Make a Purchase with purpose. New store sells gifts crafted by people with disabilities

Tye Naismith .. “The majority of our products are handcrafted by local people with disabilities who attend one of the many Compass Institute Campuses”. 

Located in the heart of Nambour at C-Square, Wabi Sabi Creations sells hand-crafted pieces made with love, by people with disabilities.

The brand new Compass social enterprise opened in August 2021 and sells pieces by Compass Campus trainees offering shoppers a place to “purchase with purpose” for their Christmas gifts.

“The location is terrific and is proving to be a wonderful space to showcase the work of our talented Trainees,” said Team Leader, Tye Naismith.

The store was born out of a vision to showcase to the world the incredible talents that people with disabilities have. In addition to the core learning and development curricula, each of the Compass Campuses offers creative programs that allow their Trainees to explore and express their unique talents creating a range of products.

Wabi Sabi Creations offers a fit-for-purpose outlet where these unique and beautiful pieces can be showcased and sold to the public, with all proceeds going back into Compass to further support their programs and provide more life changing opportunities for individuals living with a disability.

“Wabi Sabi (‘wahbee – sahbee’) is a Japanese concept that encourages us to find beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature,” Tye said.

“It is a beautiful way to describe what is natural and pure and to acknowledge the exquisite nature of any substance or being in its most natural, raw and inherently imperfect form.

“It is in this essence that our products have been brought to life.

“We are tremendously proud of the products our trainees have made and they are now available for purchase in the shop,” Tye said. “There are beautiful homewares and plants, fresh products from the farm, candles, pottery, screen printed tea towels and scarves, cheese boards, and jams, honey, chutneys and pickles.

“In the countdown to Christmas, there are also Christmas decorations, calendars and Christmas cards. The workmanship and care that goes into all of the products is second to none. The majority of our products are handcrafted by local people with disabilities who attend one of the many Compass Institute Campuses. They are made with absolute love and care and a desire to give back to the community.”

Wabi Sabi is at C-Square, 52-64 Currie St, Nambour