Volunteers are the backbone of the hugely successful Crestani Scholarships which has raised thousands of dollars over almost 15 years to advance the training of Central Coast radiotherapists.
Crestani Scholarships History
Crestani Scholarships was formed by Yvonne Crestani, whose husband Chris was chief radiotherapist at St Vincents Hospital before his life was tragically cut short after he himself contracted cancer. Crestani Scholarships raises funds for scholarships awarded to radiotherapists to study the world’s best practice in radiotherapy techniques and bring them back to the Central Coast.
“The Crestani Scholarships Foundation is a unique charity which raises funds for better outcomes for cancer patients,” Mrs Crestani said.
Finding the Right Person
“When it came time to get a website, we needed to find the right person and one that understood our mission and purpose.”
Jean Werk, owner and operator of web design business, Bright Blue Gum, was definitely the right person for the job and volunteered to design a website that was informative, attractive and accessible to anyone regardless of their abilities.
“It was paramount that he understood our mission and relate it to our website,” Mrs Crestani said.
“Jean showed a great deal of empathy, compassion, sensitivity and understanding.”
Jean was no stranger to the Crestani Scholarships Foundation. His wife Sarah is the Foundation’s IT support expert.
“When I heard Crestani Scholarships was looking for a web designer, I was really happy to volunteer my services,” he said.
Jean has been in Australia for 17 years and has called the Central Coast home for 10 years.
“I wanted to escape the overcrowding in Sydney,” he said.
When he’s not designing and producing websites for Central Coast businesses, he and Sarah work daily on their four-acre permaculture designed garden where they produce organic fruit, vegetables and eggs.
He launched Bright Blue Gum – named after Ourimbah’s original name of Blue Gum Flats, in 2016 after working for a large IT company for many years.
“It’s different lifestyle and I like working from home,” he said.
Emphasis on Accessibility
When it came to designing a website for Crestani Scholarships, Jean wanted to ensure it was minimalistic and easy to navigate.
“I have out a special emphasis on accessibility, especially for people with a disability.”
More Information
To check out Jean’s handywork or to find out more about the Crestani Scholarships and events planned for the next 12 months visit www.crestanischolarships.com
For media inquiries call 0416 241 110