This month, after 2 long years of delays and postponements due to COVID, FCVic held it’s in-person Conference at the Pullman on the Park in Melbourne. This year’s theme was ‘Recovery. Resilience. Reconnection.’ and we welcomed 425 registrants to enjoy the 2-day event. Guided by the expertise of 55 speakers and panelists, the event continued exploring best practice pathways, education, and empowering people who doing it tough. Some highlights included the financial counsellors only event on the Tuesday night, where members were bussed to the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne to enjoy a night of cocktails and canapés, and of course the FCVic Gala Awards Dinner at the MCG on the Wednesday evening. Everyone was able to dust off the dancing shoes and enjoy the night with new and old friends.
Concurrently, on Tuesday 20 September the FCVic Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the Pullman on the Park, East Melbourne. The 2021-22 FCVic Annual report was circulated to members and can be read here – 2021-22 FCVic Annual Report. During the AGM the following members were declared elected to the Board as Ordinary Board members – Sarah Davidson, Trish Dennis and Louise Dillon – and will commence a 2-year term. Board members stepping down at this year’s AGM were Narelle Clark and Michael White (both Ordinary Board members) and Jenny Wilkins resigned as a co-opted Board member. Again, I would like to acknowledge their contributions and thank them for the dedication and time given.
In addition to the Conference and AGM, this month FCVic provided a Submission to the Victorian Government consultation on its Suicide Prevention and Response Strategy. This is an important piece of work to understand the significant role financial counsellors play in reducing and eliminating stresses of financial hardship, debts and other factors that contribute to suicidality. Having financial counsellors better integrated into other services can only be a positive move for communities and will result in saving lives. You can read our submission here.
FCVic is also keen to understand the demographics and diversity of our members more to ensure our sector and member structures reflect our needs. An anonymous survey has been sent to all members to assist building a clearer picture of how our sector currently looks and, while optional, we strongly encourage all members to participate. The survey is open until 5pm on Friday 7 October. Click here to start the survey or go to: form.jotform.com/fcrc/fcvic-membership-demographic-survey.