Tim Purvis

Tim Purvis couldn’t wait to leave school at 15, Tim’s excitement about the further study he can now do is very easy to see.

Diagnosed with ADHD and autism as an adult, Tim, 43, spent most of his life after school ‘falling in and out’ of work rather than following a plan. After an apprenticeship, he spent 20 years in the coffee industry, including a decade running his own coffee machine repair business. A stint at Bunnings followed before his diagnoses led to him rethinking possible study.

Tim says that included in his ADHD report was a note saying that he could only focus for more than 20 minutes if the topic was of interest to him. Taking this as his yardstick, Tim decided that he would see if his interest in gardening helped him return to study. And he found that it made all the difference.

Successfully completing a horticulture course at the Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House, Tim has since completed several other related courses and is currently completing a Permaculture Design course. He has joined a local beekeeping group to ‘learn everything before I keep bees myself’ and is keen to play a big role in building a new community garden at the Neighbourhood House.

And as a ‘real foodie’ who loves cooking and is interested in growing food, Tim plans to use his scholarship to move into cookery related courses. His five children are currently the main beneficiaries of his cooking – ‘they love what I cook, so that is really nice’ – but it may be that others get to enjoy his passion and new skills in the future.