Working for a Fairer and
Inclusive Community
Although a relatively new part
of our work, we are committed
to playing our role in building
stronger communities.
Carol – On The Way To Financial Independence
Carol, a single mother of three young girls living in Shepparton,
wanted a better life for her family.
Through the MoneyMinded financial literacy training, Carol learned
new skills, including budgeting. This helped her to start saving $35
each fortnight. Over the year, Carol managed to save $1,000 and
used this money, together with matched funds provided by ANZ,
to buy her family a computer.
Carol says Saver Plus gave her new confidence and soon after completing
the program she decided to enrol in a computer course and then a
second course to learn about running a small business.
Carol’s self-belief continued to grow and she decided to launch her own
small business, Managing Unsightly Mess (MUM) – a cleaning company.
Starting a small business gave Carol an opportunity to realise another
long-held goal – financial independence. Carol says the day MUM
was up and running she cancelled her Sole Parent Pension and has
been financially independent ever since.
Carol is still saving too and has decided to set herself another more
ambitious goal – to save enough for a deposit on her first home.
Carol’s story is a great example of how Saver Plus is empowering
people’s lives.
Wherever we are located, Berry Street staff are active in local
groups, solving problems and helping to find ways of bringing
people together.
In Alexandra and Yea, we are playing a critical role in helping
the community work out what it wants and bringing people
together to meet these needs. This work is only possible
because of the very generous support of a private foundation.
The breadth of, and community involvement in, the various activities
is inspiring. They include:- the Safe and Caring Community Day for
1,200 people; the Pledge made by businesses, students, teachers
and parents that no young people will leave school without a
pathway to education or employment; the development of a
foodshare program; reading days; painting of the Marysville mural
by 140 young people; volunteers providing information; the much
loved “Fame or Flop” spectacular; and wetlands fossil art project.
Financial Inclusion
Following their research on the impact of not being ‘financially
literate’, ANZ, together with the Brotherhood of St Laurence,
developed the matched savings program, Saver Plus. Berry
Street was one of four organisations nationally who piloted
the initial program.
Now Berry Street delivers Saver Plus and the financial education
program, MoneyMinded, from 4 sites across Victoria. Nearly
500 people benefited from the matched savings program, over
1,800 people participated in workshops and we trained 140
facilitators from other organisations.
In Shepparton we are working with six local Aboriginal organisations
to develop and deliver a financial literacy program specifically
for Aboriginal people ‘My Moola’. The pilot program has just
finished, with much excitement about the outcomes achieved.
In Seymour, we have been integrally involved with the
neighbourhood renewal program. A number of innovative
programs have been developed, including:- a Walking School
Bus; a Workplace Participation Project; a Garden Blitz project;
and leadership training for young people.
Image above: A Walking School Bus in Seymour
We never give up