The Illawarra Flame’s 10th Biz Birthday party at Coledale RSL last Friday was not only a chance to toast to local independent news, it was also a welcome opportunity to bring together the leaders of local businesses, charities and arts organisations after a challenging few years.

Thanks to those who shared their stories with the Flame’s University of Wollongong journalists, Zach Houtenville and Tyneesha Williams. (To read more about the birthday event, with special guest Maryanne Stuart MP, click here.)

Ian and Josh Pepper of Ray White Helensburgh

Real estate agent Ian Pepper said the local property market is doing well, even after the highs of the pandemic years.

“During Covid was crazy,” Ian said. “Everyone was trying to move out of Sydney. So all the records got reset along the coast. Since then, it's just become a normal market. But it's still going really well along the coast. People always want to move here from Sydney.”

At age 53, Ian is already taking steps to keep his property business in the family when he retires. “My plan is to build this up so that my son [Josh] can take over my section of the business,” he said.

Josh has just finished a degree at the University of Wollongong and is now working as Ian’s assistant. “I only just started this year, and it's definitely been an experience,” he said. “It’s been good.”

Shaz Harrison, CEO of Need a Feed

Need a Feed founder Shaz Harrison said the demand for the charity’s services is at an all-time high.

“Last year we fed nearly 5000 families, Shaz said. “We've been running for 12 years and we are a community-based, non government-funded, community-supported organisation.

“Our latest goal is to fundraise for a food truck. Then we can feed more people in the different areas of need throughout the Illawarra.”

Nick Bolton, Chair of Screen Illawarra

Screen Illawarra is a member-based organisation founded just four years ago and it’s going gangbusters. 

“I've been the chair for nearly two years now,” Nick said. “We are booming. We've doubled our membership. We've brought on 15 new sponsors. We've quadrupled our funding from the council. We've increased the number of educational events that have been going on and in terms of productions.

“I'm very proud that this year, for the first time, three Illawarra films won at the Australian Oscars, which is a first and unprecedented. There's this really big groundswell of members coming together and collaborating and making content and creating a sustainable career.

“I want to get funding for a general manager to have someone full time because the economic development we're bringing to the area is huge. We helped with Return to Paradise, [Kingdom Of The] Planet of the Apes and all these big films, and every one of those brings millions of dollars into the economy. And if we can create an ecosystem to give young emerging practitioners a sustainable career, that's great.”

Phuong Barraclough, NDIS Consultant

Phuong offers personalised NDIS consultancy services specialising in provider registration, renewals, audit support and on-going compliance. 

“I started only five years ago,” she said. “After over 20 years of being in government work and always working for the man, I left and thought I can jump the fence to the other side and help people actually navigate this really complicated space, make it easier for them, maybe translate some of the really complicated processes.

“I started off just helping a friend with his registration … five years later, I now not only support so many clients around the country, I have a team that's spread out around the country as well.

“My favourite part is we're able to then give back to the disability community through the work I do. We help people who live with disabilities, start their own businesses, and I coach, mentor and help in that as well.

“I have so many goals. I used to call them dreams, but now their goals because they come true.

 “One of my biggest goals is actually creating a space, that's like the in-between of a co-working space and a community drop-in centre … The space will hopefully be like a multi-purpose, multi-functional space where young and old people with disabilities, people without disabilities or neuro spicy people can come to this place and know that they can feel comfy there.”

Ben Wollen, Founder of Wollen Architecture

Ben Wollen is a local architect who has written a monthly column for the Flame for years. He said working in architecture is “a long game”.

“It takes years sometimes for projects to get from design to being built,” Ben said. “So I started in 2019, I just got back from New Zealand and broke my wrist, which is my mouse hand. Then Covid happened and then just before that, there were the bush fires.

“It just seemed like everything was conspiring against me to start a firm. But in actual fact, it was all a bit of a blessing because with Covid came the government assistance package, which gave me time to kind of tighten up my whole business and marketing plan. By the time that was all said, the pandemic was starting to recede, the building boom hit. Everyone who was stuck inside all of a sudden had design aspirations to fix up their homes. And I've just been riding that wave ever since."

Ben also runs the Illawarra Festival of Architecture and Design, which will be on October 26 and 27 in 2024.

“That's getting bigger and better every year,” Ben said. “My whole focus with that is just to bring the community together with architects so we can undo our unfair stereotypes of skivvy wearing designers that increase the cost of build. Also to make it fun.

“In terms of my own office, I'd like to get going on some really nice eco projects… and just develop a really nice portfolio of sustainable homes.”

Felicity Woodhill, Founder of Inspire Music Australia

To help young musicians gain performance experience, Felicity started a series of free ‘Music and Tea’ concerts that are held on the first Thursday of each month at Wollongong Art Gallery. She also holds events in Bowral and ‘Concerts Across The Lawn’ at her home in Wombarra.

“The idea, it's got two goals. One is to support emerging concert artists, build audiences and play to people in the community," Felicity said.

“The second thing is the awareness that a lot of elderly people, even children, carers of people struggle for multiple reasons.”

Keeping the concerts free and accessible gives everyone the chance to enjoy quality music.

“We encourage donations,” Felicity said. “Each month we usually have about 150 people at the gallery for the concerts. We have 20 preschoolers who come every month, and it's also an event about social connectivity.”

Her model has proved to be a good one, and Felicity is considering scaling up. “But to do that, I have to get, like everybody, more financial stability because we won't programme young artists without paying them properly.”