Local kid gives back to his community
18 Nov 2021
Clarity Pharmaceuticals, a leader in developing next-generation treatments for children and adults with cancer, is pleased to announce its support for Story Factory, a not-for-profit creative writing centre for young people in under-resourced communities across Sydney and NSW. This new partnership is targeted at supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island young people.
Clarity Pharmaceuticals Executive Chairman, Dr Alan Taylor, said he was excited to support Story Factory after growing up in community housing in the Redfern area. ‘My grandparents, after immigrating from Europe after the war, were some of the first people to move into the McKell housing commission units in the early 1960s and lived there until the 90s. And my earliest memories as a child were living on the 14th floor of the Daniel Solander building in the Waterloo Housing Complex. This experience has given me a unique understanding of the area compared to many of my peers, especially of some of the difficulties some children face through no fault of their own, whether it is a lack of resources, or not knowing where opportunities lie.
‘We at Clarity, which is a company that is also born, bred and located in Redfern, are excited to be able to contribute to assisting Story Factory with providing these kids with some resources, knowledge and avenues for a new generation of leaders, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and story tellers who will shape the future of our area. Story Factory is an ideal fit for us in our community of Redfern, to support these kids to write their own stories and imagine their own bright futures.’
Clarity Pharmaceuticals, founded and located in Redfern, is an Australian-based clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company developing next-generation treatments for children and adults with cancer. Clarity is committed to supporting the communities in which it operates. Story Factory, founded in 2012 in Redfern, near Clarity Pharmaceuticals’ head office and in the heart of the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, is a perfect partnership that compliments the goal of both companies, of improving the lives of children who experience disadvantage.
Clarity will assist Story Factory in recruiting an Indigenous Storyteller to deliver high- impact, term-length writing programs to approximately 480 students in 2022, including approximately 100 Indigenous young people. Research demonstrates that young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have better academic outcomes when taught by people who are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait descent or have strong links to these communities.
As a result of this new partnership, Story Factory will be able to reach more young people on an ongoing basis in an effort to improve their writing skills and help them find their voice. The latest Program for International Student Assessment data found that Indigenous young people were on average 2.3 years behind their non-Indigenous peers in literacy. To help reduce this gap, Story Factory has worked with more than 6,000 young Indigenous people since opening.
Story Factory’s Executive Director, Dr Catherine Keenan, said, ‘We are thrilled to partner with Clarity. Both our organisations started in Redfern and it’s wonderful to find a company so committed to supporting the local area. Our partnership with Clarity will allow us to grow our capacity and support more young people to develop their writing skills and find their voice. Redfern has always welcomed Indigenous people and people from all cultures, as well as artists, entrepreneurs and a large start-up community. We view this collaboration as an important step in bridging the gaps between these groups and creating equal opportunities for all.’
Clarity’s Executive Chairman, Dr Alan Taylor, commented, ‘Clarity is committed to being at the forefront of the Environmental, Social and Governance practices in the biotechnology sector. As such, we are leading the world towards a more sustainable future for radiopharmaceuticals, aiming to provide superior options for diagnosis and treatment of disease that are non-uranium sourced and have no long-lived radioactive waste products, and avoiding the inefficiencies of diagnostic products that utilise shorter half-life isotopes. We pride ourselves on a strong
governance structure for a company of our size, with an exceptionally experienced Board and management team. In addition, we already set a high bar for social responsibility through the translation of great Australian science towards our ultimate goal of better treating children and adults with cancer.
‘We pledge to continue to strive to be an employer of choice and an investment for our shareholders to be proud of. As Clarity was “born and bred” in the Redfern precinct, we want to pave the way in building the bridge between the extensive technology precinct that exists in our area and our local community. We are excited about our partnership with Story Factory and hope it will encourage other similar companies to help make a difference to the lives of young people in our community.