Chair’s report
The 2015/16 reporting year has been an
eventful, rewarding as well as challenging
year for Fitzroy Learning Network.
During the year we experienced a number
of issues with our SkillsVic (Victorian Training Guarantee) contract. With a commitment to offer a full range of learning and education opportunities for
our community, and in anticipation of being able to resolve the VTG
issues quickly, we called on our reserves to run these programs. Resolution of matters, however, took much longer than anticipated and
were not finalised until April 2016. This meant a greater call on our
reserves than planned. Our published accounts reflects this with a
sizeable deficit and a consequent reduction of reserves. Despite this
challenge, the hard work and dedication of our staff and Board have
now paid dividends and I am pleased to report that we have now progressively moved our organisation towards a much more positive and
sustainable future.
While running the programs depleted our reserves, it also meant that
FLN has been able to quickly bounce back once the contract had been
re-established. It also kept us true to our mission of providing quality
English language programs to our local community.
FLN is nothing if not resilient. It has faced challenges in the past, dealt with
them and moved forward. Over the past six months in particular, as a result
of the professionalism and dedication of our staff and board, we have identified our key challenges and systematically moved to strengthen our education and refugee support programs as well as our links.
After 10 years in the role, I resigned as chairperson of the Board of FLN and
handed the baton to Mark Madden. Mark re-joined the Board in late 2014
and brings with him a broad range of experience in public policy. He is a former chair of A Just Australia.
There is more work to be done, as there always is! As you can witness every
time you visit FLN, our new CEO and the team is bringing positive development and joy in the day to day running of FLN.
2016 brought a new beginning with Acting Manager Kathryn Williamson and
then new CEO Jemal Ahmet, who joined us in April 2016. Issues were quickly
resolved, a budget review was undertaken and the positions of Volunteer Coordinator and Refugee Support were combined to reduce costs. The Board
also reviewed and improved communication and governance policy and procedures, put in place a short-term funding and fundraising plan and began
work on developing a funding and fundraising strategy to broaden FLN’s
funding base.