OUR HISTORY

For more than 40 years, the philosophy of IMPACT Community Services has remained consistent from the outset: committed to helping to improve life opportunities for the community. It has been successful in delivering many government-funded programs and helped thousands of people through difficult times.

Today IMPACT’s vision, mission, values and promise demonstrate these same ideals - to provide benevolent relief to people who are vulnerable, unemployed or who feel disconnected to our community. We help them to reconnect to social and economic networks that enable them to realise and reach their full potential. 

We aim to provide practical support and programs and work with you to help create a sustainable and independent lifestyle, and attain the personal and professional skills you need to prosper. We want to empower you to transform your life! We want to help you take the next step, live a better life, grow your potential and flourish in your future.

While the organisation’s purpose has remained solid over the years, our structure and operations have changed significantly.

In order to remain resilient and endure the peaks and troughs faced in the Community sector, and to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our stakeholders, it has been necessary to remain flexible, develop innovative processes, increase capacity and capability and plan to future-proof and diversify the services of the organisation.

Our origins

IMPACT’s origin was in 1978 as Community Youth Support Services (CYSS) located at the Gordon Club on Quay Street, which employed two staff and provided services to approximately twenty participants. 

Several location changes occurred, (including the church on Takalvan St which has now been demolished, and the old Christian Brothers College, now Bundaberg Regional Council’s library) before settling at the current site on Bargara Rd, purchased in 1992 when it was the Mascot Sports Complex.  Soon after, we purchased the adjoining house and land and commenced building a two-storey training and administration centre.

The sports complex, land and buildings originally consisted of 3 acres of land with 4 tennis courts, an 85-space car park, a swimming pool, and a building housing 10 squash courts, club rooms, reception, and a two-bedroom residence.  

In 2011 IMPACT’s original premises underwent major renovations, and a new building to house the workshops, maintenance staff office and additional toilets was completed.

On Australia Day 2013, IMPACT was flooded for the first time in its history, as a result of the devastation caused by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.   Building 1 had flood-waters at a height of 1.2m, while building 2 reached 0.9 metres. The organisation managed to save the majority of ICT equipment, client files and staff files prior to and during the flood event, but still suffered significant building, contents and vehicle loss close to $1m.  The focus during the event was on providing a coordinated response targeted at the needs of our staff, our clients and our community, and ensuring that the organisation was operational and staff were reconnected within the community within 24 hours after the event occurred.  Prior to rebuilding the ground floor of Level 1 and 2, Senior Management redesigned the layout of both buildings.

IMPACT today

Today our Bargara Rd site, utilized by many, consists of several training rooms fully-equipped with computers and technology for use by our students/participants; fully-licenced commercial kitchen; a training/activity kitchen; administration and reception areas, staff and management offices; several staff/meeting rooms; three function rooms; activity room for use by participants; workshop; archive storage area; parenting room; resources and library rooms; innovation hub; Board room; swimming pool with adjacent on and off street parking.  

IMPACT employs 180+ staff across all sites. 

Our enterprises consist of a Commercial Laundry; Recycling and Collections facility including MRF and CRS.

IMPACT also has in its property portfolio a number of houses on Eastgate and Princess Sts tenanted at reduced rental to disadvantaged people. 

We have also added services offered under the IMPACT Community Health Services at the Discovery Coast.

The organisation has also seen name-changes, starting as the CYSS, then Bundaberg Skills Centre, and we became IMPACT Make Your Mark in 2004. In 2015 we changed our name to IMPACT Community Services as it better represented our full range of programs, and this brought with it a whole new look.

The organisation became incorporated in 1978 and registered as a training organisation in 1991. In September 2019, to support IMPACT’s maturation and continued growth, to enable the organisation to better positions itself to deliver services outside of Queensland, the organisation undertook a change in legal structure from an Incorporated Association to a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Today IMPACT delivers a broad range of local community social support, training and employment services which take a holistic approach to supporting consumers and their families.