“Livvi’s Café will open at Livvi’s Place, the flagship playground for the Touched by Olivia Foundation. The new Café will provide employment opportunities for people with a disability down the track but will also be a great benefit to users of the playground,” he said.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Touched by Olivia Foundation to deliver Livvi’s Café. We have provided the space rent-free for 18 months and also assisted with the set-up of the Café. It is great to see this vision now come to life.”
Justine Perkins, Founder of Touched by Olivia, said Livvi’s Café aimed to be a sustainable model of funding, providing programs and employment opportunities for people with a disability in the community.
“Our goal in the next few months is to have the Café up and running and be in a position to employ people in our community with a disability to work alongside the operators of the Café,” she said.
“We are really excited about this project and not only will it make a real difference to the community, it will also allow us to generate funds to support our dreams of an inclusive play space in every community.”
“Livvi’s Café would not be happening without the generous support of our partners, the City of Canada Bay and Stockland.”
The was founded by Justine and John Perkins after they tragically lost their baby daughter Olivia to a rare illness when she was just eight months old. Their life as they knew it came crashing down with immense sadness. Following this devastating event, John and Justine devoted themselves to positively enhancing the lives of children and their families. The Touched by Olivia Foundation was a step towards realising the dream that has become Olivia’s legacy.
Livvi’s Place, located in Timbrell Park at Five Dock, was launched in 2009 and is the flagship inclusive playspace of the Touched by Olivia Foundation. It was designed in consultation with experts in the areas of play, disability, and landscaping, along with the local community.
Centrally located in Five Dock, was built for children with all forms of disability and from all parts of Sydney. The playground’s unique design and equipment addresses the needs of children with various forms of disability including mobility, vision and hearing impairments, as well as spectrum disorders such as autism.
“Livvi’s Place aims to dramatically reduce the barriers experienced by children with special needs and their families, helping to give them a level playing field for life,” Justine said.
“The addition of Livvi’s Café will enhance the overall experience of the playground.”
Livvi’s Café was launched on Friday 11 July, 2014 by City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas, Justine and John Perkins from Touched by Olivia and Lauren Cassar from Stockland.