Isaac Postlethwaite, winner of the City of Ballarat Youth Volunteer Award, has spent over five years volunteering for his community. At just 24, he has contributed weekly at St Vinnie’s op shop, assisted with Redan Football Club’s canteen for all home games, and is a familiar face at Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre community lunches.
Isaac was diagnosed with autism and a mild intellectual disability at a young age, making activities that are often taken for granted more challenging. These included learning to communicate verbally, participate in social interactions, and develop engagement skills—areas in which Isaac made significant progress through years of speech therapy, family support, and assistance from organisations such as PINARC. Acquiring new skills has required consistent repetition and modelling. Isaac set a goal to obtain his driver’s licence to enhance his independence.
Achieving this milestone involved substantial support from his mother and instructor; he attempted the learner’s permit examination three times before passing, demonstrating perseverance throughout the process. Isaac also encountered obstacles in securing employment and addressed these by completing multiple short courses and submitting numerous job applications. He is now employed two days per week at Gekko Systems, supplementing his work with volunteer activities.
