Hi, my name is Robyn, I have had the chance to learn wonderful skills very different from my role in the team as Event Manager such as; installing membrane and insulation, acting as a sparky’s assistant (which means I was the master of cable ties and wire stripping for a couple of days), assisted in concrete pouring and creating safe work procedures just to name a few.

It has been a great experience trying all these jobs to truly appreciate the Desert Rose from the inside out but just as much to appreciate my team mates, I have learnt so much from my colleagues about not just the Desert Rose but the buildings in general that I previously had no idea about. All those building renovation shows don’t cover some of the amazing and ground breaking things various members of the team are working on for this house.

The events I coordinate are really a celebration of what each member of the team are contributing to have allowed us to get this far and the journey we still have ahead of us. The Official Reveal of the Desert Rose was the highest profile I have run independently and was a moment for the team to breath and appreciate how far they have come. Watching each member talk about the project they have sacrificed for, watching their confidence grow as they talk about the project is a pretty incredible moment to bear witness to.

Recently our Project Manager Clayton McDowell spoke at the iAccelerate 4IMPACT Conference which aims to inspire and engage the next generation of social entrepreneurs to put their energy and passion into solving a meaningful issue that will contribute to our society and/or to make our environment more sustainable. Many of our events that we get involved in focus on simply sharing the Desert Rose story and this week the team made the most of this in talking to students from primary schools across Sydney at the Australian Museum as part of their Science Week celebration, talking to prospective university students at the UOW Open Day and talking to current TAFE students as part of tours of the previous Solar Decathlon house the Illawarra Flame. All wonderful opportunities to take home a fun fact of something we can all do in small and big ways to make a difference in our own homes.

At almost every event I am often moved by guests who will share some of their journey with us and their experiences of living with Dementia whether personally or because of a family member, I have had a number of people who are watery eyed when they hear how we are trying to do something different. Working with a lady who has early on set dementia, she said the project gave her “hope” that her diagnosis was not a death sentence and participating in the project along with her husband was empowering her to contribute to a different future, they were genuinely awed by the dedication the team have shown to enhancing quality of life

I am a small cog in a pretty incredible and let’s hope game changing house that is the Desert Rose.