From the President and CEO
Whittlesea Community Connections this year turned 40
years old.
The last 40 years have been truly remarkable. A small
unfunded organisation was created in 1973 by a group of
Whittlesea residents and community activists concerned
with the lack of help available in the area for those in need.
At that time the population of the Whittlesea LGA would
have been approximately 30,000 people and most of the
area would have been farming or rural. The Whittlesea CAB
was created and without any funding or paid employees it
set-about the task of informing and empowering the
community. This was truly a volunteer effort in every sense
of the word and those pioneer residents of this municipality
have a great deal to be proud of. Their commitment,
community spirit and sheer determination have been an
inspiration throughout the 40 years since.
40 years on and the population of Whittlesea is estimated
to be almost 170,000 and still growing rapidly. WCC now
has funding from all 3 levels of
government and employs over 23 paid
staff as well as a large group of casual
workers. But its commitment to
volunteering and community engagement
is as strong today as it ever was. More
than 230 volunteers regularly contribute to
the work of the agency and we are
respected as leaders in the field of
volunteering and community engagement
in our area and beyond.
The current group of people involved in
the agency and where it is today should
also be proud of their achievements and
their contribution to the WCC legacy. With
that in mind, we would like to give
recognition to our entire staff team, who
are all highly dedicated to our overall
vision of supporting and connecting
Whittlesea residents with the resources
and services they need and deserve.
But a staff team is only one part of an important equation.
The support and encouragement of an equally dedicated
group of local people managing the organisation at a board
level is also vital. Our thanks go to all board members for
their unfailing support of the agency, its work and place
within the community.
None of the work we do would be possible without the
contribution of all these people – volunteers, staff and
board members. To our staff, clients, families, communities
and partners, thank you for your dedication, and support
not only over the last 12 months but over the past 40
years.
Staffing Changes
During the year staff movements meant we farewelled
Jennifer Oliver our Outreach Lawyer who relocated to
Gippsland with her young family and Sulaika Dhanapala our
Principal Solicitor who is now focusing on her private legal
practice. Additions to our team include Kate O’Sullivan who
joined us as our Settlement Services Team leader; Chris
Howse who has taken over from Sulaika as our Principal
Solicitor and Ben Rodgers who comes on board as our
Acting Team Leader for Client Services whilst Peta Fualau is
on maternity leave. We look forward to amazing things
from all our newcomers over the coming years.
Key Milestones for 2012-13
Extensive work undertaken by our team in partnership with
Stockland property developers and Thomastown West
Primary School will see the establishment of a brand new
community hub for Thomastown based at the primary
school and operated by WCC.
This hub has been made possible by the generous donation
of the building and the cost of its relocation by Stockland.
Once active, the hub will house a range of services and
programs designed to support the school and broader
community. Playgroups, homework clubs, settlement and
legal services and adult education programs will all run
from the site. WCC has put together a multi-agency
partnership that includes the Smith Family, Preston
Reservoir Adult Community Education (PRACE) as well as
Thomastown West Primary School for the hub. We look
forward to achieving some great outcomes for the
community in the future.
You will read later on in this report of the success in
obtaining increased legal funding from both the State and
Federal governments. We congratulate both governments
for their confidence in our organisation and we are excited
at the prospect of growing our work with those in our
community who need legal assistance. Over the next
financial year we will be increasing the number of lawyers
we employ and expanding the reach of our legal services to
the community.
M AUREEN C ORRIGAN , PRESIDENT AND JEMAL A HMET , C E O
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