Keeley's Cause project wins Champion Social Enterprise Business award, focuses on fundraising

Keeley Johnson started charity organisation Keeley's Cause in 2017 when she was 13 years old to buy iPads for children diagnosed with autism or an intellectual disability.

The 19-year-old, who has autism and an intellectual disability, saw a need for iPads for children with communication disabilities who did not qualify for government support.

She said children with special needs had trouble learning the current conventional teaching methods but iPads helped students to learn, interact and communicate.

"We are getting lost, failing in education or being pushed through the educational system as we have learning disabilities," Ms Johnson said.

"You see we have dreams too, dreams of becoming someone, dreams of becoming employed but at present these achievements are becoming unachievable for people with disabilities such as mine. Despite our disabilities we have many abilities, some of them require technology."

It is hoped Ms Johnson's $300,000 target to help more children will be reached after she won her second major award within two weeks.

Keeley's Cause was named Champion Social Enterprise Business at the 25^th Australian Small Business Champion Awards in Sydney on April 28.

The awards, which attracted 4500 entrants, is the only national recognition program for Australian small business.

Ms Johnson's mother, Sharon Murphy and Keeley's Cause chief executive officer, said the award was a gamechanger for the charity.

"We hope that will help us get more sponsorship and businesses to help more kids," Ms Murphy said.

"We are so ecstatic it was us. To be declared the winner of that award is phenomenal."

Ms Murphy said her daughter was changing children's lives and making an impact through Keeley's Cause, which she hoped would reach children with disabilities across the world.

"Keeley was recognised because she is young and is a person with a disability who is making a difference," she said.

"This is something she imagined and I am assisting her to do it."

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Ms Johnson and Ms Murphy were shocked to receive the award, almost two weeks after Ms Johnson was named 2023 Young Woman of the Year in the Women Changing the World Awards.

She said she was extremely proud of her daughter and the two accolades would help her to grow. Keeley's Cause will continue to support children, with the target to raise $300,000.

"People will see what I see and that's what makes me feel proud," Ms Johnson said.

"She is making an impact now but she wants to get 500 iPads in one hit. People who sponsor an iPad get to meet the recipients."

Keeley's Cause has raised more than $270,000 and distributed 349 iPads.

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