A Word from our Manager

Hi TOM Community,

I thought it was time to introduce myself to those who haven't met me yet; I’m Narelle, the General Manager. My background is primarily in public health, transformation, and innovation, complemented by my clinical experience in Occupational Therapy.

I’ve been with TOM: Melbourne for over 12 months, and what a whirlwind it has been! I’m proud to say we’ve made significant strides in our mission. Together, as a team, we’ve taken a step back to regroup and refine our approach.

This has led us to reduce our program offerings by suspending the TOM @ School program, allowing us to concentrate on our core programs (Makeathon events, TOM @ University & Product Development). These programs focus on bringing together people with disabilities and volunteers to co-create assistive technology for unmet needs. This reset has strengthened our foundations, enhanced our impact, and, hopefully, will add more value to the community.

What Does This Mean for the Year Ahead?

We are gearing up for our upcoming Makeathon events, where creativity and collaboration will shine. You will be the first to know once we have finalised a date and location!

We are thrilled to be running the TOM @ University program at RMIT again this semester. In 2025, we look forward to expanding this offering to more universities. Therefore, if you have an unmet need or know someone who does, please get in touch - we would love to have you involved in one of our programs!

As you may have seen, we are excited to share that our first product, the Communication Book Stand, is currently undergoing user testing. Once this has been completed, we hope to deliver this solution to many individuals within Victoria and throughout Australia. We hope to provide you with an update shortly.

In other news, we plan to update our website to enhance usability, better showcase our initiatives, and serve our community. Stay tuned for updates; we look forward to your feedback once this work has been completed.

I want to sincerely thank the TOM Community and the dedicated TOM team for your ongoing commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities. A special thank you to our sponsors, corporate partners, and pro bono supporters—your ongoing support is invaluable.

Lastly, your feedback is essential to us, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to discuss anything. My email is narelle@tommelbourne.com.au

Narelle