A year ago, we joined Brainwave Australia not quite sure what to expect. That first year meant more to us than we imagined, so we’re renewing for another.
At DPM, we have supported medical professionals every day for the past 60 years. Through our work, we see the dedication healthcare professionals bring to their patients and communities every day. Our partnership with Brainwave Australia gives our people an opportunity to extend that support beyond our everyday work – helping children living with brain injuries and neurological conditions, and the families who care for them.
Sadly, ten Australian children are diagnosed with a serious neurological condition or acquired brain injury every day. Every one of those diagnoses’ lands on a family, and life changes overnight. Suddenly there’s isolation, financial strain and the loss of a normal routine. Brainwave is there to help families through those moments and beyond, providing support, connect and practical help when they need it most.
At DPM, we’ve supported medical professionals every day for more than 60 years. Through our work, we see the dedication healthcare professionals bring to their patients and communities. Our partnership with Brainwave gives our people an opportunity to extend that support beyond our everyday work, helping children and families who are navigating some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable.
We came on board as a corporate partner last August 2025, and our whole team jumped at the chance to get involved. What started as a new partnership quickly became something our people genuinely cared about.
As we begin our second year together, we’re looking back at some of the moments that made our first year so meaningful and sharing why we’re so excited to keep supporting Brainwave
An inspiring introduction
We were honoured to be invited to the Brainwave Annual Gala in late August, our first night out together supporting the charity.
The evening gave our team the opportunity to hear first-hand from Brainwave families about their lived experiences, and the incredible difference Brainwave has made in their lives. Hearing how the organisation has helped ease the financial pressures families face, connected them with a supportive network and provided vital support and resources really put the impact of the charity into perspective.
As Brainwave’s biggest annual fundraiser, the Gala was a wonderful night dedicated to raising much needed funds for the programs and services they provide. And, of course, the DPM team were more than happy to get amongst the silent auction and do our part to help rasie even more!
It was a special night, and a great introduction to the Brainwave community for DPM.
Santa’s Workshop
As Christmas approached, our team traded their usual jobs for a stint as Santa’s wrapping elves! Brainwave were kindly donated boxes and boxes of children’s books to be gifted to children and their siblings at the annual Brainwave Family Christmas Party.
That’s where DPM stepped in! We transformed our Training Room into Santa’s Workshop, switched off our computers and swapped them for wrapping paper, sticky tape and plenty of Christmas carols in the background. Over a couple of afternoons, the team smashed through the wrapping of hundreds of books, ready for their special delivery. And who better to deliver them than Santa himself!
The DPM volunteers at the Christmas Party said the gifts were a real highlight, and we loved being able to play a small part in making Christmas a little more special for the Brainwave families. We’re looking forward to making this a DPM Christmas tradition!
Luna Park Family Christmas Party
Our team spent a Saturday morning at Luna Park volunteering for more than 600 Brainwave children and their families. Some families had travelled hours to be there, from Albury and all over Victoria. Marissa ran the arts and crafts, while the rest of the team kept things moving smoothly as families arrived, with no queues in sight. That’s no mean feat getting that amount of people through the door. As families headed home, we handed out six big boxes of stuffed toys. The kids spent the morning on the rides, and the parents got a rare chance to sit and connect with other Brainwave families.
Behind the scenes at Brainwave Bikes
After the Christmas party, Matt Armstrong popped in to collect the donated books and got the full tour from Brainwave CEO Paul Bird and Managing Director Kieran. The standout was Brainwave Bikes, the charity’s own bike workshop. Volunteers get donated bikes ready for new homes, and every sale helps fund bikes for families and supports Brainwave’s wider work. Our DPM representatives, Matt and Dan, went back to spend a whole day volunteering there.
One of our Directors, Matt, visited the Brainwave Bikes workshop to see firsthand the work happening behind the scenes. Now that we’re settled into our partnership with Brainwave, we’re keen to get a DPM crew down to the workshop and get involved.
Brainwave Bikes gives donated bikes a second life, saving them from landfill and helping get them into the hands of people who need them. Bikes are donated, refurbished, and either provided to low-income families or sold at an affordable price, with all proceeds going directly back to Brainwave.
What makes Brainwave Bikes particularly special is that the impact goes beyond the bikes themselves. The workshop provides work experience, training and employment opportunities for young job seekers, including people living with disabilities and neurological conditions.
We’re looking forward to getting our hands dirty, learning more about the workshop and supporting the team at Brainwave Bikes in the year ahead.
Family Days in Melbourne and Sydney
Brainwave Family Days became some of our team’s favourite experiences of the year. They give families a safe, joyful space to spend time with others who just get it. Behind all the theme park fun sits something bigger: parents finding other parents in similar situations, and kids simply being kids together.
The Brainwave Family Days quickly became some of our team’s favourite experiences of the year. Held at iconic childhood venues including Luna Park, Gumbaya World, Sydney Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo, the Family Days give Brainwave families a chance to step away from appointments, therapies and the everyday challenges they face andsimply enjoy being a family.
There’s something special about seeing parents connect with other parents who understand their experiences, while the kids get to do what kids do best – have fun, make memories and simply be kids!
Our team has loved being part of making these days happen. From welcoming and checking families in at Luna Park, facilitating arts and crafts, to wrangling families for a safari at Werribee Zoo, our people have thrown themselves into whatever was needed and always with a friendly smile.
And we’re not done yet. With plenty more volunteer opportunities on the horizon, our team is ready to get involved, roll up their sleeves and take on whatever Brainwave throws our way.
Raising funds and awareness all year round
The events are the part you see, behind the scenes, our support for Brainwave continues all year round. All of our in-house fundraising is directed to Brainwave, from raffles and collections to collecting cans and recycling them through the Container Deposit Scheme, with the proceeds donated directly to Brainwave. We support the organisation through workplace giving, helping our team make a difference throughout the year,
Our support goes beyond fundraising. We’re proud to advocate for Brainwave by sharing their work across our social channels, helping educate our people about the incredible support they provide to children living with neurological conditions and their families, and spreading awareness of the difference their work makes.
Every dollar we raise helps Brainwave provide vital support in hospital, as well as equipment and therapies that can help children and their families achieve the best possible quality of life.
We’re proud to support Brainwave throughout the year and look forward to continuing to find new ways to raise funds, spread awareness and make a difference.
Looking ahead to another year
Our first year with Brainwave has shown us what a meaningful partnership can look like. It’s not just about raising funds, it’s about giving our people opportunities to contribute their time, learn more about what Brainwave does, raise awareness and connect with the families and communities they support.
We’ve loved finding different ways for our teams to get involved, from fundraising and workplace giving to wrapping books, attending the Brainwave Gala and sharing Brainwave’s work with our wider network.
That’s why we’ll keep turning up for the family days, continue to raise funds, find new ways to volunteer and advocate for Brainwave and keep backing the children and families Brainwave supports. We can’t wait to see what we do together in year two.
Want to get involved? Learn more about Brainwave and how to support their work at brainwave.org.au.
