The Ambrose Family

Craig Ambrose was among the first students to move across from the Frankston Special Development School (SDS) to be part of the Frankston Community Access Program, the pilot program which was the beginning of MiLife-Victoria.

“Craig was 18 at the time,” says his Mum, Gaye. “In those days there was nowhere else for Craig and the other students to go once they finished at the SDS.”

Gaye remembers the portable building on the school site where Craig and the other 13 original students would attend in the early days at what was then known as PAST.

Gaye joined PAST’s Committee of Management as a Public Officer in the early years. One of the main decisions at the time was finding another place to run the programs. “The lease on the rented property in Roy Court, Mt Eliza was soon to finish and we were looking everywhere to find a suitable property.”

“Jim Price found the land in Langwarrin. I think it was originally a surgeon’s house. It was down a dirt road at the time and there were tall pine trees out the front. It was a beautiful property.”

Gaye remained on the Committee of Management for a number of years and was part of the growth of the organisation which started with 14 people and grew rapidly throughout the 1990’s.

“They used to have overnight stays at Langwarrin. I remember a time when Craig stayed the night and they watched a movie, I think it was called ‘The Three Amigos.’ He loved it so much, he laughed his head off throughout the entire movie.”

Craig loved the sleep overs and camps and went on many of them over the years, including travelling to Tasmania, Queensland and on a cruise to Eden.

The clients used to love going to shows at the Blu Restaurant in Patterson Lakes. “The restaurant owner Enzo would put on a free lunch and entertainer, Mark Andrew, would perform tributes to Elvis, Dean Martin, Buddy Holly and Tom Jones. You’ve never seen so much excitement. There were 20 or 30 clients all up and dancing to the music.”

Craig has really enjoyed his time with MiLife-Victoria. He’s always loved getting picked up on the bus and likes to sit and observe what’s going on around him. “We don’t know what we would have done without MiLife, it’s been a great place for Craig and many others to attend.”