2018-2019 Annual Report

103rd Annual Report 2018-2019 travellersaid.org.au Chair and CEO Report Who we are What we stand for Travellers Aid are committed to enabling Caring. We treat everyone with dignity and care. Our goal is individuals of all abilities to connect to people always to respect, empower and enhance people’s capacity. and place. We take pride in the diverse Proactive. We use our expertise to help those who are finding it backgrounds of our team which reflect the difficult to travel. Wherever possible, we take the initiative so that communities in which we work. We operate they feel they have control as soon as possible. ethically and are guided by a volunteer Uplifting. We are invested in people and that comes out in how Board of Directors who ensure strong and we help them. We want our customers, donors and supporters to transparent governance. Travellers Aid’s feel uplifted and inspired when they engage with us. workforce consists of 75% dedicated Experienced. Travellers Aid has over 100 years experience volunteers and 25% committed staff who are in assisting travellers. We use our intimate knowledge of the motivated by creating real outcomes for the transport system to provide unique insights into the changing people we serve. needs of the travelling public. Safe. People who feel vulnerable, alone and afraid can turn to us knowing we will be there for them. Making sure people feel safe, both physically and mentally, when they are with us is our most powerful offering. What we do Buggy Service Emergency Relief Companion Service Our buggy and personal guidance By providing subsidised public We provide trained volunteer companions services assist people with mobility transport tickets, we assist people who are able to accompany service users challenges to achieve safe passage in crisis situations to reach a place of to and from essential appointments and through high sensory or crowded areas.. safety and support. This service also services, as well as social activities. Our Providing this connecting link enables assists people to leave dangerous companions are there for support and people to travel independently and and abusive situations. guidance, helping to build confidence participate fully in life. when it comes to travelling independently. Disability Service & Lounge Mobility Equipment Community Education Our Disability Service provides a range of We hire a range of mobility equipment to Our Community Education presentations services for those who have a disability, enable people to engage and participate. aim to educate community groups in how enabling them to have the independence This service particularly enhances the to assist people to stay mobile, by providing to access work, education or social experience of visitors to Melbourne as travel knowledge which can help them feel activities. Our lounge areas at Southern bringing their own mobility equipment, confident and safe whilst travelling. It also Cross and Flinders Street stations also can be challenging when travelling. allows people to maintain independence provide a safe, welcoming and relaxing and to become self-advocating users of space, as well as providing other public transport. Participants are also made services for people travelling through aware of the further supports and services these stations. Travellers Aid provides. 2 Travellers Aid travellersaid.org.au Annual Report 2019 Chair and CEO Report Building for the Future Our 2018-2028 Strategic Plan is now firmly embedded in our organisation and guiding the direction of everything we do. This past year has seen us sharpen our focus for the long term, growing and strengthening our existing services with a view to build for the future. We have developed and deepened a Despite this additional expenditure, we Bev Excell Elias Lebbos Chair of Board Chief Executive Officer number of key relationships that will help were pleased to end the year with a us maintain financial stability, as well as surplus. As per our strategic plan we intend expand our future capacity through the to continue to invest in further capacity development of improved systems and building activities during 2019/20. processes in the coming years. We are delighted to report that following As an organisation we continue to operate on from the successful pilot of the in a financially responsible manner, ensuring MCG buggy service during last year’s “Over the last few our people are resourced appropriately to AFL season, the service has now been years, we have had help them achieve their best. Over the last implemented as an on-going fixture at few years, we have had success making events taking place at the MCG. success making and and retaining surplus funds. This year, with the future in mind, we have used some of It’s successes such as this that further retaining surplus funds. these retained earnings to fund some of cement the vital role that our strategic plan our strategic initiatives. For instance: plays in our organisation’s future. With the This year, with the strategic plan to guide us we are able to • We have invested significantly in the reach more people than ever before and future in mind, we have development of a strong volunteer create a Travellers Aid that meets the needs program, enabling us to reach and assist of today’s travellers—as well as tomorrow’s. used some of these more people. retained earnings • Work has commenced on a new workforce development strategy, which to fund some of our will help us grow and develop both our paid and volunteer workforce, and assist in strategic initiatives. recruiting and retaining the best people. • The development of a data/KPI project is nearing completion. This will ensure effective data management and reporting ” of service information. Travellers Aid travellersaid.org.au 3 Annual Report 2019 Chair and CEO Report Customer Satisfaction Services and Performance In the 2018-2019 financial year Travellers As we extend our services beyond being 94% Aid undertook a broad-ranging market based exclusively/primarily in train stations Overall satisfaction rate research study that looked at attitudes we have been able to reach more people than toward Travellers Aid among the following ever before. We have assisted over 20,000 at key groups: the MCG during the 2019 AFL season alone with this number only set to increase as the • Service Users awareness of the service grows. • General Public We have also experienced increases in our 15% • Stakeholders Seymour buggy service and companion Growth in the use of service usage at 11% and 15% respectively. The study found that while brand services this financial year As buggy trips at Southern Cross remain awareness was low amongst the general close to capacity we will continue to look public, there was very high engagement for ways to grow our resources to allow for and satisfaction with the Travellers Aid an increase in capacity. brand amongst our donors and service users—with an overall satisfaction rate 20% of 94%. The findings from the research Increase in equipment hire have given us a strong foundation on which to build our brand, marketing and communications strategy which will be rolled out over the coming three years. 4 Travellers Aid travellersaid.org.au Annual Report 2019 Chair and CEO Report Our People Thank you to our Partners Our people play an important part in We are very proud of everything we have Travellers Aid’s successes, and our achieved over the last 12 months, however “Wonderful unique accomplishments over the last year none of it would be possible without the are largely due to the commitment and help of our partners. We would like to thank service especially dedication of our staff and volunteers. our funders, stakeholders and donors for their on-going commitment to the work for people from the This year we have focussed strongly on that Travellers Aid does. We have been country. Thank you. volunteer recruitment in order to support very fortunate to be able to deepen our our increased activities. A successful relationships with a number of key partners recruitment drive, supported by City of over the past year, resulting in some new Melbourne, was conducted in early 2019. and exciting opportunities. These include: This resulted in our volunteer numbers ” growing to over 100—a first in our • A community partnership with Yarra organisation’s history. The broad diversity Trams which has provided Travellers Aid of our volunteers—aged 18 to 80 and with $100,000 worth of advertising on from a diverse range of backgrounds and the front and back of trams across the cultures—further enables us to meet the Melbourne tram network. needs of multi-cultural Melbourne. • A pilot developmental program funded by State Trustees, TAC and VicRoads that Travellers Aid would like to thank our aims to help older drivers plan for their own board and sub-committee independent transition to driving less. This will be trialled members. This year the board has over the next 12 months in partnership with welcomed two new members, Nicola the City of Moonee Valley. Edwards and Jantine Eddelbuttel. Nicola and Jantine come to us with a wealth of We would also like to extend a special thank experience in communications and human you to our generous donors and the Friends resources respectively. of Travellers Aid who have joined the program since it was launched last year. Travellers Aid travellersaid.org.au 5 Annual Report 2019 Treasurer’s Report Treasurer’s Report A key strategy to strengthen our financial sustainability is the diversification of funding sources and it is pleasing to see Fee for Service Activities grow to 13% of our total income, which itself has increased by 25% over the last 4 years. For the financial year ended 30 June 2019, Travellers Aid received revenue of $2,333,387 from ongoing operations with the increase mainly due to the MCG service continuing on from the pilot phase.

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