Our story
Since 1952, Sunnyfield has grown in depth and breadth of support services. Working together with families, friends and dedicated staff, Sunnyfield supports a brighter future for people with disability.
About Sunnyfield
Creating bright futures for people with disability
Sunnyfield is a member based, registered not-for-profit charity. Guided by our values of respect, trust, honesty and innovation, it’s our mission to enrich the lives of people with intellectual disability through person-centred active support that creates choice, opportunities and skills for life.
Day to day, we deliver nearly 2,000 support services for people with disability, including children, teenagers, adults and seniors. Sunnyfield employs over 1500 staff in NSW and the ACT, to deliver accommodation services, social and community participation, supported employment, skills development and support coordination.
Sunnyfield
Our Vision, Mission and Values
Our Vision
Excellence in supporting people with intellectual disability
Our Mission
To enrich the lives of people with disability by creating choice, opportunities and skills for life.
Our Values
Respect, Trust, Honesty
and Innovation.
Our story
On a night in October 1951, Hazel Whiddon gathered five other mothers of children with disability at her home. She planted with them a seed of an idea about a better life for their children. A life that would have opportunity and provide their children with something different from what was the norm at the time.
With sheer determination Hazel forged ahead with her idea, and on 17 March 1952, Hazel and Fred Whiddon, and 18 other dedicated, like-minded founding mums and dads came together for the inaugural meeting of The Manly Sunnyfield Association. These families were called and driven to action to create a supportive community for their children, because at the time children with disability were usually institutionalised from an early age, which ultimately led to poor life outcomes.
What started on that auspicious day, was the building of a strong and supportive community for people with disability to live, work and play. Together they constructed schools and homes specifically for people with disability. They raised money and donated time. They challenged society’s norms, and they created a future for their children.
Sunnyfield has enabled people with disability to have every opportunity to learn, work, make friends, have fun and access the supports they needed to live a life of their choosing. Sunnyfield’s success has always been defined by the quality of life of the people we serve; underpinned by the generosity of parents, guardians, businesses, community members and local public figures who have worked valiantly over the years, and today continue to show their dedication.
Sunnyfield is committed to the delivery and accessibility of high quality individualised supports; bringing individualised support services to the people we serve; forging stronger local communities; and striving for true inclusion, so that we may continue the legacy of our founders and empower people with disability to a brighter future.
The seed planted by Hazel Whiddon in 1951 has flourished into the Sunnyfield of today, providing over 2250 support services for people with disability, with more than 1300 staff across NSW and ACT.