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BSL Annual-Report 1996 Reduced

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BSL Annual-Report 1996 Reduced Contents page 1 Executive Director's report 2 The Brotherhood 4 2 Review: D/'recf/o/is 2000 10 3 Action for peopie who need a job 12 4 Care for famiiies 18 5 Care for oider peopie 24 6 Sociai Poiicy and Sociai Action 30 7 income generation 39 8 Supporting the Brotherhood 43 9 The financial year 47 10 Looking forward 50 Acknowiedgements 51 How to get invoived 55 Further information BROTHERHOOD Cover.' CAery/ one? A:Wa /wef fAroag/; fAe Faaa'/y Fn'eaJ of St LAURENCE prograw, w/a'cA eacoaragey yapporave yr/eaJy/iip^ ^efweea vo/aafeer^ aaef /iryf-ame mo^er^. 7f?e /77/ss/on o f ff?e drof/?er/?oo^ of Sf A aoreoce /s fo /m pfot/e f/70 eC0/70/77/'C, soc/a/ ao(/ persooa/ c/rcooisfaoces of f/?e pooresf /tosfra//aos Executive Director's report 77?e M /7ef/?oocf First of all I wish to thank most sincerely ah of our supporters. These include our committed and hard-working staff and volunteers, the many thousands of individual donors, and o/Sf Aaarence numerous parishes, service clubs, business firms, and philanthropic trusts. All of these people, /?as ac^resseG? and the many ways in which they contribute, make possible the vast amount of work the f/7e neei/ for Brotherhood of St Laurence carries out. c/iaage /a a Secondly, I would like to comment on three themes which have made this year special for us. c/iaag/aiy wor/d These are: the declaration of the UN decade to eradicate poverty; the completion of our divestment process and the beginning of the planning process resulting from our internal review; and the need for a critical examination of public policies that have the effect of devaluing people's lives and spirit. The United Nations declared 1996 as the year to introduce the decade to eradicate poverty. Despite a Federal Government pre-election assurance that it would make some commitment to this important aim and our request for some substantiation of that commitment, we have been disappointed that the Government has not acted to achieve that peace-bringing goal. file United Nation's declaration and mission to strive for greater equity world-wide reflects on a large scale the work of the Brotherhood of St Laurence. It is of utmost importance that people recognise the existence of real poverty in Australia—and other Western countries— and are not under the misconception that it is only a phenomenon of third world countries. Everyone should be very concerned about the widening gap between the rich and the poor in Australia, and now the existence of the 'working poor'—those in the growing sector of part- time and low-paid employment. As a result of this unjust economic and social context, the Brotherhood's work has continued to deal with an increasing community need, helping nearly 64,000 people this year in Victoria alone. The Brotherhood of St Laurence has addressed the need for change in a changing world. The internal review, part of last year's activities, has resulted this year in a smaller, leaner and more focussed organisation. As will be seen in the review of 'Directions 2000' the divestment process has been completed. The last divestment established the new agency of St Laurence Community Services (Barwon) Inc. in the Geelong region in June, comprising those services previously owned and managed by the Brotherhood. The final section in this report, 'Looking Ahead' outlines the strategic plan which will guide us in the next three years. Strategies include a marketing and business plan to increase our financial resources. In the wider context, the Brotherhood has recognised the need to do something constructive about the changing world of work and the increasingly insecure situation people now find themselves in. Our Future of Work project culminating in the Making it Wbrk conference, jointly convened with the Australian Council of Social Service and held in Sydney in May, was immensely successful. Key decision-makers across the political, business, and trade union world, as well as representatives from the community, spoke about work and employment issues. A total of over 200 people attended the conference. 2 BisAop ErecMtive Director of tAc Rrcf/terAooA of A Loarcttce Publications arising from the Future of Work project will continue to make a substantial contribution, enabling informed discussion of the many interrelated issues of changing work practices and opportunities, and the effect of these changes on individuals and the community. In light of 1996 being the UN year introducing the decade to eradicate poverty—and recalling our mission to assist people who are poor—it is important that as a community we become more critical of the prevalence of public policy-making which equates community well-being with national economic indicators, particularly those which justify the cutting of public infrastructure and public community services. Of course Australia's economy is important, but so too are the social conditions in which people live. A nation's well-being is greater than national economic statistics alone. It is well to remember also that there has been opposition to current policies from well-qualified, credible economists and public figures whose opinions deserve respect. Opposition also comes from those organisations, such as the Brotherhood of St Laurence, which deal directly with their consequences every day. This opposition should neither be disregarded nor discredited as being about 'self interest'. In recent surveys Australians have expressed the view that they would rather pay more taxes than live in a divided and inequitable society. While Australians do value their way of life, they are also prepared to make sacrifices for others, and a belief in justness and fairness for all people are still values treasured by many. The real issue is the distribution of wealth generated by our society, an issue we all must face in the coming decade if we are serious about eradicating poverty in Australia. The Right Reverend Michael Chalien 3 Cetebrations on the Mornington Peninsuia During 1995, the Brotherhood's services on the Peninsula celebrated 60 years of commitment to the poor and disadvantaged in that area. The Brotherhood's work commenced at Carrum Downs in 1935 when Father Gerard Tucker established a housing alternative for people then living in the slums of Fitzroy and the inner city. He had a vision of a new settlement with trees and clean air. Land was purchased and the dream put to the test. At the opening ceremony, held in October that year, unemployed families were invited to build themselves a home and farm their land. But the new venture did not go to plan. There was no electricity, piped water, sanitation, paths or roads. The soil was infertile and families lacked farming knowledge. Many found Carrum Downs lonely and isolated, far from shops and leisure facilities. World War II saw men drawn away for the war effort. By 1944 the Brotherhood had decided to convert the settlement to provide accommodation for the aged. The G K Tucker Settlement was established, and today it is a flourishing community for older people. It offers several styles of accommodation in a friendly village setting. The 60th celebrations in 1995 consisted of a number of events that enabled clients, staff, volunteers, residents and supporters to celebrate six decades of achievement and raise the Brotherhood's profile in the wider community. The celebrations culminated in a moving Eucharist service attended by the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, The Most Revd Dr Keith Rayner, and officiated by the Executive Director of the Brotherhood, Bishop Michael Challen, supported by a number of clergy associated with the Brotherhood. Acknowledgement is made at the back of this report to the people and organisations assisting in the anniversary celebrations. The Brotherhood Named after St Laurence, the patron saint of the poor, the Brotherhood of St Laurence was founded in 1930 by an Anglican priest, Fr Gerard Tucker, at the request of the then Archbishop. On 18 June 1933, Fr Tucker relocated the Brotherhood from Adamstown, New South Wales, to the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy so that he could work with the people in the city's slums. Today, through community services, research and social action, the Brotherhood is an advocate for social justice and offers direct assistance to people in need by providing employment programs, care for the aged and infirm, and family support services and material aid for low-income people in our community. Organisationat structure In accordance with the 7?rcfLer7:co(7 q/ ,S7 Laurence (Lncorporan'cn) Acf 7977, the Brotherhood's Board constitutes its governing body and comprises two clerical members, eleven other voluntary members and an executive director. The Board is legally responsible for ensuring that the organisation's work is directed towards the objectives written into the Act and reflected in our vision and mission statements. Vision statement The Brotherhood of St Laurence is a Christian organisation committed to a just society through the identification and involvement with the poor and disadvantaged. 4 Mission statement We of the Brotherhood of St Laurence work for the well being of the poorest members of the Australian community to improve their economic, social and personal circumstances by: * offering friendship, support and advocacy; * sharing goods, services and resources; * contributing to their empowerment and to the prevention of further poverty; * improving the structures, institutions and distribution of resources to establish their security of income, shelter and employment; and * working towards achieving a sustainable Australian society within the global community. Organisations) structure BROTHERHOOD BOARD I EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Executive Director Deputy Director Deputy D/rectof Deputy Director - Social Action and Research - Operations - Finance Social Policy and Research All income-generating activities Finance Library Human Resources Public Affairs Community Services The Board (to June 1996) Patron The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, 77re Aia.sr Re v<7 D r ATaA Vayner, BA, ThL, PhD, ThD.
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