Faces of Glenray: Meet Donovan
Getting to know the people behind our services
Glenray’s social enterprises are an important part of our organisation, and for many people, they are their first introduction to who we are. Whether it’s driving past our state-of-the-art commercial laundry on Browning Street or seeing our grounds maintenance crews expertly maintaining some of Bathurst’s most iconic landmarks, you’ve probably seen our social enterprises in action.
Behind the scenes, our teams at Glenray Laundry and Glenray Industrial Services work hard to deliver the quality services and products that businesses across the Central West rely on. One of the people behind these operations is Social Enterprise Manager, Donovan Lamb. We sat down with Donovan to learn more about him, his role at Glenray and the importance of Social Enterprises.
Donovan brings decades of experience in the laundry industry to his role at Glenray, having worked across Australia and around the world in various roles. Most recently, he spent 20 years managing a local depot for Sydney-based linen and uniform company Alsco.
Back in Bathurst full-time, Donovan was looking for a way to put his commercial experience to work where it could have a bigger impact. That led him to Glenray, where he took on the role of Social Enterprise Manager in late 2025.
A dad of three, his weekends are often spent on the sidelines supporting his two daughters as they play tackle footy, catching up with his parents and brothers around Bathurst, or squeezing in a round of golf.
Earlier this year, Donovan represented Glenray at the Bathurst Legacy Charity Golf Day, where he and the team not only took out the win, but Donovan also claimed the nearest-to-the-pin award, with just 103 centimetres between his ball and the pin.
He also looks back fondly on his days playing A-Grade squash, a passion he had to step away from following an injury.
“Do you remember me?”
On his very first day at Glenray, Donovan walked into the Laundry and heard a familiar voice. “Do you remember me?”
More than 30 years earlier, when Donovan was in Year 12, he had volunteered with students from Carenne School in Bathurst, helping with swimming classes. One of the students he got to know and formed an instant connection with was Graham. Decades later, Graham was standing in front of him at Glenray.
“At first I had no clue, it was my first day, after all, but then it clicked. It was Graham. It had been over 30 years, and he still remembered me. He gave me a big hug and I literally had goosebumps. I thought right then, ‘This is why I'm here.’”
Although Donovan was new to the disability sector, his connection to disability and inclusion wasn't. Growing up, his best friend had cerebral palsy, giving Donovan a personal understanding of inclusion and a desire to make a difference from a young age.
Discovering the power of social enterprise
Donovan jokes that when he first saw the words social enterprise in the job description, he had to Google exactly what it meant; however what he read connected with him straight away. “It's putting people before profit, which I love and that's the path I want to be on.”
Social enterprises are businesses that exist to solve a social or environmental challenge. In the case of Glenray's two social enterprises, Glenray Laundry and Glenray Industrial Services, this means providing meaningful employment for people living with disability.
Glenray provides paid employment opportunities for approximately 50 supported employees across its social enterprises. These employees receive additional assistance to help them perform their roles, build skills and work towards their employment goals.
Donovan describes his leadership approach as being available, listening and giving people the opportunity to take ownership of their work. One of the highlights of his day is walking through the Laundry and Glenray Industrial Services, saying hello to staff and checking in to see how everything is running.
To Donovan, leadership isn't telling people what to do, rather, it's supporting them to get where they want to go. “With kids, you try to steer them where you think they should go. Here, our supported employees already know the path they want to take. Part of my job is to take a step back and help guide them along it.”
That same approach extends to Glenray's commercial customers. As Donovan began visiting customers and learning more about the Laundry and GIS operations, he noticed that many didn't realise the social impact behind the services they were receiving.
“Every visit I do to customers, I remind them of why we're here. Yes, we're providing quality services and products, but our priority is to give them [supported employees] secure employment, build their skills, and offer them a space to grow.”
Making that connection is an important part of the conversation. Behind every load of laundry, pallet or mown lawn is an opportunity to create meaningful employment, build skills and confidence, and support people living with disability to grow in their independence.
That's what makes Glenray different for Donovan. It's a business, but the people who work there are at the heart of it. And if people leave work with a smile, he knows they're doing something right.
Want to learn more about our Social Enterprises or our current supported employment opportunities? Email info@glenray.com.au or call (02) 6331 2388 today.
