MESSAGE
FROM
THE CEO
MESSAGE
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
LIZ FORSYTH
KELLY GRAHAM-SUTTON
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 2015/16 YWCA Adelaide Annual Report.
This past year has been an exciting period in our history as we have engaged in National
Merger discussions with other YWCA Member Associations around the country to
embrace contemporary expectations of our members and changing market conditions,
in order to remain sustainable and competitive. Collectively we have recognised that
moving to a more flexible, collaborative, centralised model will strengthen YWCA’s
ability nationally to positively impact the communities we serve.
Locally, YWCA Adelaide is well respected for
its work in advocating for greater gender
equality, preventing and eliminating violence
against women, promoting positive selfimage, and efforts to support women and girls
during every step of their leadership journey.
The YWCA Adelaide Board and staff are
excited by the opportunity to work more
collaboratively
with
other
Member
Associations to strengthen our voice as a
movement and positively impact even more
women and girls. We know that one of our
biggest strengths as an organisation is our
people. We are incredibly fortunate to have
passionate and dedicated staff, partners,
members and volunteers who believe in and
help us live our purpose as an organisation of
building strong and equitable communities
through the development of women’s
leadership.
This past year we have recognised the
contribution of many women who support the
purpose of the YWCA. At the 2015 AGM we
awarded Honorary Life Membership to Sue
Averay and Claire Tatyzo, acknowledging
their significant contribution to the women’s
movement and supporting the work of the
YWCA Adelaide. We farewelled and thanked
Board Director, Renee Preece after her three-
2
year term, and Jessica Plummer as our Board
Intern. We welcomed Anu Mundkur as a
newly elected Board Director, Ashley
Chapman and Chantale Millard as full-term
Directors who had previously held casual
vacancies, and Victoria Laughton as the 2015
-16 Board Intern. Nationally, we welcomed
Nicole Swaine, former YWCA Adelaide
President (2011-2014) to the role of National
President. Earlier this year we welcomed Lisa
Harrington to fill a casual vacancy, and
farewelled our immediate past President
Katherine Harris who served on the YWCA
Board October 2011 – January 2016. I had
the pleasure of working alongside Katherine
in my former roles as Vice President and
Executive Convenor and would like to
acknowledge her continued commitment and
active involvement in the YWCA movement
over the past 5 years. At this year’s AGM we
will also farewell and thank Tara Bates as
Board Director.
I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of
our Chief Executive Liz Forsyth who has been
leading YWCA Adelaide through the National
Merger Project, and our staff for their
continued commitment to driving positive
change in our community.