THE Swan Chamber of Commerce finished its final Hour of Power for 2025 with two speakers sharing how their personal stories connected them to the Midland area and drove them to support young people and tell community stories.

The talk featured Echo News journalist Guanhao Cheng and Binar Futures founder Adam Desmond.

Mr Desmond has worked with more than 2000 mainly Aboriginal children through the Binar Futures program and was awarded Sports Father of the Year last year.

He told the audience his life changed when he became a father just before turning 18.

“I had this wake-up call,” he said.

“I wanted to be the best father that I could be.”

A possible cut to his Centrelink payment pushed him into a job at a dry cleaner in Kalamunda.

He had no plans to stay there long, but the work gave him stability, and at 21 he opened his own dry-cleaning shop in Swan View.

He later bought a shop in Midland, and it remains the home of Dezzy’s Dry Cleaners today.

In 2011 he tore his ACL during a basketball game.

What he first thought was a major setback became an opportunity.

With more spare time, Mr Desmond started taking a group of boys each week to play basketball, many of whom had no transport or support.

“We weren’t a great team at first,” he said.

“But by season two you could see growth on and off the court.”

That team went on to win a national Indigenous championship at the AIS.

Over time, more young people joined, and Binar grew into several teams for boys and girls.

The group has since travelled overseas, run school programs and taken activities to regional communities.

Binar now has its own association in Midland, and this year became the first Aboriginal-led club accepted into the WA Basketball League.

“Basketball is the engagement tool,” Mr Desmond said.

“Everything else… comes from that.”

He said many of the young people who started with Binar are now coaching and helping others.

Mr Desmond said young leaders in Binar are given responsibility early, with guidance so they can learn from mistakes.

“I have a lot of belief in our young people,” he said.

“Often people think if they’re young they can’t do it, or they’ll be a good leader when they’re older.

“I don’t believe that – I think there are leadership opportunities they can step up and grasp.

“Sometimes we can tokenistically say, ‘Oh, they’re a whatever leader in our group,’ but actually giving them responsibilities and allowing them to fail – that’s part of it.

“Everyone in this room has failed so I think giving them opportunity to fail and be there for support so they know that they can is how you build up young leaders.”

Mr Cheng also spoke about his connection to Midland and how it shaped the way he reports on the community.

He said although he joined Echo News in 2024, his ties to Midland went back to childhood.

His parents ran Sunshine Restaurant on Hooley Road behind Midvale Primary School.

“When I was in Year 6, I used to serve hot chips behind the counter,” he said.

He said Midland showed him the tougher side of life but also taught him the value of kindness.

Some customers could not afford meals and were fed on IOU.

A frightening incident where a man yelled racial abuse at his family was resolved when another customer stepped in to protect them.

He shared stories of regulars from the street who taught him empathy, including a teenager with an intellectual disability who became his friend.

He also spoke about moments that stayed with him, such as failing to stand up for a friend during an incident of bullying.

“In journalism, you’re faced with versions of that same moment,” he said.

“Do you speak up, even when it’s uncomfortable?”

Mr Cheng also encouraged the students attending from Swan Christian College and Governor Stirling to build strong media literacy.

“With AI and misinformation around, it’s important to read widely, check facts and think critically,” he said.