From the CEO

Welcome to Stepping Stones...Issue Three...It's Christmas (can you believe it)?

Welcome to our third and final issue (for 2019) of our ever-popular newsletter that informs all our supporters what is happening in Pathways Tasmania. With Christmas hurtling towards us (like a freight train for some of us!) this is a wonderful time to reflect back on the graces of the year past, the wonderful people in our lives, and for us at Pathways, the amazing support we receive from people like you!   Our next newsletter will connect us all next decade (can you believe I just said that?!)

However, allow me a chance now (while we are all still in this decade) to share with you what the year past has looked like, and give you some sneak peaks into 2020, as we give thanks in this season of thanksgiving.

The past 12 months at Pathways has been one to set us up for a springboard of initiatives in the upcoming 12 months and builds on the consolidation work of the previous two years (since my tenure began). We are very excited about our future! 

Services Update

Launch provides for up to six male teen residents under full 24/7 supervision, and our two additional two-bedroom units allow us to accommodate a further four adult residents (from age 18 – 22 yrs) who require less supervision and are ready to begin their transition to independent accommodation. All residents are formally case managed and supported by our professional team. In February 2019 a long-overdue refurbishment of this facility was undertaken by the State Government, given Launch is the oldest service in the system for Tasmania. We also began offering NDIS approved support services to several of our Launch boys, with a full suite of services planned to be rolled out in 2020. This NDIS funding has seen dramatic outcome improvements for these at-risk young men and provided the necessary funding to increase staffing levels to support this extra workload. In early August 2019, Launch Youth was visited by a delegation of Federal politicians and supporting staff for Homelessness Week. Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services, Luke Howarth, and Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz met with our CEO and his team to discuss the work of Pathways, tour our Launch Youth facility followed by a working lunch afterwards. Asst. Minister Howarth spent some time chatting to Launch residents and staff and commended Pathways on the good work and excellent reputation that had come to his attention.  Soon after, on August 28 in Darwin, at a national conference of housing delegates, many of whom were present to receive awards of excellence in their field, Asst Minister Howarth used Pathways’ work at Launch as a notable and positive case study in front of scores of delegates in how government and community can forge their resources to battle addictions and homelessness. A wonderful “pat on the back” for our team on the national stage (refer to our Launch Youth article in this newsletter). Because of the growth we are undergoing, we have an ongoing challenge to find committed and passionate staff with the necessary qualifications to perform at the above-award rates that we pay.

At our Admin Office, our Business Manager, Matthew Devenish, has continued his consolidation work, improving our processes and supporting our fundraising by project managing our annual community bike ride, Freedom Ride and our important annual Gala Dinner.  I publicly thank Matthew for his passion and hard work that is vital to us.  We continue to be able to reach ambitious funding targets in an ever-crowded fundraising market. Pathways is an active member of the Fundraising Institute of Australia and adhere to their strict code of conduct. We launched our new quarterly electronic newsletter, Stepping Stones, and have now hundreds of subscribers whom we can communicate within an interactive and engaging format across a range of mobile and digital devices. Pathways at your fingertips! Finally, In August 2019 I completed my second year as full-time CEO, and our Board ratified our new Strategic Plan 2019–2022 which forms the basis for our expansion plans starting January 2020.

Velocity Transformations is about to embark on a new season of growth and will double in size over the next 12 months. At this year’s Gala Dinner, we announced the imminent opening of Tasmania’s only long-term rehab for women, Velocity Transformations for Women. We expect doors to be opened in January 2020 after some unavoidable delays regarding Council approvals and building work.  In preparation for the new program, we have refreshed our entire team, hired staff from around Tasmania and the mainland, and are ready to commence! Our partners, Velocity Church have invested more than $800,000 into this project, and without their steadfast partnership, we would not be at the state of readiness that we are.

The men’s program will now grow from its current 10 residents to 14 residents. The female house will see 10 women begin. By this time next year, we will have doubled in size from the current numbers of 10 males in the program, to 24 people in total (14 men, 10 women).   A prayer point, we begin renewed discussions with the State government to fully support our chronically underfunded program that is so respected and needed.

Kingsholme (often dubbed Pathways’ “happy place”) is in an exciting new phase of its life. After the retirement of previous managers, Andrew and Rachael Herring in January 2019, a new leadership team has been put in place with a reinvigorated volunteer team of 10 adults and their many children. At any given time, there are 25 precious souls living on the property serving the needs of hundreds of guests per annum.  The property has crystallised as a camp and conference venue supporting the wider Christian community in Tasmania and hosts church and family events almost every week of the year. A renewed focus has been placed on recapturing the value of the farming operations for which Kingsholme was once world-famous (having achieved world record status in the mid-1970s for its hops farming).

Looking Ahead for 2020

We seek your  support for the following initiatives and needs:

• Inauguration of the Velocity Transformations women’s program in 2020.
• Full government funding for our Transformations program.
• Investigating the beginning of a male youth residential rehab centre in the Hobart region under the Transformations model. None currently exists in Tasmania.
• Investigating the start of another ‘Launch Youth’ type support program for the Hobart region, sub-tasked with supporting the young men from the youth rehab.
• Appointing an events and admin support person to lift our fundraising capacity.
• Investing heavily into the farming operations of Kingsholme to increase profitability and drive funding back into other Pathways programs.
• Seeking full accreditation with the NDIS to dramatically increase support for our clients across all our programs and services.
• Due to client-led growth, was are eager to increase staff numbers with qualified staff who feel this sort of work is their calling.
• Growing our corporate funding and supporter base.

How You