born. My maternal grandfather was a youth worker with handicapped (as they used to be called) after he lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. I remember him driving a station wagon with a hand-throttle in the 1970's. My mum joined him on youth camps and I learned from her, and stories about him, that all people are capable.
Courageous Solutions has been operating since the start of 2023 after I rebranded my tutoring business to reflect the breadth of activities I am involved in. I have been tutoring for over ten years and I returned to disability services in the past three years, finding out about the NDIS and determining what services I could offer.
Prior to teaching I completed an Occupational Therapy degree in 1987 and worked as an OT for 20 years with experience in rehabilitation, aged care and mental health.’
The Why, and the Who For
‘I am driven to help boys and young men to succeed. I help girls and young women as well, but my passion is to show boys and young men what is possible — in study, and in life. There is a lot of hurt out there.’
Whilst Courageous Solutions isn’t a registered NDIS provider, they can work with NDIS Participants who are plan- or self-managed. Tutoring services are currently being provided for learners all the way from year 4 to TAFE. If you are interested, the best way to get in touch is by Facebook or Instagram.
I asked Phil about being locals, and his favourite local day out…
‘We have lived in Mandurah for the past 10 years after spending 20 years in Kalgoorlie, My first visit to Mandurah was in 1989. I have lots of customers in Baldivis and other parts of Rockingham.
I love cycling and kayaking, I now am more deliberate about making time for both after working hard to get the business established and stable. I love the rivers and estuary in Mandurah and getting on the water. A shorter, easier paddle is a loop in the Mandurah Canals and I love the Serpentine River. I also spend time on the bike path beside the freeway, riding from Mandurah to Paganoni Rd or Baldivis.’
There is never any shame in asking for help and support, and there are so many people and organisations out there who truly want to contribute. If you or your child need some support, local services such as Courageous Solutions are just a message away.
