Wesley Mission Annual Report 2020 - Flipbook - Page 4
We can help in more ways
than you think
At Wesley Mission we put people first because we
believe every life matters. There’s no challenge too
difficult. When someone shares their need, our
dedicated people are ready to respond. How do
we achieve this? Through the breadth of services
we offer and the quality of care we provide.
Our diversity is our strength. We support people at every stage of life and in
many ways, from housing and accommodation, to counselling, child and
parenting support, education and training, preventing suicide at a local
level, providing professional mental health services, supporting people with
disability, to our work in retirement living, home care, aged care, foster care
and beyond.
Underpinning everything we do is our Christian faith that inspires us to do
all the good we can. And it’s through the work of our caring staff and
volunteers, united with congregations, donors and supporters that we
become a community of care, able to meet the needs of Australians.
Join us as we move forward together.
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Welcome from the Chair
The Wesley Community Services Board continues to affirm the strategic
priority of increasing support for people who are most in need.
This reflects a mission-wide desire to expand our
impact, taking a posture of readiness to help those
in crisis or immediate need. When we endorsed this
direction some years ago, we did not foresee a
crisis of the magnitude as that of the COVID-19
pandemic, but I am thankful to God that our plan
has prepared us to meet such a challenge.
Under the continuing leadership of our CEO and
Superintendent, the Rev Keith V Garner AM and his
senior team, Wesley Mission is realising its largest
ever capital investment in major upgrades to
property, most notably Wesley Edward Eagar
Centre that provides crisis accommodation for
people experiencing homelessness. Additional
property projects are also preparing to be ‘shovel
ready’ to assist the economy as it comes out of its
current recession.
2021 will be an important time of transition in the life
of Wesley Mission as the Rev Keith Garner prepares
to retire at the end of 2020. For 200 years, Wesley
Mission has been led by a long line of faithful
servants, each devoting their lives to the uniquely
shaped Word and deed mission that has grown
continually to meet the needs of Australian
communities. And Keith’s leadership, over the past
15 years, has thoroughly transformed Wesley
Mission into a relevant, responsive and robust
organisation. On behalf of the board I would like to
express our collective gratitude for his dedication,
boundless energy and wise leadership.
After an extensive search process, the Rev Stu
Cameron has been appointed as incoming CEO/
Superintendent and we look forward to welcoming
him to this significant post.
I am also thankful to my fellow directors, who in
challenging circumstances this year, have
demonstrated their commitment, adapting to new
ways of meeting. I also recognise the significant
contribution of outgoing board member, Meredith
Scott who in recent years has also served as
Deputy Chair. Added to this is our gratitude for our
senior executives and the work they continue to
offer to ensure our growth and development.
I commend to you the 2020 Annual Report, not only
because it demonstrates progress toward our
strategic objectives, but because it reflects the
resilience of Wesley Mission’s people to continue
the work of Jesus Christ in Word and deed at this
critical time in our nation’s history.
Michael Anderson
Chair
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