It’s hot work, especially in summer months. But Hardisty is proud of his new role at Beacon Laundry, and vividly remembers the day he was hired.
John Hardisty at work in the commercial laundry. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
“I was actually very emotional, because I couldn’t believe I had finally found someone that would take me on,” he says.
Hardisty works at Beacon Laundry in the bucolic NSW town of Bangalow, near Byron Bay. The $12 million not-for-profit social enterprise opened recently after securing contracts with dozens of local hotels and businesses.
Beacon Laundry provides services to local businesses. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
“It is designed to create work for people facing barriers to employment in a high-quality commercial laundry that services customers in that region,” says founder and White Box Enterprises CEO Luke Terry.
It’s Terry’s second social enterprise laundry. He set up Vanguard Laundry in Toowoomba, Queensland in 2016.
Workers at Beacon Laundry in Bangalow. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
Many Beacon Laundry workers have experienced homelessness and long-term unemployment in recent years.
“In the Northern Rivers after the drought, the floods and the pandemic, we also have a higher number of people who have experienced losing their jobs and their homes.
Harriet Vasey Pederson at Beacon Laundry. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
“So, Beacon offers a safe place for those who are ready to get back into the workforce and build their capacity to then transition out into the wider workforce.”
“I have some blown discs and it can run the gamut from having a bit of a sore back one day to being in excruciating agony and having to take pretty heavy medication to get through that pain.
John Hardisty at the commercial laundry. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
“So, I struggled to find an employer that was flexible enough to understand that I still had some value.
As an adult, he went on to work for 25 years as a residential youth worker in community housing. During that time, he married and after a long wait, finally became a father. However, just eight years later his wife died of renal failure.
John Hardisty at work in the laundry. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
“When my wife passed, I wanted to run away and hide from the world. But I needed somewhere safe to raise my son and I took on a farm near Mullumbimby,” he says.
“We were trapped for 11 days until we could get out, and during that time I slept on a table in the laundry.”
Lismore houses surrounded by floodwater in late March Source: Getty / Dan Peled
Like many flood survivors in the Lismore area, Hardisty has since suffered poor mental health.
That’s where not-for-profit social enterprise Beacon Laundry has stepped in for Hardisty, and others like him.
Workers at Beacon Laundry in Bangalow. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
The laundry adapts roles to suit the workers. In Hardisty’s case, changes enable him better cope with ongoing backpain.
That’s good news for Terry who is already planning his third project.
“And we want to work with more corporate partners so that we can do this in every community across Australia.”
For many laundry workers like Hardisty, a job is about more than just regular income.
John Hardisty at Beacon Laundry in Bangalow. Source: SBS / Kingsley Haxton
“I have a lot of goals now but before, I had no goals because they were so unattainable and did more harm than good,” he says.
“Now I feel safe and secure here, I can look to future. I would like to travel and one day get into a home of my own.”
Samantha Parker
It’s heartwarming to see stories like John’s, where individuals who have faced adversity find new opportunities to thrive. His determination and gratitude are truly inspiring. I hope more initiatives like Beacon Laundry continue to provide meaningful employment for those in need.