Mission Australia opens new Dareton office

Fifty representatives from local government, business and juvenile justice and health services yesterday joined Mission Australia Community Services staff in celebrating the opening of our new office in Dareton, far western New South Wales.

The new Neilpo Street office will serve as a base for our Brighter Futures and Youth Connections programs, which in recent years have operated in the area on an outreach basis from Broken Hill.

Chelsea Hodge, Acting Services Manager Far Western Community Services, said the new Mission Australia office would provide much-needed support to local young people and families and strengthen community capacity and engagement in the region.

“Local people in the Wentworth Shire deserve full-time support,” she said. “We are lucky to have one of our current Support Workers, Amanda Ferguson, moving from Broken Hill to the Dareton area. Mandy has previously worked in the Broken Hill Brighter Futures team, so she will be an asset to the community.”

The Brighter Futures (Early Intervention) Program is a voluntary targeted program designed for families encountering problems that impact on their ability to care for their children. The program provides families with the necessary support and services to help prevent an escalation of the problems.

Amanda will be joined by a full-time Youth Connections Support Worker in August. Youth Connections supports young people aged from 12 to 19 who are at risk of disengaging, or have who have disengaged, from education, and helped them find alternative means to learn and overcome barriers.

Government Media Release: More traineeships in Bellambi for people with disability

Minister for Employment Participation and Child Care, Kate Ellis and Federal Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird, today announced funding of $600 000 from the Innovation Fund program for Mission Australia’s Feather Weight project.

This project will train and employ up to 11 job seekers with disability in recycling services, giving them the support they need to achieve accredited training in Certificate II in waste management.

The job seekers will receive training though a soon to be established social enterprise Feather Weight, which will manufacture punching bags and protective sports equipment, including tackle bags, hit shields and goal post pads.

“For people with disability, the benefits of work extend far beyond a mere pay packet. A good job brings with it dignity, purpose and a sense of connectedness to the community,” Ms Ellis said.

“The Feather Weight project will provide the critical support and assistance that unemployed people with a physical disability or mental illness need to be able to enter the labour market.”

This project will also have an environmental benefit, as job seekers will be working to reduce waste material such as car seats, from the automotive industry by an estimated 1 020 000 tonnes, which would otherwise be sent to landfill.

The project will give job seekers the opportunity to gain paid work experience combined with on-the-job training, peer support, group learning and personal support services, all as part of an integrated service delivery model.

Ms Bird said that the project will benefit not only job seekers with disability but the broader Bellambi community through the establishment of a viable self sustaining social enterprise.

“The Government is also providing funding so that the participants are supported once they complete their training and can successfully transition to the open labour market,” Ms Bird said.

“I believe that we can do better than a lifetime spent on income support for residents in Bellambi who are living with disability but have the capacity and the will to work.”

“That is why we are also making it easier for people on disability pensions to get and keep a job and providing employers with incentives to hire people with disability through the 2011-12 Budget.”

Senator McLucas said that “increasing access to employment opportunities is an important part of the National Disability Strategy.”

“Mission Australia’s Feather Weight project will provide valuable work and training opportunities for local people with disability.”

The National Disability Strategy sets a ten-year reform plan that will help to ensure that people with disability have the same opportunities as other Australians. Developed through the Council of Australian Governments, the Strategy is the first time in Australia’s history that all governments have committed to a unified, national approach to improving the lives of people with disability, their families and carers.

The Feather Weight project is one of 12 Innovation Fund projects targeting assistance to job seekers with disability, valued at approximately $2.9 million.

The $41 million Innovation Fund also contributes to the achievement of the Australian Government’s Social Inclusion Agenda, which includes supporting innovative strategies to help disadvantaged job seekers find and retain employment.

For more information on the Innovation Fund visit:  deewr.gov.au/innovationfund

Media Contact:  media@deewr.gov.au

Non-media queries:  1300 363 079

This media release originally issued on the 29 June 2011 by the Hon Kate Ellis MP MP, Senator the Hon Jan McLucas and Ms Sharon Bird MP

Shoalhaven job seekers star in video resumes

More than100 job seekers from Mission Australia’s Nowra and Ulladulla Employment Solutions offices have been given the opportunity to promote themselves to businesses using online video resumes.

This DEEWR-approved program is being piloted by Mission Australia in Nowra, NSW, with the potential to be picked up by all Job Service Australia providers.

The digital resumes – provided by Meetseeker – go way beyond the traditional print resume by including a video profile of the job seeker. The result is a resume that conveys the individual’s personality and gives potential employers the flexibility to view and review applicants at their own convenience.

Over the course of three days last week, staff at Mission Australia Employment Solutions Nowra trained job seekers on video presentation and helped them with their hair and make-up before supporting them through the recording process. In addition to the 100 job seekers from Nowra, 10 Ulladulla residents travelled to the office to create personal video profiles.

Once the profiles were loaded onto Meetseeker by our employment advisors, our sales support staff sent the new links to potential employers. Employment Solutions has already received positive feedback from local business, with two job seekers already gaining interviews based on their video resumes.

“This businessperson absolutely loved the concept of Meetseekers because they could hear how the candidate spoke and see how they presented straight away,” said Sharon Webster, JobSeeker Solutions Manager.

Gavin Carboni of Meetseekers also had praise for the way our Employment Solutions staff supported job seekers: “They team did an amazing job empowering the job seekers to believe in themselves enough to record the videos,” Mr Carboni said. “It was overwhelmingly fantastic to work with them and a real pleasure to see the job seekers enjoy themselves.”

Last Thursday’s program launch attracted local media, including WIN TV, who recorded this news item at Youtube.

The South Coast register also reported on the new initiative.

Westpac staff warm our hearts

Mission Australia wants to send a warm thank you to all the generous Westpac staff who donated clothes as part of the recent Winter Warmer Appeal.

Fifty wheelie bins’ worth of jumpers, jackets and other warm clothes were collected from six Westpac sites in the Sydney area - George Street, Martin Place, Market and Kent Street sites in the city as well as Concord and Parramatta to the west.

The team at Mission Australia’s Big Heart collection warehouse at Bellambi, NSW, is always in need of good-quality clothes to sell from its seven op shops in Shoalhaven, the Illawarra and Campbelltown. This year the need is even greater, given that much of the warehouse stock was destroyed by fire in March.

“We lost so much in the fire so we desperately need to restock,” said NSW Service Manager Social Enterprise Andrew Douglas. “At this time of year people traditionally give away their summer clothes, having donated winter garments around Christmas – but of course the need during the colder months is for warm jumpers and jackets that keep out the chill.

“If you have good-quality clothing in the back of the wardrobes that you never wear we’ll gratefully accept them to help people in need.”

Anyone in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven areas who would like to donate good-quality warm clothes can drop them off into a local Mission Australia Big Heart donation bin or at any of the seven stores.

Other ways to help this winter
You can also support Australians doing it tough by making a donation to Mission Australia’s Winter Appeal – if you act today you’ll still be able to make a tax deduction for the 2010-11 financial year.

Mission Australia has already raised more than $663,000 thanks to community generosity, but we still need you help to reach our $860,000 target this winter. Every dollar makes a difference to the lives of struggling families and individuals.

Another great way to support Mission Australia this winter is to host a Winter Sleepout event. Whether you get your workplace together for a small gathering and have a gold-coin donation or you throw the event of the year, every dollar counts.

Rare photo of the Brighton

The ferry Brighton had a chequered career. Launched on the Clyde in 1883, she took up service on the Sydney to Manly run. On 7th August 1900, she collided with the collier S S Brunner near the Sow and Pigs reef, on the ferry's last trip of the day to Manly. As a result of a navigation error later ascribed to the ferry's master, the Brunner struck the Brighton just forward of the paddle box, causing water to flood into the torn hull. The ferry's master immediately ran for nearby Chowder Bay and managed to ground her. The photo shows the result of the incident.

Luckily, no one was injured and after repairs the ferry was soon back in service. Our thanks to Lynne Westbury for donating this photo to our collection, and to Bill Allen for help in identification.

John MacRitchie 2011.

Perfect time to support Australians in need

With the financial year ending tomorrow, it’s the perfect time to make a difference in your community and to your tax return through donating.

By giving to our 2011 Winter Appeal you’ll not only support families and individuals who have fallen on hard times, but also maximise your tax return.

In Monday’s Australian Financial Review, Phil Hayes-St Clair, Executive Chairman of HSC and Co, put forward Mission Australia as one of seven charities worthy of an end-of-financial-year donation – namely due to our transparency and effectiveness.

Even a small tax-deductible gift – anything over $2 - can make a huge difference to Australians whose lives have spiralled out of control because of a series of unfortunate incidents and plain bad luck like a job loss, poor health, the death of a loved one or lack of a support network. Sadly, it’s an all too familiar story.

For example when Gracie’s dad, Paul, was made redundant the family fell behind in their rent and the settled life they knew spiralled out of control within weeks.

Gracie and her brother soon found themselves sleeping in the back seat of the family car, with just a plastic bag of clothes and toys to call her own.

We urgently need your help to provide families like Gracie’s with a roof over their heads and the support they need to make a new start.

Donate before 30 June - and your kind gift can also be claimed as a tax deduction this year.

*Names and images have been changed to protect the identities of our clients.

Ron Paul on The Alex Jones show 28 June 2011

Ron Paul : People Are Finally Waken Up to The Tyranny , the economy is sick and getting sicker says Dr. Ron Paul , he then speaks about about the TSA and the unconstitutional war on Libya. Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate that can beat Obama in the coming presidential elections . RON PAUL 2012

Kristin on her mark to make a difference

everydayhero.com.au/kristin_flanagan_GC

Mission Australia supporter Kristin Flanagan is gearing up to compete in the Gold Coast Marathon this weekend. Here she explains why the event is much more than just a test of endurance for her:

Just over 12 months ago I entered the Gold Coast Marathon event to run the 10km race. It was to be a very large milestone for me: marking the furthest I had ever run and the only time I had entered a running race that wasn’t a prerequisite at school. My family, friends and colleagues helped raise more than $500 for Mission Australia.

Over the past couple of months I have started running again and my sights are now set on completing a half marathon in the first week in July. Call me crazy, deluded, insane or just plain ill-advised: you’d probably be close to the truth. However, there is another reason apart from the obvious one of getting fit.

I worked at Mission Australia for two-and-a-half years, and although I no longer work there, I remain passionately committed to their extremely important and tireless work supporting Australians in need of assistance through their innovative programs and supportive framework. I figure if I can raise more than $500 for just doing a 10km race, chances are we may be able to raise more if I run even further. I have been blown away by contributions made by my friends, family and previous colleagues to my fundraising - together, we have raised just over $1,000.

For the record, I am not a runner. I don’t get a buzz from running and I don’t look forward to it like the passionate runners among us do. I get nervous before each run as I am worried I won’t make it and each step during a run is a hard. For me, this will be a labour of pain and test of my personal will in an attempt acknowledge and raise awareness for people who are less fortunate than myself.

I acknowledge their debilitating daily struggles, most of which I cannot even imagine, and I hope the contribution we can make through this fundraising attempt will be able to assist someone transform their life from one filled with despair to one of overflowing with hope.

Half marathon here we come...

If you would like to donate to support, please visit my page at everydayhero.com.au/kristin_flanagan_GC

How you can run for a reason
If you’re preparing up for a winter marathon or fun run, why not join Kirsten in helping Australians in need?

To support to Mission Australia while getting fit, simply follow one of the links below to your chosen event, register online and select Mission Australia as your charity of choice. We can help you set up your own unique fundraising page to share with your friends and family so that you can start fundraising to transform lives.

Events:

• Gold Coast Marathon, 2-3 July, goldcoastmarathon.com.au
• Run Melbourne, 17 July, runmelbourne.com.au
• City2Surf (Sydney), 14 August, city2surf.com.au
• City to Surf (Perth), 28 August, citytosurf.activ.asn.au
• Bridge to Brisbane, 1 September, bridgetobrisbane.com.au
• City-Bay (Adelaide), 18 September, city-bay.org.au
• Sydney Running Festival, 18 September, sydneyrunningfestival.com.au

Ron Paul Texas Straight Talk 6/27/11

Ron Paul 's Texas Straight Talk 6/27/11: Tax Credits for Energy Market, Not Subsidies and Regulations

Queensland Reds tackle Indigenous youth unemployment with Mission Australia

Mission Australia is thrilled to announce an innovative 18-month partnership with the Queensland Reds, which will see the two organisations work together to tackle Indigenous unemployment in south Brisbane.

The Indigenous Employment Project (IEP) will see Mission Australia Employment Solutions and Queensland Reds work with 35 Indigenous youths from south Brisbane to create positive long-term educational and employment benefits.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, the initiative is an Australian-first, and one Mission Australia is hoping can be rolled out throughout the country in the coming years.

Mission Australia Employment Solutions General Manager for Queensland Phil Schultz said the participants are looking forward to starting the project.

“We have 25 Indigenous youths eager to meet with the Queensland Reds and start working towards long-term employment,” Mr Schultz said.

“In south Brisbane alone, Mission Australia has over 200 Indigenous people registered as active job seekers. We see the IEP as a step in the right direction towards tackling Indigenous youth unemployment.”

As part of the IEP, participants will learn about motivation, goal-setting, employer expectations, nutrition, fitness, healthy lifestyles and career planning through ongoing contact with Mission Australia and the Queensland Reds.

Queensland Reds players will act as mentors for the participants over the 18 month project – and will be available weekly to offer guidance, support and motivation.

Queensland Reds Hooker Saia Faingaa said he was looking forward to working with the youths involved in the project.

“I know I speak for a lot of the boys when I say that I’m really excited to be able to work as a mentor and confidant to these indigenous youths,” Saia said.

“We’re keen to show the participants that there are opportunities out there for indigenous youths, and that there are organisations out there such as Mission Australia who have the programs in place to assist them with their education and employment goals.”

Kids now get into the zoo for free

Great news for Victorian kids and families! The Victorian Coalition Government has just announced that it’s giving children free entry to three outstanding zoos – Healesville Sanctuary, Werribee Zoo and Melbourne Zoo.

The $10.7 million initiative, expected to give free entry to 266,000 children, was welcomed by Paul Bird, Mission Australia’s State Director, who said it was important that the wonderful learning and discovery experiences at zoos were accessible to all Victorians.

“Mission Australia applauds the government for this initiative as it will enable more families to enjoy the many experience and wonders offered by Zoos Victoria,” Mr Bird said.

Mission Australia’s 2010 National Youth Survey found the number of Victorians taking part in arts and cultural activities had dropped significantly since 2008, highlighting the need to encourage activities that engage children and their families to build their relationships and life skills.
The initiative will grant children under 16 years of age free entry on Victorian public holidays and school holidays plus weekends from 1 July – which in time for the winter school break.

The Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Chris Ryan, said the subsidy would reduce the cost from $12.60 to zero and a family ticket would be reduced from $58 to $50.80.

Every year since 2008, Mission Australia Family Day at the Zoo, in partnership with Zoos Victoria and MetLink and V/Line, has given free entry and free public transport to Victorian children from across the state - including migrants and refugees.

Last December, more than 100 volunteers from Mission Australia, Vline and Metlink helped many first-time public transport users find their way to and from the event, as well as navigate their way around the zoo.

Further information:

• Melbourne Zoo opens doors to 3,000 children and families from across Victoria
• Adelaide kids enjoy a day at the zoo

Ron Paul Introduce Bill To Legalize Marijuana

BREAKING NEWS!!! RON PAUL INTRODUCING MARIJUANA BILL! " Ron Paul for 2012 and beyond period".... Cigarettes kill 375,000 americans a year and you can buy them on every corner. Hemp(marijuana) no documented recored of Ever killing anyone and they demonize it. Call your congressmen and get this passed The switchboard number is 202-224-3121



Some of Ron Paul's extremely sensible quotes here:

"The war against marijuana causes so much hardship and accomplishes nothing."

"Permitting something to happen doesn't mean that you authorize it or endorse it."

"You shouldn't be a criminal just because you have a problem with drugs."

Thank you, Ron Paul. You're wisdom is why I wrote you in for president last election and why I will vote for you again.

Transforming homes and lives after the floods

Eleven young participants in Mission Australia’s Access Program – Plastering have taken our “transformation” philosophy to heart, making positive changes to their own lives while giving a Queensland household affected by the January floods a helping hand.

Access is a training program that provides long-term unemployed youth (among other job seekers) with the skills and motivation to gain apprenticeships.

The participants attended Bremer TAFE for four weeks, studying five units from the Solid Wall and Ceiling Plastering Qualification. They then had the chance to put their new knowledge to the test by spending a week working on a flood-affected house in the Ipswich suburb of Bundamba.

Mission Australia Australian Apprenticeships Access Program Placement Officer Leonie Doyle said this particular program was run to fill a local skills shortage in post-flood Queensland where many homes need to be gutted and relined.

Ms Doyle said she was bowled over by the enthusiasm shown by the young men – few of whom who had real work experience.

“When I first told them they were going to do a week of restoring a home, they were really excited and counted down the weeks and days until they started,” she said. “Once they were in the flood-affected community they were determined to do as much as they could.”

Working in small teams under the supervision of their trainers, over the course of a week the young men had fixed new lining boards to all walls and ceiling, and even relined the linen cupboard and pantry.

“The owners were most grateful – on the last day they told the boys they were moving their bed inside that night after spending months living in a caravan,” she said. “The sense of achievement and pride the boys felt was wonderful to see.”

Significantly, all the young men who began the course finished it – and four of the 11 participants have since started apprenticeships with group training company Apprenticeships Queensland and are now restoring homes in the Bundamba area.

Another three are expected to be signed up to apprenticeships this month. Congratulations to all 11 participants on a job well done.

Make a difference to your community… and tax return

With the end of the financial year days away, many Australians are starting to think about the best way to maximise their yearly tax return.

By far one of the best ways to receive a tax deduction is by opening your heart and wallets to others and making a charitable donation.

Any donation you make over $2 to a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) such as Mission Australia is tax-deductible – and even a small gift can make a huge difference to someone like Sheree*.

Sheree had been beaten continuously by her husband for the past five years. One night he hit her so hard that she blacked out for a few minutes. But it wasn’t until her children were hospitalised due to his beatings that Sheree realised she had to get away from her husband for good for the sake of her young family.

While he slept one night, Sheree quietly put the children in the back of the car and fled to the care of Mission Australia.

Unfortunately, Sheree’s situation is all too common – she and her girls make up just one of many families we work with every day at Mission Australia. Your generous donation today will help hundreds of Australian women and children in similar desperate situations to find pathways away from poverty, violence and homelessness.

We urgently need your help to provide families like Sheree’s with a roof over their heads and the support they need to start a new life.

Donate before 30 June and your kind gift can also be claimed as a tax deduction this year.

*Names and images have been changed to protect the identities of our clients.

Mayor Fletcher

As research progresses, more is becoming known about some of the early Mayors and Aldermen of Manly - Mayor William Fletcher, for example.

William Horner Fletcher was born in 1851 in Auckland, New Zealand, where his father, Rev Joseph Horner Fletcher was the headmaster of Wesley College. They were descendants of a close associate of John Wesley, William Horner.

The family moved to Brisbane, where William went to Ipswich Grammar School, and then to Sydney, where his father was Principal of Newington College. Joseph Fletcher was a pioneering devotee of rugby, and arranged for the first inter-school game of rugby in Australia, between Newington College and the King's School. William too was a keen sportsman, and played as 'quarter back' for the Waratah rugby club in the 1870s. He became the first secretary of the Southern Rugby Football Union in 1874. He was also secretary of the Sydney Amateur Athletic Club for a time. As a young man he was capable of strenuous feats - on one occasion he canoed alone from Penrith to Broken Bay, taking six days for the trip.

William became an accountant, and was admitted as a partner in the firm of David Fell and Co. In 1887 he married Miss Louise Moore, whose father Lewis Moore owned the large house Tramore in Darley Road, Manly. They set up home in the same street at Erlsdon, very near to Tramore.

He was elected to Manly Council and became Mayor in 1899 and 1900. His main concern while in office was to apply himself to the Council's accounts, to ensure that Manly Council did not require any form of Government subsidy over the period. He was also a founder and treasurer of Manly Cottage Hospital, and a considerable fund-raiser for the hospital.

On leaving Manly in 1919 he was presented with an illuminated testimonial from Manly Methodist Church. In retirement he lived at Neutral Bay, and served on the council of Newington College, Stanmore. He appears to have been one of the most likeable of Manly's Mayors. He died in 1931, aged 79, and a prize in his name was instituted at Newington College.

John MacRitchie

Former refugee proud to help new arrivals

Refugee Week is a celebration of the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society.

Since the end of World War II, more than 750,000 refugees and others in humanitarian need have been resettled in Australia – among them Minoo Jizan.

A member of the Mandean community, Ms Jizan left Iran 10 years ago and moved to Sydney with her family. Keen to adapt to her adopted homeland and build a new life, she spent her first years in Australia improving her English language skills.

“I remember how hard it was for me and my family to live in Australia because we did not know English and especially Australian life,” she recalls.

“I tried hard to learn English – I would read newspapers, watch TV, have lots of conversations with people and practise by writing shopping lists and letters…. I was never embarrassed to ask questions and I that helped me succeed.”

Ms Jizan is now a volunteer tutor with Mission Australia’s Home Tutor Scheme and Enhancement Program in Sydney. As part of her role, she visits students’ homes once a week and tutors them in English and also provides information about community services that can assist the resettlement process.

"I would really like to thank the Home Tutor Scheme for giving me this opportunity and allowing me to make life easier for migrants and refugees,” Ms Jizan said. “It’s also made me more interested in learning other languages like Arabic, and Afghani, which makes it easier for me to communicate with learners.”

Mission Australia Team Leader Mina Zolfaghari said approximately a third of the Home Tutor Scheme’s students were refugees, mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last year 80 per cent of people who participated in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship program in the west and south-west of Sydney were women, and the dominant first language was Arabic.

“It’s so rewarding to see former refugees like Minoo giving a helping hand to others who are trying to establish a new life in Australia,” Ms Zolfaghari said.

As of 1 July, Mission Australia will recruit and train volunteer Home Tutors to teach English in the following regions of Sydney: Blacktown, the Outer West, Central West, Fairfield/Cabramatta, inner Sydney (including the CBD), eastern and southern Sydney, Inner West, Canterbury/Bankstown and Liverpool.

For more information please call (02) 9635 1543 or email zolfagharim@missionaustralia.com.au

Ron Paul picks Judge Andrew Napolitano as his running mate

Ron Paul : Greece Riots Could come to America Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dr. Ron Paul says the violence rocking Greece threatens the U.S. as anger mounts over entitlement cuts , the principals are the same people believe they are entitled to something , they believe they are entitled to take away from someone else because they have a right to it and when they do not get it because they have been told for many many years that they have the right to it they become very very angry actually we can see that already , when the government has zero money people will become very very angry , Ron Paul picks Judge Andrew Napolitano as his running mate ...

Health experts call for problem gambling reforms

Problem gambling is one of the most serious health issues affecting our nation, according to a group of 40 high-profile experts.

The group - including the head of the Public Health Association of Australia, Helen Keleher, and former Australian of the Year, Fiona Stanley - have written to politicians to express their support for low-impact poker machines and a mandatory pre-commitment scheme that would enable pokie users to select an amount they are willing to lose before they start gambling.

"An effective response to the harms of problem gambling is required urgently. As we have learnt from other successful public health responses, social marketing and education campaigns alone will not work," they wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.

"For every person with a gambling problem, between five and 10 others are affected: children, husbands, wives, partners, employers, neighbours, family and friends," they added.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the letter said a mandatory pre-commitment scheme for gamblers would further establish Australia as a world leader in public health.

"As was the case with tobacco, gun controls and seatbelts, when there is compelling evidence of serious and immediate threats to public health we are compelled to take action to minimise harm.

"Each year that we delay the introduction of effective measures to address harms derived from gambling on poker machines, hundreds of thousands of people will experience gambling problems."

You can read more at the SMH or ABC Online.

According to the Productivity Commission Inquiry Report released in 2010, there are between 80 000 and 160,000 Australian adults suffering severe problems from their gambling. The costs to problem gamblers in 2008-09 ranged between $4.7 and $8.4 billion.

In March, Mission Australia threw its support behind a campaign, jointly launched by Independent Tasmanian MP, Andrew Wilkie and advocacy group, GetUp, to combat attempts to undermine the Federal Government’s planned poker machine reforms.

Tonight Four Corners examines this campaign tonight at 8.30pm on ABC1.

Further information:

• 'One-stop-shop' to tackle problem gambling
• Craigie passes on smart gambling message
• If you or someone you know needs support to overcome a gambling addiction visit www.triplerservices.com.au

Media coverage - The Mercury: Testing times for a cause

Mission Australia recently hosted a five-course degustation dinner to raise funds for MA's Chigwell House in Tasmania. At the dinner, guests were asked to guess the key ingredients in each dish as well as the type and origin of each wine.

The below article on MA's fundraising event appeared in The Mercury yesterday.

---

The dessert did us in.

Judith Sweet and I were doing some forensic dining at the Ultimate Taste Test, the dinner cooked by Paul Foreman to raise funds for Mission Australia.

Each of the five courses came with a list of questions.

Was the fish blue-eye, swordfish, spanish mackerel or stripey trumpeter? Was the special ingredient in the foam scallop, anchovy, urchin roe or mussel? We were right with the blue-eye and urchin roe, and correctly identified samphire as the green vegetation.

Samphire, also known as sea asparagus and sea fennel, grows in many coastal areas.

It has a salty taste and a firm, fleshy texture.

Ours, from Bruny Island, was collected by oyster farmer Hedley Browning.

Not the usual beady-looking succulent, it was more like a mini fern.

Paul liked its "nicely toned down" taste.

As the partner of a blueberry and strawberry grower, I'm ashamed to admit I did not pick strawberries in a berry consomme, along with blueberries and raspberries.

But, as Paul said: "You put ingredients together and it changes the flavour of them. Then you put the herbs in and it really makes it tough."

He had added basil, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Fundraising by way of an elaborate dinner is in marked contrast to the circumstances of the people the money will help.

Mission Australia's Chigwell House, in northern Hobart, is in an area with the highest proportion of single-parent families in the state.

It is the home base for a number of the 22 services the mission runs.

These include Parents Staying Connected, which teaches parenting skills, and Youth Beat, which sends a couple of youth workers with a van of information out to places where kids gather.

We were eating at Cooleys Hotel in Moonah, better known for chicken parmi than fine dining.

But Paul, who is food manager of the seven hotels in the Kalis Group, said regulars, too, enjoyed being taken out of the ordinary now and again to meet – tonka beans.

These South American beans, a favourite of Paul's, cost $500/kg and can be poisonous in great quantities.

They can be milled or grated into custards, foam, parsnip puree or, in this case, parfait.

They have a compendium flavour – vanilla, cardamom, clove, cumin and cinnamon are all in there.

So when we were asked what was in the parfait, we got it wrong.

We missed out on winning by two points.

Story published in The Mercury on Thursday 16 June.

New Aboriginal health clinic opens in Goulburn

Mission Australia’s Goulburn office is now hosting a free monthly clinic that aims to meet the health needs of local Aboriginal people.

Operated in conjunction with the Southern General Practice Network’s (SGPN) ‘Closing the Gap’ program, the clinic was officially launched on Tuesday, attracting 68 Aboriginal families.

It is the first health service in the area specifically for Aboriginal people.

At the launch Mission Australia’s Director Community Services NSW/ACT, Leonie Green, welcomed the SGPN teams and local families to our Community Services office on Sloane St

“Mission Australia is thrilled to be part of a fantastic opportunity for the community and we’re very proud to be supporting such a valuable service,” said Ms Green.

After the official launch, a number of local Aboriginal families took the opportunity to have their first check-up with the podiatrist, enjoy lunch and meet Mission Australia staff.

The new podiatry and diabetes clinic will operate every third Tuesday of each month from 9am to 5pm, providing patients with access to diabetes educators, Aboriginal health workers, podiatrists and registered nurses.

Mission Australia’s Service Operations Manager Southern NSW Community Services, Cheryl O’Donnell, said she looked forward to seeing improvements in the general health and wellbeing of Goulburn’s Aboriginal community.

“It will also assist in developing the relationship between Mission Australia and the wider Aboriginal community in the area,” she added.

Referrals are not needed to attend the clinic and transportation can be organised if required.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call Violet Sheridan on (02) 4821 0436.

Mission Australia’s Goulburn office – at 8/142 Sloane St - also operates the EarlyStart Diagnosis Support and Brighter Futures programs.

For more information on Mission Australia’s Goulburn Community Services, please contact Cheryl O’Donnell on (02) 4824 4002.

Another doorway opens for at-risk youth

Mission Australia, in partnership with Juvenile Justice in NSW, has opened a new rehabilitation centre for youth with drug and alcohol problems.

The 50-acre property located on the banks of the Macquarie River, in regional New South Wales, has been completely remodelled to cater for eight young people aged from 13 to 18 at a time.

The new centre provides a welcome rural setting for youth to receive individualised programs including therapy, counselling and education.

James Toomey, Mission Australia’s National Operations Support Manager, told Dubbo’s Daily Liberal that the program is followed up for a further six months of outreach work after the youth leave The Mac River Centre and re-enter their community.

A community support worker will support the young person and their families when they leave the centre to help prevent relapse.

“The program is unique because of the age group targeted. Because it is aimed at 13- to 18-year-olds. It is recognised there is a need, that their age group isn’t catered for,” said Mr Toomey.

Juvenile Justice NSW Deputy Chief Executive, Valda Rusis, told The Daily Liberal that the centre aims to support young people though education and vocation to lead to a productive and healthy life.

"We have strong community networks in the area. We view this facility as a great example of a community working together to achieve good outcomes for these young people," Ms Rusis added.

This program is based on the model developed at Mission Australia’s Triple Care Farm and will help the youth learn routine responsibilities of rural life such as, feeding chickens, tending a vegetable garden and raising poddy calves.

Have your say, young Australians: Mission Australia’s National Survey of Young Australians will draw to a close in just over two weeks time, so act now if you want to be heard.

Photo:  from left, Mission Australia’s Ann Winterton, Talbragar Wiradjuri descendent Coral Peckham, Deputy Chief Executive of Juvenile Justice Valda Rusis, James Toomey of Mission Australia and Juvenile Justice’s Leonie Bender.

Photo courtesy of The Daily Liberal

Running for a reason

If you’re one of the thousands of runners gearing up for a winter marathon or fun run, why not take the opportunity to help out an Australian in need?

Events such as the upcoming Gold Coast Marathon, Run Melbourne, the Sydney City2Surf and Perth City to Surf, as well as running festivals in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney in Spring, can be much more than chances to get healthy and take on a personal challenge.

To support to Mission Australia while getting fit, simply follow one of the links below to your chosen event, register online and select Mission Australia as your charity of choice. We can help you set up your own unique fundraising page to share with your friends and family so that you can start fundraising to transform lives.

By getting behind Mission Australia this season you’ll be joining the Sydney Roosters, who are once again training clients from our Sydney men’s services for the City2Surf. This morning Roosters Jake Friend and Todd Carney met the group of 30 men they will work with over the next two months in preparation for the 14 August challenge.

Events:

• Gold Coast Marathon, 2-3 July, goldcoastmarathon.com.au
• Run Melbourne, 17 July, runmelbourne.com.au
• City2Surf (Sydney), 14 August, city2surf.com.au
• City to Surf (Perth), 28 August, citytosurf.activ.asn.au
• Bridge to Brisbane, 1 September, bridgetobrisbane.com.au
• City-Bay (Adelaide), 18 September, city-bay.org.au
• Sydney Running Festival, 18 September, sydneyrunningfestival.com.au

Time is running out to have your say!

Mission Australia’s National Survey of Young Australians will draw to a close in just over two weeks time, so act now if you want to be heard.

Each year Mission Australia’s National Survey of Young Australians helps to inform government, educators and communities about the wellbeing, hopes and attitudes of teenagers and young adults.

As in recent years, in recent months we’ve had a strong response from schools, students, youth groups and individuals. Yet we still need your help if we are to gain a clear insight into the values, personal and national concerns of young Australians in 2011.

This year’s survey is asking participants to indicate their main three issues of concern, rather than ranking the whole range of issues in order of the most to least concerning. We’re also trying to find out who or where young people turn to for support to deal with specific concerns.

To have your say, complete Mission Australia’s 10th National Survey of Young Australians online at mayouthsurvey.com.au by 1 July. We’re aiming to capture the views of more than 50,000 young people aged from 11 to 24 – but we need the community’s help to make it happen.

There’s still time to order printed copies of the survey - simply contact Aimee Tyson at youthsurvey@missionaustralia.com.au or on (02) 9219 2022.

This is a fantastic opportunity for young people – particularly those too young to vote – to be heard by governments, youth agencies and community service organisations like Mission Australia.

Crossing dry-shod

This happy family group are posing inside a six-foot wide pipe at Clontarf in 1925. The pipes were used in the Middle Harbour syphon scheme, a massive engineering project for the period. Two parallel rows of concrete pipes, ten-inches thick, were laid under the waters of Middle Harbour from Clontarf to Mosman. Tremendous feats of diving endurance were undertaken by the workmen on the project, with spells underwater of up to seven hours, thought to be a world record at the time. In places the pipes were seventy feet below the surface. The job took close to two years to complete, and over the course of construction strange coralline growths sprang up and adhered to the inside of the pipes.

When the job was complete, an open day was held in December 1925, when, for sixpence, you could walk along inside the pipeline across from one side of Middle Harbour to the other - without getting your feet wet. That's a trivia quiz question waiting to be asked. Aptly, the money raised went to the benevolent fund of the workmen who had performed the feat of laying the pipes.

Sleeping out for equality

For Adelaide’s Juliette Warnes, the opportunity to transform the lives of homeless Australians motivated her to brave a night out in the cold as part of Mission Australia’s Winter Sleepout. This is Juliette’s account of the experience.

I decided to participate in the Winter Sleepout as an individual fundraiser before asking a couple of friends to join to me. Pretty soon we had a team of about 25 young people in our fundraising group, ‘Team Radelaide’.

We began our Sleepout at around 6pm and shared soup for dinner. We had some time to chat and get to know each other while we started a small campfire to keep warm. Some of us brought along boxes and tarps to use as a basic shelter in case it rained. We spent the night talking, laughing, sharing stories and had a couple of sing-alongs.

Importantly, we set aside some time throughout the night and in the morning to reflect on what homelessness is and how we could best support people who are experiencing it.

A big highlight of the Winter Sleepout was seeing the young people involved begin to comprehend what homelessness is. A person sleeping from couch to couch is homeless, just as a person sleeping on the streets is.

I learned that we can never truly understand what it’s like to be homeless. We can go home to our comfy beds, with our supportive families who put food on the table, who ask us how our day was and offer us the emotional and mental support we need. But it is very hard for us to really grasp the reality of life for a person who is homeless.

I think the challenge of doing Winter Sleepout is keeping young people engaged in the learning experience after the event. It is easy for us to do a one night challenge, but to keep enough momentum to take action after the event is much harder.

I chose to support the people who Mission Australia helps through the Winter Sleepout because I believe in what the organisation is about. I believe in Mission Australia’s commitment to seeing equality and dignity restored to those in need.

Winter Sleepout is a Mission Australia event to raise funds and awareness of homelessness in Australia.

To find out more about Winter Sleepout and register a team visit www.wintersleepout.com.au

Media Release: Help needed for kids from disadvantaged families to make successful transition to school

Disadvantaged families with complex needs require a range of supports to assist their children make a successful transition to school according to a new report.

The report, Facilitating children’s transition to school from families with complex support needs – a joint publication between Charles Sturt University, University of Western Sydney, Mission Australia and the NSW Department of Human Services – says transition to school programs and third parties acting as mediators between families and schools are among the keys to getting children from disadvantaged families off to a successful start in education.

According to Mission Australia spokesperson, Paul Andrews, families with complex support needs are less likely to have positive relationship and engagement with schools because of cultural and language differences, poverty, unemployment, dislocation, violence, illness or disability and this can impact on their child’s transition to school.

“For families with complex support needs the transition to school for their child can be a time of great difficulty and vulnerability but it’s also an opportunity to get things right,” according to Mr Andrews.

“There is compelling international evidence that the early years of a person’s life establish the foundations for adulthood. If there is upheaval during this time – particularly during the transition from preschool to school – there is a greater chance a person will experience difficulties, including poverty, unemployment and engaging in criminal behaviour, in later years.

“This report worked with 44 families across NSW – more than half from non-metro areas – to understand what they needed for their kids to start school as successfully as possible.

“They identified supports including establishing ‘transition to school’ programs, providing information for families about schools and enrolment, and professionals acting as links between families and schools.

“Other supports identified by families as helpful include services that can adapt as family needs change and continuity of support.

“In terms of continuity, many early childhood programs cease as children begin school – despite it being a time of great anxiety and uncertainty within these families. Having programs continue while the transition takes place is extremely important.

“The main concerns for the families participating in the report regard their children’s behaviour at school, family engagement with school and the financial pressures of having children at school. Parents were also keen to have an ongoing relationship with their child’s school but were unsure how to go about doing that.

“If services and supports can address those challenges then we’re well on our way to giving kids from struggling families the best start to their education possible,” said Mr Andrews.


The report, Facilitating children’s transition to school from families with complex support needs, is available to download at missionaustralia.com.au/downloads/19-social-policy-reports

MMHA Media Release: New information standards needed to help Australians at‐risk of homelessness

Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds at increased risk of homelessness are in danger of missing out on appropriate services, according to a new report by Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA).

The report, Homelessness amongst culturally and linguistically diverse people with a mental illness, urges the Australian Government to implement standardised national data collection across social services to help address this problem.

The report will be launched by the Australian Minister for Social Inclusion, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, on Tuesday 7 June at 9:30am at the Mission Australia Centre, 19 Denham Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. Research was undertaken by the Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit, with additional expertise provided by the Council to Homeless Persons, Homelessness Australia, Mission Australia, Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria and Yfoundations.

The report confirms little is known about rates of homelessness among people with a mental illness from immigrant backgrounds because data collection is neither mandatory nor consistent. The research also shows that that very few organisations which collect data review it or use it to develop specific strategies due to limited staff and financial resources.

MMHA National Program Manager Georgia Zogalis says this has huge implications for developing equitable policies, strategies and programs.

‘As part of the Australian Government’s commitment to multiculturalism, MMHA urges it to invest in, support and maintain improved data collection capabilities across homelessness, mental health and multicultural agencies,’ Ms Zogalis says. ‘By improving the sector’s knowledge about homelessness prevalence rates and risk factors, we are more likely to prevent homelessness in diverse communities.’

The Australian Government’s recently launched Multicultural Policy states that one of its priorities is to ensure service data includes a number of cultural identifiers, including country‐of‐birth, ancestry, languages spoken at home and level of English proficiency.* The MMHA report shows that existing homelessness data does not meet this benchmark because country‐of‐birth is likely to be the only identifier collected. This makes it difficult to identify second‐generation immigrants as well as first‐generation immigrants from linguistic and ethnic minority groups.

The report is based on a survey of 121 organisations and confirms people with a mental illness, female victims of family violence, refugees, asylum seekers and youth from CALD backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to homelessness. Ms Zogalis says stigma, limited knowledge of the social safety net and lack of culturally appropriate services contribute to these groups’ vulnerability. She says the report also indicates that some organisations are unsure of the most appropriate services for these clients, creating more confusion for people most in need of answers.

‘An already difficult situation is compounded by language difficulties, social and cultural dislocation due to migration, grief related to experiences of violence, torture, trauma and separation,’ she says. ‘We need to improve support structures for these Australians, and also provide effective cultural competency training to the services which work with them. These services are doing a fabulous job but they need additional training to work effectively across a client group with an extraordinary range of complex needs.’

*The People of Australia: Australia’s Multicultural Policy, page 8.

Media Release issued by MMHA on 7 June 2011


Contact details:

• MMHA Communications Officer, Rebecca Lewis: (02) 9840 3333 or 0408 445 794
• MMHA National Program Manager, Georgia Zogalis: 0407 933 685

RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels ‘Stand Up for Youth’

Mission Australia partner, RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels, took some time out of their busy training schedule recently to visit some of Mission Australia’s programs and services.

In May, players, Gareth Delve, Richard Kingi, Adam Byrnes and Tom Chamberlain enjoyed the flavours and delights of Mission Australia’s social enterprise restaurant, Charcoal Lane.

In Melbourne’s Fitzroy, Charcoal Lane serves high-quality modern and native Australian cuisine and aims to give disadvantaged youth the opportunity to train in hospitality and pursue careers in the industry.

“We really enjoyed our visit to the restaurant. We did a tour of the kitchen, met the staff and then enjoyed a beautiful three course lunch. All the food was amazing but our favourite dish was definitely the kangaroo,” said Richard Kingi.

In addition to the Charcoal Lane visit, several players invited some of the participants from Mission Australia’s ‘Stand Up for Youth’ programs to watch a training session and have a short tour of Visy Park.

Seven young people took up the opportunity and they were not disappointed, with the players showing off their skills throughout the session.

Following training, the players had a brief chat with the participants about how hard they’ve worked to pursue their rugby dreams and achieve their goals – encouraging the participants to set themselves goals and continue to work hard to achieve them.

Mission Australia’s ‘Stand Up for Youth’ programs equip young people with the skills and resilience they need to make positive choices in their lives. We provide support to youth experiencing issues with drug and alcohol abuse, family breakdown, unemployment, homelessness and mental illness.

Image: RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels players with Mission Australia’s ‘Stand Up for Youth’ participants.

Ron Paul The Government is Bankrupt

Ron Paul The Government is Bankrupt : Dr. Ron Paul has publicly advocated for limited government, less spending, lower taxes and a humble foreign policy for more than 30 years. He is often regarded as the father of the Tea Party.

Media Release: Concern at numbers of homeless people turned away

Mission Australia - one of the largest providers of homeless services in the country – has expressed its concern at new figures which show close to 60% of people who need help from government-funded homeless shelters are turned away each day.

The data, released this morning by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, show that of people needing new and immediate accommodation every day in 2009-10, 58% were unable to be placed.

The AIHW’s report also states the group most likely to be turned away were families with an average of 82% of couples with children, 69% of couples without children and 67% of individuals with children who requested new and immediate accommodation turned away each day, compared with 45% of individuals without children – similar results to those in 2008-09.

Mission Australia’s Chief Executive, Toby Hall, said the knowledge that the majority were family groups – who would have ended up sleeping rough, in cars, or in other dangerous situations – fitted with Mission Australia’s experience and was cause for significant alarm.

“These numbers – and the tragic individual stories behind them – are shameful. Any level of homelessness in Australia is unacceptable,” said Mr Hall.

“For our society not have the capacity to meet the demand of homeless families is an indictment on our values and priorities.

“These latest results match up pretty closely with Mission Australia’s own experiences. Our data suggests that single women with children and families are likely to have the most difficulty in accessing accommodation due to a lack of capacity.

“Anecdotally, many services in outer metro and regional areas are reporting escalating demand that they are unable to meet. What then follows is a ‘drift’ into the inner city which causes both a loss of personal and community networks for the individual and a severe bottleneck in terms of demand for services and access to housing in those areas.

“We also need to recognise that these figures only tell part of the story. For every person fronting up at one of these government-funded services for help there’d be hundreds of others who chose not to – the 'hidden homeless'. I’m thinking of young people couch-surfing temporarily with friends or extended family. Those people don’t get counted in this research.

“And let’s not forget that 30% of people turned away were Aboriginal, despite making up just 2% of the population.

“Both federal and state/territory governments have made a significant investment in tackling homelessness over the past few years – measures that are aimed not only at addressing accommodation capacity but also to cut the flow of people into homelessness and to try and get them on their feet more quickly once they’re there.

“Figures released last week show that funding starting to have an impact with the total number of people supported by government-funded homeless services rising by seven per cent in 2009-10 to 219,900.

“But with the turn away rates remaining at last year’s levels it’s obvious we haven’t succeeded in ‘turning the tap off’ in terms of people entering into homelessness.

“What these figures show us is that Australia’s homeless problem won’t be fixed overnight. It’s a reminder that we need to work harder, better and more effectively if we’re going to get on top of the problem,” said Mr Hall.

Media contact: Paul Andrews (02) 9219 2080 or 0409 665 495

Media coverage - Liverpool Leader: Horningsea Park early learning centre has highest rank in care

Mission Australia’s Horningsea Park Early Learning Service has passed a test with flying colours.

The centre has received a high quality accreditation ranking - the highest possible - from the National Childcare Accreditation Council.

The centre was rigorously tested on 33 principals in seven categories by a council official during a recent day visit.

The categories included staff relationships with children and peers, partnership with families, programming and evaluation, children’s experience and learning, protective care and safety, health, nutrition and wellbeing, and managing to support quality.

All seven categories were ranked as high quality, the highest of four bands.

The Horningsea Park service was registered in April 2009 after taking over from an ABC Learning Centre.

Centre director Ruth Brennan said staff had worked hard to improve the care for children.

“We are very proud of this achievement,” she said.

Story originally published 7 June 2011 in the Liverpool Leader.

Further reading:

• Getting back to nature
• ‘Families need adventure playgrounds and cities need families’
• Previous MA news - Early Learning Services

Media coverage - ABC: 'One-stop-shop' to tackle problem gambling

The ACT Government says its new gambling support service will serve as a 'one-stop-shop' for problem gamblers and their families.

The Government has announced Mission Australia will run the service, providing help for people already struggling with problem gambling as well as running proactive services to help those at risk of developing an addiction.

It is due to be up and running next month.

Economic Development Minister Andrew Barr says it is a unique, nation-leading arrangement.

"Mission Australia will combine their experience in problem gambling services with the many other services they provide including financial counselling, support services for disadvantaged families and youth, support services for relationships, domestic violence, drug and alcohol misuse, mental illness, housing," he said.

Mr Barr says the service will include face-to-face, phone, email and online contact with clients.

He says Mission Australia will also work with the Australian National University, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission and industry stakeholders to undertake research on the causes and effective treatment of problem gambling.

Mr Barr says it is part of the Government's broader plan to tackle problem gambling.

"That encompass everything from assistance for those who have demonstrated need and perhaps those who we haven't been reaching with previous assistance models, through to some more direct action in relation to the number of poker machines in the Territory, ATM withdrawal limits and the national work around precommitment," he said.

The service is being funded by a 0.6 per cent levy on gambling revenue, an idea initiated by an ACT Greens bill.

Mission Australia's Leonie Green says it will be a diverse program.

"Not only will we be offering financial and gambling counselling services but we will be also providing training for other service providers," she said.

"We'll be able to provide therapeutic services to families and individuals so that they can start looking and addressing all of the other issues. We'll be working in schools raising awareness of gambling."

Story originally published 7 June 2011 at ABC.net.au

Further reading:

• Owen Craigie passes on smart gambling message
• Government Media Release: Tackling problem gambling in Australia
• Previous MA news - gambling

New light, new day as PM opens village

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has officially opened a new accommodation village for homeless Indigenous people in Alice Springs, which will be managed by Mission Australia.

The Aherlkeme Village will offer transitional housing and help homeless people move into more permanent housing by giving them the skills to access and hold a tenancy in either the public or private market.

Aherlkeme, meaning ‘new light, new day’, is designed to help break the cycle of homelessness and reduce over crowding in town camps. It will provide 75 supported accommodation places, in 29 units of one to four bedrooms.

The $8.3 million village is part of a government plan to transform areas of Alice Springs and its town camps so they are safe, healthy places to live.

Mission Australia will manage the village, as well as providing case management and tenancy support services.

Through these services, tenants will develop:

• Knowledge and skills to maintain a safe and healthy home
• Skills to resolve conflicts and manage visitors
• An understanding of tenancy rights and responsibilities
• Greater responsibility in their homes and neighbourhoods
• An understanding of how to access support services once they leave the village

Ms Gillard opened the Aherlkeme Village today, with Mission Australia's Northern Territory director Phillip Leslie. Aherlkeme is about 5km from the township of Alice Springs.

Image: Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the new Aherlkeme Village with Mission Australia's Northern Territory director Phillip Leslie (centre) and staff from Mission Australia's Alice Springs office.

Media statement - Andrew Barr MLA: ACT takes national leadership in tackling problem gambling

Today I announced Mission Australia has won the tender to provide the ACT's nation leading Problem Gambling Support Service which commences on 1 July 2011.

Mission Australia is a large national organisation that has been operating in Australia for over 150 years. The organisation provides gambling counselling services at 13 sites in NSW and is highly qualified to deliver similar services in the ACT.

In an arrangement unique in Australia, Mission Australia will offer both traditional reactive services to help those already struggling with problem gambling, and proactive services to help those potentially at risk to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand.

Mission Australia will be able to provide a 'one-stop-shop' to help problem gamblers and their families who are also often affected by the problem. Mission Australia will combine their experience in problem gambling services with the many other services they provide including financial counselling, support services for disadvantaged families and youth, support services for relationships, domestic violence, drug and alcohol misuse, mental illness, housing, and care and learning experiences for disadvantaged children.

To ensure it is able to help as many people as possible the support service will provide a range of contact methods, including face to face, phone, e-mail and on-line including outside normal business hours.
Importantly under this arrangement Mission Australia will work with the Australian National University, the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission and industry stakeholders to undertake research on the causes and effective treatment of problem gambling.

The support service is funded from the Problem Gambling Assistance Fund which raises funds from a 0.6 per cent levy on Gross Gaming Revenue. The fund is expected to raise about $1 million per year.

Mission Australia already has a presence in the ACT through its existing employment assistance operations. It will open a new office to deliver the problem gambling support service which will create six new full time jobs.
Problem gambling is an issue the ACT Labor Government takes seriously. I am looking forward to Mission Australia's contribution to combating problem gambling in the ACT.

Mission Australia will distribute their contact details closer to commencing operations on 1 July 2011. In the meantime anyone having problems with gambling can visit www.problemgambling.act.gov.au

Media statement issued on the 7 June 2011 by Andew Barr MLA, Minister for Economic Development, Education and Training, Tourism, Sport and Recreation in the ACT Legislative Assembly

Reeling along

This lovely image comes from Mr C W Byrnes of Tuggerah, who found it in a box of glass negatives dating from the 1910s. It appears to be located at Narrabeen, prior to a surf life-saving carnival. The carrier has half a dozen surf reels loaded on his cart - the names of the Manly and Dee Why Life Saving Clubs can be seen. They would have been pretty heavy, and it would have taken a good strong horse to haul them. The carter, we think, is Mr Peter Seymour, whose yard was in Golf Parade, Manly.

Thanks for supporting Jumpers for Joy!

Thanks to everyone who donated their old knitwear to Mission Australia as part of Noni B’s annual Jumpers For Joy promotion.

Running from 9 to 15 May, Jumpers for Joy offered Noni B customers the chance to trade in a jumper for Mission Australia and receive 25% off a new Noni B knit.

Once again there was a great response this year, with over 2,200 jumpers across Australia collected. The fashion retailer also raised over $7,000, which will help Mission Australia support families and individuals in need.

Noni B Managing Director James Kindl said the fashion retailer was proud to once again help Mission Australia strengthen families.

“This year’s event was really successful and we look forward to working on this joint venture with Mission Australia next year,” said Mr Kindl.

Well done to everyone who contributed to this campaign.