With the instant communication available through social media, the act of sitting down to write out a lengthy annual report can often seem antiquated. Who is even going to read it?
But the simple act of collation and reflection on the work that has been done and what has been achieved is a validating process.
It gives an immense sense of pride to look back over a 52-week period and understand just how much can be achieved when dedicated people who understand the community work together to make a real impact.
While we evaluate, measure and report on our flagship programs regularly, it is when we sit down and pull it all together in an annual report that you realise the scale of the work we do.
The wonderful and inspiring collaborations, purposeful partnerships, and the generosity of the community that it takes to make a real difference as we work towards our vision of equal opportunity for all in our community to participate.
Our ability to adapt and respond in a timely manner continues to be one of our strengths. As executive officer, I witnessed first-hand the immediate impact our contribution had time and again on our resilient community throughout the year.
While much of our focus during this financial year has been on flood recovery efforts, we have also welcomed new partnerships and continued supporting our flagship programs that are achieving great results for the cohort they are supporting.
Our Lift Off Education Scholarships also reached an important milestone, seeing our 120th scholarship awarded to support a local young person in achieving their higher education aspirations.
In the coming year, the Greater Shepparton Foundation will continue to forge partnerships, explore innovative solutions, and champion initiatives that address the evolving needs of our community.
Our commitment to creating a sustainable, inclusive and vibrant Greater Shepparton remains unwavering. To that end, we are currently scoping a number of new projects and look forward to telling you more about these community collaborations in the new year.
This week we also had our annual general meeting. The AGM saw the re-election of Mark DePaola, Julia Thomas, Kara Shields, Neha Samar and Vaughan Bradshaw to our dedicated and passionate board.
We thank Gracia Musafiri and Lauren Donnellan, who did not seek re-election, for their time on the Greater Shepparton Foundation board and for their commitment to the community.
Thanks also to Rhys Holleran and Fatima Naseem, both of whom retired from their positions on the board during the year.
Rhys provided strong leadership and direction to support GSF’s vision in its establishment years and during the most challenging times for our community.
We congratulate Mark DePaola on being elected chair, Julia Thomas on her re-election to deputy chair, and all board directors on their appointments, as we look forward to the next 12 months delivering for our community.
We encourage you to pour a cuppa and bring yourself up to date with our achievements by reading our annual report. It can be found on our webpage. Go to www.greatershepparton.foundation
Until next time.
Amanda McCulloch Executive Officer
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