During this year we have seen membership grow, and opportunities for
members to participate in their organisation have increased. We see this
as an extension of supporting women’s leadership and it has been exciting
to see the growth of interest in Board participation amongst members
whilst enabling members to build skills that assist them to take up these
opportunities. Both our SHE Votes State Election forum and our
membership consultation session were two such events where active
participation and sharing of ideas could occur.
It has also been my great pleasure to meet with the Kotara and Karuna
Women’s Clubs, long standing members of the YWCA, and discuss their
ideas on the ways we can support them in what they do. This year has also
seen the commencement of SHE Meets Social Sessions and the securing of
some seed funding to enable our younger membership to engage socially
and discuss the issues important to them. This frequently allows young
women their first exposure to the work and purpose of the YWCA and we
will be working to strengthen this initiative and embed it as a membership
forum. Directions in membership include building the diversity of the
organisation, and broadening its relevance to many different segments of
the community of women and girls.