New leaders drive growth at New iMAGE Laundry

As New iMAGE Laundry enters its next phase of growth, leaders Michael Hayman and Marika Svenson are helping shape a stronger, more sustainable future for the social enterprise.

In 2013, New iMAGE Laundry, known as Peg n Iron at the time, became part of IMPACT Community Services, helping the not-for-profit expand its social impact across the Bundaberg and Wide Bay regions. Since then, the laundry has experienced several periods of growth, including its relocation to Inglis Court in 2018.

This growth means greater benefit for the local community, with the laundry offering dozens of people who were previously struggling to find employment a foot in the door of what can be a relentless job market.

That’s what inspires Mike Hayman. Across his 10 years at IMPACT Community Services, Mike has worn many hats, from recruitment advisor to industry lead. He’s no stranger to customer and industry engagement, which sit at the core of his latest role as the laundry’s Opportunity and Growth Leader.

When his Industry Lead contract was winding up earlier this year, he felt loyal to IMPACT and invested in leading the laundry to new heights.

“It's been a good ten years. I've been well looked after. I was happy to stay,” Mike said.

“This new role is very closely aligned to what I've done within my 10 years at IMPACT, so it’s second nature.”

Finding the sweet spot between purpose and profit is a challenge for most work-integrated social enterprises. Mike said he gets immense satisfaction from exploring how to make that balance work at the laundry.

“It's extremely important to bring our customers, no matter who they are, on the journey with us. 

“The only way that we can make this business viable is to have our customers understand and see value in the laundry’s offering and purpose.”

That purpose centres around providing employment opportunities to people facing barriers to work. Whether they are a migrant who speaks little English or a domestic violence survivor reestablishing their life, the laundry is there to build their skills and confidence, setting them up for ongoing workforce success.

It’s no wonder that Team Leader turned Operations Lead Marika Svenson, who joined the team in December 2025, turned to New iMAGE Laundry for the job satisfaction she was missing in her previous role.

In addition to skills and a regular pay cheque, laundry employees also benefit from a broader social network and access to IMPACT’s range of support and training services.

Supporting new starters from the outset is the laundry’s tight-knit core of experienced professionals. A key part of Marika’s role is ensuring this knowledge is shared across the broader team, strengthening capability and helping deliver an exceptional service.

With a background in compliance and quality management in the disability sector, Marika is well placed to partner with Mike and lead the charge on efficiency and effectiveness. Not only has she fulfilled her aspiration of reaching a management position, but she’s also relishing the opportunity to test herself.

“What gets me out of bed every day is that I like a challenge,” Marika said.

“I thrive on learning something new constantly and finding ways of streamlining processes and making the job more efficient.”

Marika’s leadership philosophy is people-centred. While reviewing policies, assigning training and checking machinery are all necessary and important parts of her role, she believes working alongside the team is just as important.

“I like to get in and get my hands dirty and work alongside the team,” Marika said.

“I think what makes a good leader is someone who leads by example and not from an office.”

Mike agrees, with both roles designed to balance time on the floor, in the office and out in the community.

Bringing Mike and Marika on board adds an extra layer of leadership and expertise to the social enterprise, ensuring people, production and profit receive equal care and attention.

Rounding out the leadership team is Laundry Manager Jenna Morrish, who also serves as IMPACT Community Services’ General Manager of Disability, Employment and Training. Together, the three leaders collaborate to solve challenges and drive continuous improvement.

They’re already making their mark, with New iMAGE Laundry recently becoming a member of the Australian Social Values Bank (ASVB). This enables the laundry to measure and demonstrate the social impact it creates.

“It allows us to operate within a framework that is already in place and respected by governments and other agencies,” Mike said.

“By using that framework, we can collect data around our purpose and put a dollar value against the community benefit we generate.”

With strong leadership in place and a clear focus on people, production and profit, New iMAGE Laundry is continuing to grow its impact, one job, one customer and one community connection at a time.

For local businesses, partnering with New iMAGE Laundry offers a practical way to support meaningful employment outcomes while receiving a high-quality service.

Visit the website to find out more: www.newimagelaundry.com.au

For 15 months, 21 year old Kara Craig submitted job application after job application.

Yet even with a construction traineeship under her belt, Kara said that no-one would give her the chance she needed to break into the workforce.

“Every email I put in would be unsuccessful or I didn’t hear from them,” Kara said.

“I just said to Mum, what more can I do?”

But Kara was determined to break the cycle of unemployment plaguing her family, and in November 2025, her luck changed.

With support from her employment agency, Kara scored an interview at New iMAGE Laundry. The Bundaberg-based social enterprise, owned by IMPACT Community Services since 2013, is dedicated to offering meaningful job opportunities to people facing employment barriers.

When Kara got the call to say the job was hers, she was ecstatic. Now, nearly four months on from her official start at the laundry in January this year, she’s come a long way.

New iMAGE Laundry Team Leader Marika Svenson, who joined the team just weeks before Kara, said that the two of them learned the ropes directly alongside one another.

“Kara and I spent quite a bit of time together on the folding table,” Marika said.

“A towel is not just a towel; there are different qualities that you don't even think about until you start immersing yourself in the work.”

“If Kara was hesitant and didn't understand something, I took the time to work with her and explain the process.”

For Marika, training Kara has been worth the investment. She said that witnessing and nurturing the growth in Kara’s confidence and ability to tackle new tasks has been incredibly rewarding.

“When she first started, she was a little bit timid and needed reassuring,” Marika said.

“Now if you ask her to do something new, she is keen to learn a new skill, whereas before she was quite daunted by the whole working environment.”

Much of the laundry’s equipment is manually operated rather than automatic, maximising its capacity to employ real people in need of work.

Kara recalled the feeling of learning how to use this equipment for the first time.

“A few months ago, I never knew how to do all this stuff,” Kara said.

“I was always scared to use the big washers when they’d go off.

“For the first couple of weeks, I had someone next to me, watching me pull it out until I was comfortable doing it on my own.

“Now when they go off, I’m like, I got it.”

It was a similar story with the ironing machine, which Kara initially approached with caution as she learned the process step by step.

However, that apprehension is a thing of the past, with Kara now building her confidence feeding pillowcases and napkins into the ironer as she works her way up to larger items like sheets and tablecloths.

Further opportunities for development await Kara as she continues to gain experience, from catching the linen at the tail end of the ironer to administrative work and customer service.

The philosophy at New iMAGE Laundry centres around getting to know everyone’s capabilities and challenges and helping them to take the next step.

Marika’s background in compliance and quality within the disability sector puts her in good stead to champion this open-minded approach. She said that her experience has bolstered her empathy, helping her truly understand that everyone’s unique, including each member of the laundry’s team.

“We have a diverse group of people here, with different capabilities,” Marika said.

“Every single person has limitations or something that they're not confident in doing.

“It's about finding the best way to overcome that and grow their confidence to learn new skills”

The laundry strives to improve employees’ skill sets by doing everything from putting measures in place to ensure the employee can perform a given task to translating work instructions into employees’ native languages.

As for Kara, opportunities to grow her confidence and experience are key. Marika said that, thanks to New iMAGE Laundry’s support, Kara already has the qualities she needs to be an asset to any employer.

“It excites me to see the changes in Kara's confidence in such a short time,” Marika said.

“She's a very good fit here because she's willing to work and learn new skills.

“She will do anything asked of her and is always happy to work extra hours if needed.”

With her amiable personality, it’s no surprise that, above all else, Kara’s favourite part of the job is the people she works with every day.

Looking to the future, Kara doesn’t see herself leaving New iMAGE Laundry any time soon, but she does dream of the potential careers on her horizon.

“Maybe eventually construction or something with animals or woodworking where I can build,” Kara said.

“But for now, I’m happy here.”

Are you a jobseeker in a similar boat to Kara? Or are you a local Bundaberg business in need of commercial laundry services and looking to give back to the community?

As a social enterprise, New iMAGE Laundry is always open to new opportunities to connect and grow its impact. Visit the website to find out more and get in touch: https://newimagelaundry.com.au

When Amy Macdonald first connected with IMPACT Community Services as a teenager, she was looking for a way into the workforce; she didn’t realise she was starting a seven‑year journey of growth.

That journey reflects IMPACT Community Services’ long‑standing commitment to growing its own pipeline of talent, with Amy’s progression from job seeker to Container Refund Point (CRP) and Logistics Supervisor a perfect example.

The organisation was Amy’s job seeker agency when she was a teenager, paving the way for her to upskill through IMPACT’s Certificate I in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. When Amy was working to attain this certificate in late 2018 and early 2019, her supervisor saw her potential.

Keen to see her grow alongside the organisation, he recommended her for a position opening at New iMAGE Laundry, one of IMPACT’s commercial social enterprises. The rest is history, with Amy marking seven years with IMPACT in February.

Amy said her four years at New iMAGE Laundry was a gamechanger, helping her understand the working world and giving her the skills she needed to thrive.  

“I was 17 when I started there. It was all new to me,” Amy said. “I built my confidence in the workforce and got used to having regular work time.”

During her time at the laundry, Amy also began working Saturdays at IMPACT’s University Drive CRP, broadening her experience and helping her purchase her first home.

After leaving the laundry, Amy continued her Saturday shifts with IMPACT while working full‑time in the technology sector. Before long, however, she realised that recycling was where her passion truly lay.

She went on to take on additional hours at IMPACT, working casually at the Quanaba CRP until its closure in March 2025, before transferring to the University Drive site. It wasn’t long before a supervisory position became available, and Amy was a shoo‑in for the role.

Amy said her favourite part of the job is the people she works with.

“I like the team. I like that it's active,” she said.  

The opportunities she has for growth and professional development also sweeten the deal. With support and funding from IMPACT, Amy secured her forklift licence mid last year.

Her ambitions don’t stop there, with Amy hoping to soon get her licence to step behind the wheel of IMPACT’s logistics trucks as a fill‑in driver. These trucks collect COEX container cages from the CRP depos that IMPACT services. 

IMPACT Recycling and Collections Manager Gavin Steele said Amy’s journey is a powerful example of what can be achieved when people are given time, trust and opportunity.

“Amy has a very good work ethic and a high level of integrity, and she is not afraid to jump in and do any tasks required,” Gavin said.

“It has been a pleasure to see her take on new responsibilities. She leads by example, which is a great leadership trait.”

It just goes to show that when the right support is in place, potential can turn into long‑term success, not just for individuals like Amy, but for the organisation as a whole.

For more information on IMPACT’s recycling family, visit the IMPACT Recycling Hub website.

IMPACT Community Services has expanded its New iMAGE Laundry operations with two new energy-efficient washers, thanks to funding from the Queensland Government’s Social Enterprise Growth Grant.

The upgrade boosts capacity, speeds up turnaround times and strengthens sustainable practices while creating new career pathways for local workers.

The 30-strong team processed 807 tonnes of linen last financial year, a 25 per cent increase. Rob Campbell, Acting Manager of New iMAGE Laundry, said the new machines are crucial to sustaining this growth.

"These machines reduce water and energy use while helping us serve more local businesses," Mr Campbell said.

"Most importantly, this project is helping us continue to provide employment opportunities and give people from vulnerable backgrounds the chance to build skills and confidence in a supportive workplace."

Thanks to the expansion, the laundry has promoted from within, forging a much-anticipated leadership career pathway for inspiring laundry worker and aspiring leader Nathan Menchin.

Since taking on higher duties as the Laundry Lead, Mr Menchin has been diligently overseeing the new machines.

Mr Menchin said the whole team has rallied behind him since he started his laundry journey more than a year ago.

"I was a butcher for 20 years, but I found it challenging to find work since I lost my arm," Mr Menchin said.

"Having secure employment at the laundry has given me the opportunity to prove what I can do and the confidence to be myself again. I've found it life-changing."

Mr Campbell said he couldn't think of a more deserving candidate for the new leadership position.

"Nathan is an absolute inspiration to the team. He does tasks that not even I can do, and he's not scared to have a go at anything," Mr Campbell said.

"He's already grown so much since joining our team, and we're all excited to see him continue to flourish while playing an integral role in our expansion."

Mr Campbell said he is grateful that the Queensland Government has recognised the vital role that social enterprises like New iMAGE Laundry play in creating a prosperous community.

"Thank you to the Queensland Government for backing social enterprises that create real impact in our region," Mr Campbell said.

“It’s a win for local businesses, the environment and the people who call Bundaberg home.”

New iMAGE Laundry is proud to be People and Planet First certified and committed to growing opportunities in Bundaberg and beyond.

Visit the New iMAGE Laundry website to learn more.

More than 200kg of laundry just became light work at NEW iMAGE Laundry.

The commercial laundry is an initiative of IMPACT Community Services’ which serves Bundaberg and the surrounding areas.

IMPACT’s Laundry manager Daniel Leary said they recently installed two Jensen Washer Extractor 110kg machines.

These Front Loader single pocket machines will essentially double the capacity of the laundry.

“The current wash capacity at the Laundry was 180kg at any given time, with the average cycle being around 45 minutes,” he said.

“The current machines are 40kg, 60kg and 80kg. Meaning that it would take three machines to produce 180kg every 45 minutes.

“These 2 new machines are each 110kg which allows us to process an additional 220kg every 45 minutes.”

Daniel said this equated to a new capacity of 400kgs every 45 minutes.

He said without the new machines the laundry was operating at close to its maximum capacity and this made it difficult to pursue other contracts to drive production and sustainability further.

The new equipment allows the laundry to fine tune its operation, reduce overheads. It now also allows us to drop existing machine out of production for essential maintenance at given times while still maintaining good production levels.

Servicing a range of local aged care facilities, hospitals, medical practices, accommodation outlets and more, the laundry is committed to working to meet all guidelines set by the Australian Standards AS/NZS 4146.2000 for the collection, loading, storage and sorting, disinfecting, washing and delivery of linen.

Daniel said key aspects to commercial washing operations and remaining compliant to medical and aged care standards are Mechanical, Thermal and Chemical disinfection.  

The Mechanical Action is achieved by the engineering of the inner drum and the rigorous tumbling process. The Thermal action is achieved by the injection of steam continually throughout the wash cycle to maintain set temperatures. And the Chemical disinfection is maintained by the computer-controlled injection system which delivers concentrated wash, softening and neutralising chemicals.

Daniel said the washing machines operate up to 80 degrees Celsius depending on the fabrics being processed, while the ironer operates at 180 degrees Celsius and the dryers at 90 degrees Celsius. This will eliminate any pathogens or viruses that may have been in contact with the linen.

The machinery and wash cycles are calibrated each month to ensure that all the above measures are being meet. Importantly, the linen is also pH tested to confirm neutral pH linen was going back to clients. This is particularly important for use in hospitals and aged care facilities were when patients and residents will have contact with linen for prolonged periods.

The machinery was commissioned on June 8, 2022.

Some interesting facts:

Current research suggests that the covid virus cannot withstand temperatures at or above 70°C (158°F). All medical, aged care and accommodation linen at NEW iMAGE Laundry is washed at between 75 and 80 degrees Celsius.

When washing clothes for Bed Bugs or lice, wash cycles above 65 degrees for 10 minutes killed 100% of all life stages. Washing at 40 degrees killed all adults and nymphs, but only 25% of eggs. Therefore, washing clothes for bed bug dis-infestation should be done at the hottest temperatures. Most domestic washing machines will not maintain these temperatures for any period to eliminate these pests.

The extraction process of moisture or final spin cycle by our washing machines is done at 350 G-forces. In comparison, the massive G forces experienced by a space shuttle astronaut at take-off is 3 G, while fighter pilots can only manage up to about 9G for a second or two in a vertical manoeuvre.

NEW iMAGE Laundry is located at 4 Inglis Court, Svensson Heights, and is open 5 days a week from 8am to 3pm.

Want to know how our commercial laundering could benefit your business, visit webpage or call us on (07) 4152 6158.

By Tanya O'Shea, IMPACT Community Services' Managing Director

"STRONGER TOGETHER" is a weekly column where Tanya explores key issues. This weeks Tanya focuses on what older workers bring to the workforce.

At IMPACT Community Services, we pride ourselves on our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion. Our values include a focus on celebrating uniqueness, creating a place built on dignity and respect that applauds individuality and where everyone is welcome.

We create regular opportunities to have deliberate conversations about diversity and inclusion and what it means for our organisation. We aim to dig deep, engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge our personal beliefs, values and worldviews, in addition to unearthing our unconscious bias.

Unconscious biases are our thought patterns, our mental shortcuts that we create over a lifetime.

Imagine walking into an unlit car park at night in the rain and seeing a stranger approaching in a raincoat and hoodie. We immediately make a snap judgement about that person. We question whether we can trust them, and our body fills with adrenaline as we sense danger and prepare for our flight, fight or freeze response.

These things happen automatically.

Remember when you first learnt to ride a bike or drive a car. You needed to think through every step logically until learning this new skill became automatic. Once you learn the skill, you can do a complex activity like driving a car without consciously thinking about it.

In a similar way, our unconscious biases support us to navigate a complex social world. The only problem is that these biases can have negative effects. We make snap judgements about others all the time: when we see a figure walking towards us on a dark, rainy night; a person that we pass on the street; the people we work with; a person that we interview for a job.

We construct stereotypes that have been developed over time to make judgements about people every day. These stereotypes can be built from direct personal experience, from other people or via the media. And they can result in many forms of discrimination – too many for us to focus on in one article.

I would however like to touch briefly on age discrimination.

Before sharing a personal story, it is important to note that ageism is not just an issue for older people. It can affect people of any age. However, when directed towards older people, it comes from negative attitudes and beliefs about what it means to be older.

After turning 50 a few months ago, I reflected on a podcast where a woman was lamenting about not being taken seriously at her workplace and remarked “On top of all that, no one in the world sees me anymore because I’m an older woman.”

Whilst her comment was said in jest, the reality is that she was only half joking. Research suggests that it is not uncommon for people over the age of 45 to experience ageism, described by some as a feeling of being invisible.

And then it happened to me.

Standing at the bar of our quiet local sports club, the young man served the person to the right of me and then went to serve the person to the left – even though I had been standing there in his full view for the entire time. 

It is easy to fob this off as an extraordinary, once off, unusual event. Yet, the reality for many over the age of 45, is that this feeling of being ‘invisible’ is age discrimination, and for some, it is not a one-off experience.

And like any form of discrimination, it is unacceptable.

At IMPACT, we have many dedicated, valuable staff working beyond the age of 65: Gwyn Bishop, Tony Cartledge and Ann Duffy, who at the age of 78, informally mentors younger workers at IMPACT’s New Image Laundry.

Each of these incredible people brings a specific skillset that would have been lost if not harnessed to help shape IMPACT’s culture, in addition to supporting us to achieve our vision of Improving Lives.

Age inclusivity makes common sense: cognitive diversity, variety of skills and talents, and a depth of personal experiences to draw from. According to social commentator Jane Caro, “When you discriminate against age you are shooting yourself in the foot. Every older person wants to be taken seriously and treated as an individual.”

Being inclusive of people of all ages is something that we can all do better.

Take notice the next time that you are not valuing someone who is a different in age to yourself.

Be curious and challenge any biases that come up for you.

Ask yourself, ‘What can I learn from this person that will make me a better human being?’

Most people in their 70s have said goodbye to their working years, are enjoying retirement and might even set off travelling to different parts of the country when possible. 

But retirement couldn’t be further from Ann Duffy’s sights, with the New Image Laundry worker recently celebrating her 78^th birthday with her colleagues.  

Despite making numerous offers to resign, Ann continues to turn up for work each day. 

Why? 

“I just love ironing,” Ann laughed. 

Ann began working at the laundry 16 years ago when it was called Peg and Iron, located at Bundaberg East, and remained on-staff when IMPACT took the business over in 2013. 

“When IMPACT first bought the laundry, I offered to resign, but they wouldn’t let me,” she joked. 

“Then when they moved to this big building (at 4 Inglis Court) I offered to resign again, but they look after me so well.”  

After many years of work, Ann said the key to staying with the laundry was her relationship with the staff. 

“I class the staff here as family,” she said. 

Before the laundry became the busy commercial operation it is today, Ann used to pride herself on being the laundry counsellor and would take the time to talk through any issues the younger workers had. 

“When you get to my age, you’ve been through it all,” she said. 

“Now we’re too busy for that, and IMPACT offers its own counsellors for staff... but they all know I’m here as a listening ear if they need.” 

Ann has worked her way through each role of the laundering process, from doing the washing and folding towels and pillow slips to using the big machines, but has given up the heavy work for a more modest job of ironing garments. 

To celebrate her birthday the whole laundry came to a standstill and celebrated with a morning tea.  

“I’m so blessed really, and I say that a lot, because there are people at my age and even younger who aren’t working,” she said. 

Ann said New Image Laundry was a great place for people with a health concern to gain employment because IMPACT understood that different people have different abilities. 

“If they come here, they’re not going to get pushed to do the top work,” she said. 

“If they can come and do the best they can, that’s what IMPACT seems to accept.” 

And it’s not just the laundry Ann is involved in. 

“If you want to be sociable with IMPACT, I’m even in their ability choir,” she said.  

“We do look after disability people here… and everyone is accepted. 

“IMPACT does a lot for the community, and not just in the disability space but in supporting the whole community in so many ways.” 

To find out more about the many services offered at IMPACT, visit www.impact.org.au.