MESSAGE FROM ANGELA FORBES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER It’s Spring! I am not sure if it is just me, but I am so happy to start to welcome some warmer weather. There is something special about how you feel when the sun is shining. We are now coming into an important time of year. With the introduction of changes to welfare payments and the upcoming festive season, now is the time when those who are struggling really start to feel the pinch even more. In this newsletter we share with you some ways that you can help us make a very practical difference to people’s everyday lives. Connections is always looking at ways that we can share the work that we do with those who need our help the most. Last month, we took 30 people on our annual Tour of Connections and gave them an insight into our world. Keep reading to find out more about this event and how you can register for our next Tour. Also in this newsletter, we extend an invitation for you to join us for the 28th WJ Craig Lecture and presentation of our Anti-Poverty Awards. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to hear about the important issues affecting those most in need and highlight the extraordinary efforts of young people. I hope you can join us for this wonderful event. Enjoy the Vitamin D! Angela Forbes Chief Executive Officer Welcome to the Spring Edition of the Connections News SPRING 2014 connections.org.au CONNECTIONS NEWS Angela Forbes › LIFE IS A CABARET › YOU'RE INVITED TO: THE 2014 WJ CRAIG LECTURE › WE NEED YOUR HELP Every young girl aspires to be a singer or a dancer at least once in their life. For Amara Wagner, being blind, suffering from mild Cerebral Palsy and having an intellectual disability was not going to stop her from living her dream of one day having a career in music theatre. A number of years ago Amara’s dreams came true and she performed in Nadrasca Theatre Company’s production of Cabaret, after learning her lyrics and melodies by listening to audio tapes and CDs. With the support of Connections’ South Eastern Scholarship program, Amara was able to pay for her singing lessons to further her dream of making it onto an even bigger stage. ‘By receiving this scholarship I was able to pay for my singing lessons. This freed up extra money to make my life easier and allow me to do the things I would have otherwise missed out on.’ Amara. Connections’ South Eastern Chances is an innovative scholarship program that provides financial support to children and young people living in south east Melbourne to obtain educational, cultural and social opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them. LIFE IS A CABARET » SHOW YOUR SUPPORT DONATE NOW AND HELP OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE AMARA PURSUE THEIR DREAMS VISIT CONNECTIONS.ORG.AU/CHANCES
Transcript
MESSAGE FROM ANGELA FORBES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
It’s Spring! I am not sure if it is just me, but I am so happy to start to welcome some warmer weather. There is something special about how you feel when the sun is shining.
We are now coming into an important time of year. With the introduction of changes to welfare payments and the upcoming festive season, now is the time when those who are struggling really start to feel the pinch even more. In this newsletter we share with you some ways that you can help us make a very practical difference to people’s everyday lives.
Connections is always looking at ways that we can share the work that we do with those who need our help the most. Last month, we took 30 people on our annual Tour of Connections and gave them an insight into our world.
Keep reading to find out more about this event and how you can register for our next Tour.
Also in this newsletter, we extend an invitation for you to join us for the 28th WJ Craig Lecture and presentation of our Anti-Poverty Awards. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to hear about the important issues affecting those most in need and highlight the extraordinary efforts of young people. I hope you can join us for this wonderful event.
Enjoy the Vitamin D!
Angela ForbesChief Executive Officer
Welcome to the Spring Edition of the Connections News
SPRING 2014
connections.org.au
CONNECTIONS NEWS
Angela Forbes
› LIFE IS A CABARET › YOU'RE INVITED TO: THE
2014 WJ CRAIG LECTURE › WE NEED YOUR HELP
Every young girl aspires to be a singer or a dancer at least once in their life. For Amara Wagner, being blind, suffering from mild Cerebral Palsy and having an intellectual disability was not going to stop her from living her dream of one day having a career in music theatre.
A number of years ago Amara’s dreams came true and she performed in Nadrasca Theatre Company’s production of Cabaret, after learning her lyrics and melodies by listening to audio tapes and CDs.
With the support of Connections’ South Eastern Scholarship program, Amara was
able to pay for her singing lessons to further her dream of making it onto an even bigger stage.
‘By receiving this scholarship I was able to pay for my singing lessons. This freed up extra money to make my life easier and allow me to do the things I would have otherwise missed out on.’ Amara.
Connections’ South Eastern Chances is an innovative scholarship program that provides financial support to children and young people living in south east Melbourne to obtain educational, cultural and social opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
LIFE IS A CABARET
» SHOW YOUR SUPPORTDONATE NOW AND HELP OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE AMARA PURSUE THEIR DREAMS VISIT
CONNECTIONS.ORG.AU/CHANCES
Can your organisation or school help support our Christmas Appeal? We're looking for donations of non-perishable food and gifts.
The Connections UnitingCare Christmas Food and Gift Appeal supports children, young people and families across Melbourne south-eastern suburbs with food hampers and gifts during what can be a very difficult time for those in need.
In 2013, the Connections Christmas Food & Gift Appeal supplied over 6,000 gifts and 600 hampers to families in need.
But we need YOUR help.
A number of Connections’ staff recently attended NAIDOC Week celebrations at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. Staff were able to observe the opening ceremony and participate in a smoking ceremony with Aboriginal Elders, and with the support of an Elder, work in collaboration with staff from other organisations to facilitate a traditional Ochre Hand Print activity.
The celebration provided staff with an opportunity to engage with members of the Aboriginal Community and network with other organisations.
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
CONNECTIONS RECOGNISES NAIDOC WEEK
» FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR CHRISTMAS FOOD AND GIFT APPEAL VISIT CONNECTIONS.ORG.AU/CHRISTMAS OR CALL 1800 137 036.
This is an event as part of Anti-Poverty Week.
YOU ARE INVITED TO...
The 28th Annual WJ Craig Lecture and Presentation of Anti-Poverty Awards
The 2014 WJ Craig Lecture will be presented by Magistrate Lesley Fleming.
Magistrate Lesley Fleming is the Children’s Court Magistrate at the Melbourne Children’s Court. Her Honour is the founding member of the Victorian Association of Deserted Children and was the Regional Coordinating Magistrate, Dandenong Magistrates Court.
When: Friday 17 October, 2014
Where: Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Hall Swanston Street, Melbourne
Join in the conversation leading up to the lecture by following the hashtag #wjcraiglecture on Twitter.
» FIND OUT MORE
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NAIDOC WEEK VISIT NAIDOC.ORG.AU
Recently, Connections’ Manager, Early Childhood and Parenting Services, Chris Barca spoke with The Age’s MyCareer about the positive work being achieved by our Newpin program.
Newpin, or the New Parent and Infant Network, is a centre-based, intensive, therapeutic approach to breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse and neglect.
With a hands-on approach to supporting and teaching parents how to break unhelpful patterns, Chris believes that Newpin is about empowering the families, and supporting them while they work towards a different future.
‘The exciting part of this program is working alongside the families –really nurturing them, and supporting them to nurture their own
On Thursday 21 August, Connections hosted the third Tour of Connections, giving 30 supporters a behind the scenes tour of a number of our offices.
Participants were taken to our Dandenong, Narre Warren and Doveton offices where they heard firsthand from a number of our staff about the work they are doing to help those most vulnerable in our community turn their lives around.
For the first time, the bus also took participants to Hampton Park Uniting Place – which is part of the South Casey Mission Area – to see how Connections and the Uniting Church work together to support the local Hampton Park Community. The tour provided participants with an insight into our organisation and the programs and services we provide to those most in need in the local community.
Connections is proud to have once again achieved Gold Certification (World Leadership) from GreenBizCheck for our commitment to sustainability and environmental initiatives.
The environmental accreditation process has been facilitated by CoEfficiency Australia, a social enterprise supporting community organisations to reduce their impact on the environment.
The Gold Certification (World Leadership) from GreenBizCheck, which has been externally verified by Bureau Veritas, confirms
that Connections has been able to achieve 90% of office-based measures at our Dandenong Office.
‘This environmental accreditation confirms the wonderful contribution that staff have made to the efforts to reduce our impact on the environment,’ says Connections Chief Executive Officer Angela Forbes.
children. In a most respectful way, we’re trying to invite parents to break the intergenerational cycle.’
Newpin’s approach is unique, in that it focuses on providing parents with the skills and confidence they need to develop a positive relationship with their child(ren).
CONNECTING IN POSITIVE WAYS
INSIDE VIEW
CONNECTIONS GOES GOLD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
» FIND OUT MORE
» FIND OUT MORE
» FIND OUT MORE
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CONNECTIONS SUITE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, VISIT
CONNECTIONS.ORG.AU
TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN THE NEXT TOUR OF CONNECTIONS, CONTACT COMMUNITY RELATIONS ON 03 8792 8999 OR EMAIL [email protected]
TO SEE THE LIST OF OFFICE-BASED MEASURES IMPLEMENTED BY CONNECTIONS, VISIT
CONNECTIONS.ORG.AU
not for profit
Connections UnitingCare 51 Princes Highway Dandenong Victoria 3175 Australia T 03 8792 8999 F 03 8792 8900 [email protected] connections.org.au
ABN: 90 676 577 035
Edited by Kirrilee Torney, Acting Manager, Community Relations.
Designed by Studio Binocular.
Photos by Shane Bell Magistrate Lesley Fleming photo courtesy of Hilton Stone.
Connections aims to reduce our impact on the environment. This Connections publication is printed carbon neutral on recycled paper using vegetable based inks, no isopropyl alcohol and world’s best practice Environmental and Quality Management Systems.
» We acknowledge that we work on land for which the peoples of the Kulin Nations are the traditional owners and custodians.
not for profit
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IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
R U OK? DAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2014 Asking 'are you ok?' is something we can all do to help people we know struggling with life.
R U OK? is a not-for-profit organisation working to create a world where everyone is connected and is protected from suicide. For more information visit ruokday.com
ANTI-POVERTY WEEK 12-18 OCTOBER 2014Anti-Poverty Week is a week where all Australians are encouraged to organise or take part in an activity aiming to highlight or overcome issues of poverty and hardship here in Australia or overseas.
For more information visit antipovertyweek.org.au
WHITE RIBBON DAY 18 NOVEMBER 2014
White Ribbon is Australia’s only national, male led campaign to end men’s violence against women.
White Ribbon Australia observes the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day, annually on November 25. For more information visit whiteribbon.org.au
