YEAR IN REVIEW FY 2017 / 2018 1 Our mission is to work side by side with those who serve and protect Australia, and their families, HELPing them to secure their future. Soldier On is the gateway to a successful future for service personnel and their families. Soldier On staff work side by side with individuals and families, to strengthen resilience and develop meaningful connections with family members, mates, and the local community through a diverse range of health and wellbeing services, employment opportunities, learning and education programs, and participation in community, social, and sporting activities. Grounded in the principles of Trauma Informed Care, Soldier On’s model of care ensures individuals and family members are at the centre of all our services. We leverage our extensive networks and partnerships to provide employment and volunteering opportunities to service personnel and their families. We are a “can do” organisation. We embrace our values of responsibility, professionalism and positive leadership understanding that these are the same values our contemporary veterans and families live by. Soldier On’s respect for service personnel and their families requires us to advocate for, champion and ensure they can be the best they can be. 2 YEAR IN REVIEW FY 2017 / 2018 p4. A Message from the Chairman p6. CEO Address p8. State Stories p12. Activities and Sport p14. Fundraising Stories p16. Pollie Pedal 2018 p18. Employment Services p20. Psychology Services p22. Education Program p23. National Campaigns and Challenges p26. Big Programs p32. The Board p35. Directors Report p39. Expense Distribution p40. 2017 / 2018 Financials p42. Major Sponsors p43. Our Network p44. Our Co-Patrons and Ambassadors A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN What a year we have had at Soldier On. FY17 / 18 has been one of our busiest and best years to date. A lot has occurred throughout the past 12 months and I would firstly like to thank all who have supported us along the way. Without your generosity Soldier On cannot provide the support that we do to service personnel and their families. So, thank you. In October 2017, Solider On undertook somewhat of a makeover with a brand refresh and expansion of services. Prior to this date, Soldier On supported those who had served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), and their families. Since October 2017, our services have been made available to all who have served Australia in a national security capacity. This includes personnel from Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and other security agencies. We also continue to support those from the ADF and the family members of all service personnel. Just as when we began providing support to those from the ADF, it will take some time for news to spread that services are available to a broader community, but we are already encouraged to see individuals and families from these other organisations taking up the support of Soldier On. The organisation has focused strongly on our programs and activities over the past 12 months. I truly believe we have hit our stride and are delivering the best services we ever have. Participant numbers have doubled since FY16 / 17 and we are now supporting over 1400 individuals at any one time. This does not include those who are undergoing psychological support, which I will touch on later. 4 Our employment and education program has moved forward in leaps and bounds with over 400 individuals currently taking part in the program and over 120 placements occurring this financial year. We have over 90 organisations who have signed on to the Soldier On Pledge and supporting employment of service personnel and their families. I have no doubt we will hit 100 pledge partners early next financial year. The program continues to focus on ensuring that individuals are truly job ready and are being placed into the right roles. If your organisation has not signed on yet, please look to join us. We continue to provide this service at no cost to all, so it truly is a no brainer. We have seen staff vacancies, particularly within the Psychological Services team. It is very important that we employ the right people in these roles, people who have the necessary skills and understanding of the community we support. Even with these challenges, counselling sessions have still increased from over 1000 to over 1250 this financial year. The team should be incredibly proud of all they have achieved within these constraints. The team were also successful in becoming a member of Mental Health Australia, the peak body for mental health support across the country. Soldier On is the only Ex-Service Organisation to become a member of MHA. Soldier On is now active in eight physical locations across the country and is in great health moving forward. The continued support of our corporate sponsors, trusts and of course, community fundraisers and supporters, has enabled us to continue to expand our network across Australia. We hope to continue to have a presence in more locations in the years to come. Financially, we have seen a small surplus this year and I thank all who have supported us along the way. Last year, I defended our expenditure on staff salaries. Our success and growth throughout this year has shown just how imperative it is to have professional staff delivering our services. I again reiterate that without our staff, the programs and activities that we run across the country would not be possible. As I said last year, the impact of what we do far exceeds the value of salaries and the reach of funds goes well beyond the original donated or sponsored dollar. The future for Soldier On is incredibly bright and the team will continue to evolve and improve the services that we deliver. Once again, to all our supporters, thank you. Your continued support to our organisation enables us to help so many. We have some major projects ahead of us this coming year and we hope that you will all continue to join us along the journey. LTGEN Peter Leahy AC, (Rtd) Chairman, Soldier On 5 CEO ADDRESS At the start of every year I say to the Soldier to give back through community projects and On team that it is going to be our ‘busiest yet’. activities. Well this year, we can all agree that it truly has been. Soldier On’s services have matured and Early in 2018, the Soldier On Innovation Hub was we as an organisation are delivering high quality opened at North Head. The Hub will allow Soldier employment and education programs, mental On to test and adjust these types of programs, health support and a range of social activities assess their achievements and suitability to across the country. The number of those who become long term projects for Soldier On. This are serving or have served, and their families, facility is in the historically important area of the seeking our sevices, is continuing to grow rapidly. old School of Artillery, Manly and is the second Soldier On facility in Sydney. While our core services mature, we continue to add others that provide better benefits to the During April 2018, Soldier On developed our service community. We have developed several Force 4 Good campaign that gave the community programs in collaboration with Beyond Blue, the an opportunity to directly thank those who have Movember Foundation, Outward Bound, Rotary served and recognise that they are a force 4 good. Club of Sydney and the Ian Potter Foundation, While the conversation on veterans, and those just to name a few. These programs are about who have served in recent times, has gravitated providing a range of targeted outcomes for towards wounds, both seen and unseen, we must different groups that we have been working with remember that there is an opportunity to ensure through Soldier On’s journey. Some examples the best outcomes for those that have served our include Vet Connect - a program focused on country. I believe that the programs and services men’s mental health in conjunction with the that we are delivering at Soldier On do this. They Movember Foundation, Family Ties – a program drive a recovery mentality for the entire family providing families the opportunity to reconnect and take a positive approach to life after service. and learn how to work through day to day issues that some of our service personnel face and Serving On – a pilot volunteering program held in NSW, enabling service personnel to continue 6 We do of course understand that there are validation of the trauma informed care approach individuals facing complex issues and a new taken here at Soldier On including the suite of approach to treatment is required. Soldier On services available to national service personnel has been working with Concord Hospital in the and their families. development of a national centre of excellence. The aim of this facility will be to provide Pollie Pedal had another great year in 2018, with comprehensive, holistic and integrated mental the team arriving at the Australian War Memorial health and physical services, underpinned by in Canberra on their final leg. Soldier On had 13 Patient and Family Centred Care principles where service riders on the journey, alongside corporate the patient, their family and carer(s) are kept at sponsors and politicians including; Angus Taylor, the centre of care provided. We recognise that the Kevin Andrews and of course, the founder of family are key to recovery and should therefore Pollie Pedal, Tony Abbott. Together they rode be more involved at the point of treatment. This over 1000km from the Shrine of Remembrance in is not always easy, with major treatment facilities Melbourne VIC, up through the Snowy Mountains unable to accommodate family members.