Oaks Collective boosts ideas, skills and belonging

If you haven’t already, pop into The Oaks Collective on Central Avenue.

This NDIS retail space, run in conjunction with Individual Me, a disability support agency, is a pre-loved clothing store where people learn valuable life skills as they work in the store. 

Individual Me Marketing manager Raechel McPhan says The Oaks Collective is a participant-led space in which participants wash the clothes, sort them, communicate with the public and handle sales transactions under the guidance of support worker Angela Miller.

The Oaks Collective was the brainchild of Nathan Aherns who founded Individual Me after years of working in the disability support sector. He saw a gap for initiatives offering flexible working hours and the chance to learn life skills. 

“It is not about creating a separate space away from the community for people with a disability,” Raechel said. 

“We want it to be a place where the community and our participants naturally come together.

“We have also seen how valuable those everyday interactions can be. Something as simple as greeting a customer, helping somebody find an item, preparing for an event or having a conversation with somebody new can build confidence and a sense of belonging.”

The public have been supportive, donating clothing and attending events in store. Once a month on a Wednesday night, the store is open for shopping from 5-7pm with participants offering nibblies to customers. Everyone is excited to be part of the Eats and Beats Oak Flats twilight festival on Saturday, 19 September, Raechel says. 

“It’s important for The Oaks Collective and the people involved with it to be visible and active within the broader local community, rather than existing separately from it.”

One highlight since the store opened has been the introduction of Bree’s Space. Bree has her own table where she sells knick-knacks, cups and pens. This is teaching Bree about money, retail and marketing, including via social media. 

“Bree’s space is a lovely example of what we want The Oaks Collective to be about,” Raechel says. 

“It gives her an opportunity to have something that is her own within the broader shop, to take pride in it and to be part of the day-to-day life of The Oaks Collective.”

“It is these individual opportunities that make the space special …

“Success will not look the same for everybody. For one person it might be becoming confident enough to interact with a customer. For another it might be taking responsibility for a particular job, developing friendships, trying something new or simply feeling comfortable enough to become part of the space.”

Raechel says collective demonstrates people with a disability are more than recipients of support, they are valued members of their community. 

The Oaks Collective is at 46 Central Ave, Oak Flats. It is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am-2pm.