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Brother Olly: WA Senior of the Year 2025

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Hear from Brother Olly about his charity providing wheelchairs to kids in need.

The smiles on the faces of those kids when they receive a life-changing wheelchair are amazing to see and warm your heart.

— Brother Olly

Meet Brother Olly Pickett. He's the 2025 WA Senior Australian of the Year. He's also co-founder and volunteer factory manager at Wheelchairs for Kids, one of the biggest volunteer groups in Western Australia.

In 2025, LiveUp visited Brother Olly and his team at their workshop to hear their stories.

Watch the interview

About Brother Olly

Brother Olly has shown a lifelong dedication to helping children. He’s a retired Catholic school teacher and metalworker who worked in both schools and missionary roles. In Karratha, he helped set up St Luke’s College, where he served as a priest, as well as St Paul’s Primary School.

Today, he’s making a difference to the lives of kids in many different countries.

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About Wheelchairs for Kids

The idea started in 1996. Brother Olly's friend named Des La Rance saw children in Fiji who had to crawl to school because they didn’t have wheelchairs – and decided to do something to about it.

Wanting to help, Brother Olly invited a group of teenagers who had lost interest in school to his metalwork shop. Together, they started building wheelchairs. What began as a small act of kindness soon became a worldwide mission.

Now, about 800 volunteers support the charity, ranging in age from 55 to 90. Volunteers come from many different backgrounds, and many are retired. Some help build the wheelchairs. Others sew cushions, blankets, and toys to go with each chair.

Every wheelchair is built to meet World Health Organization standards, so they are:

Safe
Comfortable
Strong enough for rough roads

Since 1996, the team has made more than 64,000 wheelchairs and sent them to children in over 80 countries – all free of charge.

The charity’s mission is simple: to give every child the chance to move freely, go to school, and take part in daily life.

If you’d like to learn more or support their work, you can visit the Wheelchairs for Kids website at https://wheelchairsforkids.org.

You can also learn more about the benefits of volunteering by exploring LiveUp articles.

Australian Department of Health and Aged Care. (2025, January). The 2025 Senior Australian of the Year is... https://www.health.gov.au/news/the-2025-senior-australian-of-the-year-is

How to use this information

LiveUp provides free information to help you make informed decisions about your health. This information is for general and educational purposes only, is not intended to provide a comprehensive guide, and does not replace medical advice. Everyone is different, so some of these tips may work better for you than others. You should use your own judgment and seek medical advice when applying this information to yourself, to determine if it is suitable in your circumstances. Your use of, or reliance on, this information is solely at your own risk. Independent Living Assessment Incorporated is not responsible or liable for any injury, loss, or damage caused as a result of your use of, or reliance on, this information.

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You can print out the PDF and stick it to your fridge or file away the tips to revisit at a later time.

Older couple sitting at a table and using an iPad together.

Brother Olly: WA Senior of the Year 2025

Watch the interview

About Brother Olly

Did you find this article useful?

You might also be interested in these resources

Positive ageing: interview with Theresa Kwok

Volunteering can make you happy and healthy

The benefits of volunteering: a look at Perth Zoo

About Wheelchairs for Kids

Making a difference

References

How to use this information

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Read more Volunteering articles