Newsletter June 2023
Our latest news from the team at Touching Base.
END OF FINANCIAL YEAR – a time to give
As the end of the financial year is upon us we’ve already received some generous gifts from people supporting our work with a donation to Touching Base in time to add to their tax deductions this year.
Whether you would like to donate by cash, cheque, credit card or electronic funds transfer, check out your options on our website: http://www.touchingbase.org/
Many thanks to our supporters who have set up monthly credit card donations via our GiveNow donation portal. These types of regular donations are a brilliant way our supporters can contribute to Touching Base.
We are enormously appreciative of those members who participate in workplace giving programs by having a small donation for Touching Base automatically deducted from their wages each payday. If you need more details to set up workplace giving donations please contact us via treasurer@touchingbase.org
Remember all donations over $2.00 are tax deductible and because we are unfunded every gift makes a difference. You can donate via our website https://www.touchingbase.org/
NSW Charitable Fundraising Authority CFN/21478
Sydney Disability Connection Expo
Here’s a picture of Scarlett and Saul having a great time at the Sydney Disability Connection Expo, representing Touching Base. It was lovely to be connecting with a range of people interested in our work.
For the second year in a row Touching Base was delighted to accept the invitation of a free stall at the Sydney Disability Connection Expo. Many thanks to the event management and to our volunteers who gave their time to attend our stall: Scarlett, Saul, Rachel F, Lilly, Alice and Callum. A special hats off to Scarlett’s dedication in organising and setting up the stall and attending for the full two days.
New documentary on NDIS and sex work
Carly Wilson is a Gold Coast based documentary film maker and also an NDIS support coordinator. She is making a documentary about people accessing (or trying to access) sexual services via their NDIS plans. Carly previously made an environmental documentary (Rubber Jellyfish) that resulted in significant environmental policy changes and culture shifts. She is hoping this project may play a similar role in furthering the rights of people with disability to explore their sexuality.
I am particularly interested in speaking with anyone who is currently specifically funded for a sex worker in their NDIS plan or anyone who is actively going through the process to request this. Also would love to chat with any OTs or other individuals who have had success in support letters or reports to get this included in people’s NDIS plans
See this flyer for more information, and if you interested in being involved in this project you can contact Carly directly via phone 0447 805 964 or email carly@conservationheartfilms.
Update on Roundtable on NDIS and Sex Services
Touching Base finally received a response to the NDIS Ministerial letter we sent on behalf of the Roundtable at the end of last year. It took a bit of chasing up, only to get a disappointing reply. Although the NDIA had been developing Operations Guidelines (OG) about sexual supports in their most recent letter they wrote:
“Given other competing and significant priorities, we are not progressing the OG at this time. External consultation with participants and stakeholders is part of our OG development process. We have noted your interest and will be in contact when this work is re-prioritised.”
The other key line from the response was: “A broader sexuality policy is not currently being considered by the NDIA. Should such a policy be considered in the future, the NDIA would undertake consultation with people with disability.”
Touching Base does not accept this persistent failure to provide guidance to overcome misinformation previously promoted by the NDIA. We continue to lobby for OG and a broader sexuality and relationships policy
New National Group To Address Disability & Sexuality
Jordina Quain from SECCA in Western Australia has been instrumental in setting up a new national group to address disability & sexuality issues in Australia. Touching Base is an inaugural member of this new group of professionals and organisations with a disability/sexuality focus. This new group is still in the process of getting established, deciding on a name and selecting priority areas to address – but we will share more information as it becomes available.
In the meantime, here is a link to where you can find SECCA’s excellent recent submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS – Inquiry into Capability and Culture (– see submission number 185). It provides helpful examples from SECCA’s own clinical practice of current problems around a lack of appropriate information and sexual supports being provided to NDIS participants. SECCA’s submission has been endorsed by several other members of the new group.
Rose shares a little about her experiences seeing a sex worker, and some tips to keep in mind for your future dates…
“It’s nice to be touched in a non medical way. Just to be touched without gloves on the main parts of my body. It is a skin hunger and also not always in a sexual manner. The close contact of another human being and doing things such as “spooning” and lying together naked touching each other in a way that delivers a form of release.
It definitely helps with my mental health as it boosts my mood and relieves stress. It also adds to my self esteem. Afterwards I feel refreshed, although I do feel physically tired as it is an exhausting thing for me to do as well.
I have been seeing my current escort for about 4 years.
My suggestions would be – don’t pressure yourself to perform – relax and enjoy the experience for all that it is. Also, remember to allow and take into consideration your disability needs that may arise during the booking. Do you require medication? Positioning? Towels? Do you spasm?”
Booty Ride
Booty Ride provides transportation and support so that you can achieve your sexual wellbeing goals in a shame free and judgement free environment, by a team that are skilled, passionate and knowledgeable. Their workers do not provide sexual services, but they do facilitate your access to ensure your sexual wellbeing. The team is led by a psychosexual therapist and is supported by qualified social workers with decades of experience in disability, to ensure the best possible experience for you.
Bootyride’s Sexual Wellbeing Facilitators are support workers trained by professionals in the industry, and Bootyride has a respectful collaborative relationship with the adult industry as well as sexual wellbeing providers. They have knowledge of the most accessible services in the areas that we service (currently only in Sydney), and are committed to keeping up to date about new venues, new workers and new services that can support your needs. https://bootyride.com.au/
Referral list
Hi everyone,
I’m Kandi, your volunteer Referral List Officer and also a full-time sex worker. I’m the lucky lady who gets to reply to all the referral requests Touching Base gets for clients with disability wanting to see sex workers. I’m glad to say we have been inundated with many requests recently and it’s great to see a lot of new clients seeking referrals.
If you are a sex worker anywhere in Australia or New Zealand I would absolutely love you to reach out to our team and get added to our referral list if you’re not already on it. WE NEED YOU!! Especially if you live in (or tour to) capital cities and major towns in South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales, the ACT & Northern Territories, or regional locations in any State or Territory.
To all our clients with disability, their support staff and carers, I hope what we do helps and would love for you to share info about our referral system with your friends, coworkers and colleagues
I am so happy to be able to do this for all of you,
Kandi xx
New Team members
It has been awesome to have had 4 new members recently put their hands up for key volunteer roles at Touching Base.
Ivy, our new IT volunteer, arrived in March having just finished a computer sciences degree. Ivy brings up to date database design skills to our Techie Team and is already planning an exciting full renovation and upgrade of our data systems so we can make best use of our Google digital workspace. We know any renovation can take considerable time and effort to be successfully achieved and feel so lucky to have attracted someone with Ivy’s background and qualifications to assist us with this big project
In April we welcomed Leila to the team as our new Resources Coordinator. Leila has been working and volunteering in the community services sector since 2015 and is incredibly passionate about doing purposeful work. We are excited at the skills Leila has already shown in reviewing and updating our resources and she looks forward to consulting members during development of the 2nd edition of our Policy and Procedure Guide for disability service providers.
It was a relief to Saul in May, when Meg offered to take over his Acting role as our new Referral List Database Manager. This position requires a high level of multi-tasking combining computer and database search skills and we are thrilled that Meg has so easily and competently slipped into the role. As a former sex worker Meg is really looking forward to being the primary contact person for our sex worker members on the referral list and welcomes sex workers to contact her via referraladmin@touchingbase.org if you have any questions or want help to change your contact details for the referral list.
New Treasurer
Scarlett B Wilde has stepped down as Treasurer in order to focus her considerable digital skills towards our Techie Team. Our Committee of Management is incredibly grateful for all the work Scarlett did in the Treasurer role over the last 5 years. In addition to keeping our accounts in order and preparing end of year reports, Scarlett also worked to make life easier for future Treasurers by migrating our financial record keeping to Quickbooks accounting software (kindly donated by Red Fox Accounting). We truly appreciate Scarlett’s ongoing enthusiasm to now take a lead role in designing/developing our new website and developing a digital version of our AAC book!
This leads us to introduce our new Treasurer – Stephanie Mellick, appointed to the Committee just last week. As a CPA qualified accountant with over 15 years industry experience, it was indeed serendipitous to receive Stephanie’s offer to volunteer on our Committee just as we began advertising for a new Treasurer. Stephanie learned of our work at Touching Base studying her Diploma in Sexology through Curtin University and we are delighted to have another person with valuable intersecting interests join the Committee.