With more than 18,000 children supported each year, Variety Victoria is redefining inclusion, empowering children who are sick, disadvantaged, or living with disabilities to live without limits.

At Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre each December, the air fills with laughter, music and the rustle of tinsel. Inside is a sea of excited children with visible and hidden disabilities who are having the most festive time of their lives. The happy crowd is intentionally diverse: some children are in wheelchairs, others are wearing noise-cancelling headphones while many are simply holding a parent’s hand. For one magical day, every child in attendance is celebrated. 

This event is the annual Variety Victoria Christmas Party that brings more than 5,000 children with visible and invisible disabilities together with 3,500 carers and 600 volunteers for a day of fun, freedom and connection

“When you speak to the parents and the kids about why they love the event, the reasons go beyond just Santa or Christmas,” says Peter Bruce, CEO of Variety – the Children’s Charity Victoria. “They say it’s more about the comfort and acceptance they feel. They can be themselves in an environment where nobody’s looking at them differently. Families access everything they need, kids meet other children just like them and people feel joy through acceptance and celebration.”

That spirit of inclusion lies at the heart of what Variety Victoria does all year round. Since its formal establishment in 1998, the organisation has supported tens of thousands of Victorian children living with illness, socioeconomic disadvantage or disability, including those with hidden disabilities that are often overlooked or misunderstood. “We empower children to live without limits, regardless of their ability or background.”

The 50-year-old national organisation, Variety Australia has helped more than 2 million children through vital support such as mobility equipment, therapy, medical services and education, since Lord Louis Mountbatten introduced the charity here in 1975. 

In Victoria alone, Variety Victoria reaches up to 18,000 children each year through grants, scholarships, community programs and inclusive events that build belonging. Peter says that today, much of its work focuses on filling the gaps left by the NDIS. “The NDIS isn’t designed to cater for every need of every child,” Peter explains. “It mainly supports those with permanent disabilities. Many kids with mild to moderate autism, developmental delay or other forms of neurodiversity requiring additional supports often don’t meet the criteria for funding.”

As a result, he says, the number of requests for communication and sensory equipment received by Variety Victoria have surged. “In the future, we’re also expecting a huge influx of need, as more changes come through the NDIS.”

Variety also supports families facing disadvantage. “There might have a child who qualifies for the NDIS, but the family can’t afford the co-payments or the costs of transport to therapy,” Peter says. “That’s where we step in to help, so the child isn’t excluded from therapy simply because of money.”

Peter recalls how one grant funded a seizure-alert device for a young girl whose parents were living in constant fear that their daughter would have a seizure while they were sleeping at night. “The technology gave them peace of mind. They could sleep again knowing they’d be alerted if their daughter had a seizure. It changed their whole family’s sense of wellbeing.”

Behind Variety Victoria’s reach is an extraordinary community of 1,000 volunteers each year and the generosity of philanthropy. “Philanthropy is a force that brings people together to create lasting change. Support from trusts managed by Equity Trustees has been instrumental in expanding our reach and deepening our impact.”

For Peter, success isn’t measured in numbers alone, but in moments of change – when a child feels seen, included and heard. Or, after receiving a piece of equipment, therapy or funding support, they realise they are capable of more than they ever imagined. “We lead with heart,” he says. “Kindness is the key attribute we want to see in this world. Because when every child can laugh freely, participate, and belong, they’re not just included, they’re empowered.”

“We lead with heart. Kindness is the key attribute that we want to see in this world.”