Quirky Turkey: Giving back in more ways than one

At Hume Bank, we love everything about Purple Chicken catering, so it makes sense that we would get behind their new social enterprise Quirky Turkey. Purple Chicken are valued customers of ours, which we all know, means we’ll help support them through all moments, big and small.

Last week, our team members,  Steph Farquhar and Joe McDonald, hand delivered our first lot of e-waste to Quirky Turkey, with more donations set for the future.

“We recognise the importance of social enterprises like Quirky Turkey and we’re proud to help them on their journey by donating our pre-loved equipment, and by connecting them with other businesses that can supply additional forms of e-waste.” – Steph Farquhar, Manager- CEO Office, Hume Bank.

So, who are Quirky Turkey?

Quirky Turkey, a sister project to Purple Chicken, are based in Albury and have been operating for six months. The idea behind the operation is to create a space for people with Autism and other neurodiverse conditions to feel connected and empowered to achieve, in a way that suits their needs.

Participants are actively involved in building the culture of the business, including their brand, the business needs and their code of conduct. The experience provides ownership and a real-life workplace experience, which is showing amazing results.

George is the Quirky Turkey Program Manager, who supports the program participants learning how to dismantle and re-assemble computers, keyboards, printers, monitors and other forms of e-waste, as well as creating social media content, and connecting with each other via gaming. 

What are the benefits?

Not only does this program put e-waste to good use, but participants have also shown improved motor skills, increased communication and well-being and an increased uptake in participation. They have around 20 participants and run sessions with up to 8 participants per day.

How is the e-waste used?

E-waste is broken down into categories of what is salvageable for future re-builds and what needs to be recycled. Working parts are then used to build new computers for use in work and gaming.

Quirky Turkey also has a connection with Sims Scrap Metal to recycle unusable materials, which helps put funds back into the program.

The best part? You can get involved by donating any e-waste you may have at home!