WEBVTT - Vision Australia 2023 AGM Special 0:00:21.048 --> 0:00:25.248 Hello everyone. I'm Sam Colley and welcome to this special 0:00:25.248 --> 0:00:29.088 edition of Talking Vision, where we take a look back 0:00:29.088 --> 0:00:33.798 at the highlights of the Vision Australia Annual General Meeting 0:00:33.798 --> 0:00:39.468 for 2023. This year, the AGM took place at the 0:00:39.468 --> 0:00:44.298 Vision Australia head office in Kooyong at 10 a.m. on 0:00:44.298 --> 0:00:49.848 the 26th of October 2023, which also happened to be 0:00:49.848 --> 0:00:55.608 my birthday, so happy birthday to me. Company Secretary Justine 0:00:55.608 --> 0:01:00.348 Heath began by opening proceedings and began by describing the 0:01:00.348 --> 0:01:06.468 room to people in person. Zoom video streaming and online 0:01:06.468 --> 0:01:11.688 via YouTube. This was then followed up by an acknowledgement 0:01:11.688 --> 0:01:17.988 of country, before Justine returned to outline the protocol behind questions. 0:01:17.988 --> 0:01:22.638 At the meeting, before taking a roll call and listing 0:01:22.638 --> 0:01:27.888 the apologies. Justine then handed the floor to outgoing chair 0:01:27.888 --> 0:01:33.378 Andrew Moffatt, who welcomed everybody in attendance, and after announcing 0:01:33.378 --> 0:01:37.608 the confirmation that the meeting had reached a quorum, formally 0:01:37.608 --> 0:01:43.248 declared the meeting open. Andrew commenced formalities by noting that 0:01:43.248 --> 0:01:47.478 the notice of Annual General Meeting has been sent to 0:01:47.478 --> 0:01:52.488 all members, and took the notice as read. Andrew then 0:01:52.488 --> 0:01:56.598 took the opportunity to welcome his fellow directors, as well 0:01:56.598 --> 0:02:01.278 as co-opted committee members and senior management, and invited the 0:02:01.278 --> 0:02:05.778 directors to go around the room and introduce themselves. Following 0:02:05.778 --> 0:02:10.368 the conclusion of those introductions, Andrew briefly returned to further 0:02:10.368 --> 0:02:15.198 extend these welcomes, and ordinarily, in past years, this was 0:02:15.198 --> 0:02:19.938 the time for Andrew to make some informal observations about 0:02:19.938 --> 0:02:23.178 the year just gone. However, things are a bit different 0:02:23.178 --> 0:02:26.838 this year as Andrew is now stepping down as chair 0:02:26.838 --> 0:02:31.368 of Vision Australia, so you'll certainly hear from Andrew later 0:02:31.368 --> 0:02:35.928 on in the program. But before that, Andrew introduced somebody 0:02:35.928 --> 0:02:39.108 with whom he has had a very close personal and 0:02:39.108 --> 0:02:45.018 professional association over the past decade, vision Australia CEO Ron Hutton, 0:02:45.018 --> 0:02:47.658 who you'll hear from right now. Thank you very. 0:02:47.658 --> 0:02:50.898 Much, Andrew, and good morning, all. It's really nice to 0:02:50.928 --> 0:02:54.708 see familiar friends back. And I add to Justine's and 0:02:54.708 --> 0:02:59.718 Andrew's welcome. My welcome to you all during the financial 0:02:59.718 --> 0:03:03.288 year for the end of June 2023, vision Australia provides 0:03:03.288 --> 0:03:09.408 services to 37,341 people. That's all been in pursuit of 0:03:09.408 --> 0:03:11.418 its mission to support people who are blind or have 0:03:11.418 --> 0:03:14.088 low vision to live the life they choose. The focus 0:03:14.088 --> 0:03:19.308 of our services every single one of our services is education, employment, 0:03:19.308 --> 0:03:24.588 independence and social inclusion. Everything we do contributes to one 0:03:24.588 --> 0:03:27.498 or more or all of those aims that we have 0:03:27.498 --> 0:03:30.828 for people who are blind to have low vision. As 0:03:30.828 --> 0:03:34.788 an organisation, we divide our organization's goals up into three parts. 0:03:34.788 --> 0:03:38.358 We have goals for service excellence, goals for an engaged 0:03:38.358 --> 0:03:42.018 workforce and for business performance. Because we can't forget the 0:03:42.018 --> 0:03:46.038 head part of our organisation. These three are interconnected. What 0:03:46.038 --> 0:03:48.408 we understand very clearly is that we can only provide 0:03:48.408 --> 0:03:52.488 excellent services with the best possible clinical people in our organisation, 0:03:52.488 --> 0:03:55.458 and we have marvellous people in our organisation. Many of 0:03:55.458 --> 0:03:58.458 you will have encountered them. Those engaged people like to 0:03:58.458 --> 0:04:00.978 work on the best possible services and deliver the best 0:04:00.978 --> 0:04:04.128 possible quality of service to their clients. When we get 0:04:04.128 --> 0:04:07.488 those two pieces right, business performance follows. Over the next 0:04:07.488 --> 0:04:09.618 few minutes. I'm going to comment on those areas in 0:04:09.618 --> 0:04:11.838 just a couple of our strategic initiatives that we're very, 0:04:11.838 --> 0:04:17.718 very proud of. I mentioned before that we provided 37,341 0:04:17.718 --> 0:04:21.618 people with service, and that's underpinned by an absolute focus 0:04:21.618 --> 0:04:25.488 on quality. Our clinical governance approach ensures that we deliver 0:04:25.488 --> 0:04:28.728 services to that high, very high quality that people deserve 0:04:28.728 --> 0:04:34.278 and need. Levels of client satisfaction for our services exceed 95%, 0:04:34.278 --> 0:04:36.768 and that's been consistent over the last five years that 0:04:36.768 --> 0:04:40.098 we've been measuring. We've also met every single quality standard, 0:04:40.098 --> 0:04:44.778 every compliance standard from the NDIS aged care system system, 0:04:44.778 --> 0:04:48.018 any other system that audits us every single time, we 0:04:48.018 --> 0:04:50.568 do brilliantly. And I think that's a tribute to the 0:04:50.568 --> 0:04:53.388 service providers we have, but also the service excellence team 0:04:53.388 --> 0:04:56.148 that we have who do a remarkable job making sure 0:04:56.148 --> 0:04:58.758 that we do a remarkable job for our clients. We 0:04:58.758 --> 0:05:02.028 have a brilliantly engaged workforce. As I mentioned before, we 0:05:02.028 --> 0:05:05.358 couldn't deliver the high quality services that we do without 0:05:05.358 --> 0:05:09.048 that engaged workforce. Culture is a vitally important part of 0:05:09.048 --> 0:05:12.318 our current and our future success. Very proud to report 0:05:12.318 --> 0:05:14.928 that the Net Promoter Score for our organisation, the Employee 0:05:14.928 --> 0:05:19.038 Net Promoter Score is plus 31 zero, is considered about par. 0:05:19.238 --> 0:05:21.938 And that feels really good to have that incredibly strong 0:05:21.938 --> 0:05:25.148 commitment to Vision Australia and our mission amongst our team 0:05:25.148 --> 0:05:28.778 that are delivering those services. Another thing in the engaged 0:05:28.778 --> 0:05:31.178 workforce area that we're very, very proud of is that 0:05:31.178 --> 0:05:35.048 approximately 14% of our workforce is blind or has low vision. 0:05:35.828 --> 0:05:41.048 That's 119 people in our organization. They bring value lived 0:05:41.048 --> 0:05:43.958 experience to our strategy, to our thinking, and to our 0:05:43.958 --> 0:05:47.438 service delivery. This isn't a token thing. Every single one 0:05:47.438 --> 0:05:50.318 of them has got a very real job in our organization. 0:05:50.318 --> 0:05:53.798 They're paid competitive salaries for what they do. And there 0:05:53.798 --> 0:05:56.528 are a really important element in our success because those 0:05:56.528 --> 0:06:00.008 people provide advice, they provide guidance. They provide the deepest 0:06:00.008 --> 0:06:02.798 possible insight you could possibly have in how we shape 0:06:02.798 --> 0:06:05.918 our services. So I'm very, very grateful to have that 0:06:05.918 --> 0:06:10.448 part of our workforce very prominent, and 119 people probably 0:06:10.448 --> 0:06:13.328 makes us the largest open employer of blind and low 0:06:13.328 --> 0:06:17.228 vision people in Australia. In terms of business performance. I 0:06:17.228 --> 0:06:20.288 describe Vision of Australia as an ambitious organisation. We're very 0:06:20.288 --> 0:06:23.018 proud to sustain, year on year, the level of services 0:06:23.018 --> 0:06:25.448 that we provide to the blindness and low vision community 0:06:25.448 --> 0:06:28.178 in an environment where inflation has gone through the roof. 0:06:28.208 --> 0:06:30.758 There are many organisations who have decided that the approach 0:06:30.758 --> 0:06:34.298 to break even is to cut services. I'm delighted that 0:06:34.298 --> 0:06:37.508 we've taken a different approach. Our ambition comes at a cost, though. 0:06:37.508 --> 0:06:40.748 We work very, very hard to break even and this 0:06:40.748 --> 0:06:43.328 year we nearly got there. So we had a small deficit, 0:06:43.328 --> 0:06:47.558 a deficit of $900,000. But that in the context that 0:06:47.558 --> 0:06:51.518 our net assets as an organisation increased by $11.6 million, 0:06:51.608 --> 0:06:55.898 and we have now 269,000,000in net assets. So we're a 0:06:55.898 --> 0:06:59.828 safe and secure and strong organisation from a financial perspective 0:07:00.068 --> 0:07:02.828 that's still able to deliver those services at the same 0:07:02.828 --> 0:07:06.848 or better level of quality and volume, year on year. 0:07:07.928 --> 0:07:09.758 The next few years, there's going to be some really 0:07:09.758 --> 0:07:13.538 big headwinds. No one seeing inflation disappearing any time soon, 0:07:13.538 --> 0:07:16.988 and we're going to struggle for that financial sustainability. But 0:07:16.988 --> 0:07:19.778 what I know in our organisation is that we're going 0:07:19.778 --> 0:07:22.058 to put services first. We're going to make sure that 0:07:22.058 --> 0:07:24.788 we get as many services out to as many people 0:07:24.788 --> 0:07:27.638 at a preserved level of quality as we possibly can. 0:07:28.028 --> 0:07:30.608 Cyber security has probably been on the minds of many 0:07:30.608 --> 0:07:34.448 people over the last few years. It's been very much 0:07:34.448 --> 0:07:38.558 a focus for our organisation in terms of attention and investment. 0:07:38.798 --> 0:07:42.068 We've been working very, very diligently to protect the information 0:07:42.068 --> 0:07:44.768 that we hold on behalf of clients, our staff and 0:07:44.768 --> 0:07:48.248 our donors. We meet all of the government standards for 0:07:48.248 --> 0:07:53.408 cyber security. We've implemented cyber defence capabilities, cyber management capabilities, 0:07:53.408 --> 0:07:58.928 including impressive surveillance of of our borders, and also governance 0:07:58.928 --> 0:08:01.748 processes that are very much commensurate with how we operate 0:08:01.748 --> 0:08:05.918 as an organisation and our risk profile. We don't think 0:08:06.068 --> 0:08:08.408 for a moment the cyber journey is over. That will 0:08:08.408 --> 0:08:11.228 never be over. But we're very, very vigilant about how 0:08:11.228 --> 0:08:16.748 we operate through the year. We deliver a project that 0:08:16.748 --> 0:08:19.778 both Andrew and I are very, very proud of. It's 0:08:19.778 --> 0:08:22.718 called The Life Ready Program, and it's a program that's 0:08:22.718 --> 0:08:26.078 very much about children. It's a program that's been three 0:08:26.078 --> 0:08:29.588 years in the making and focuses our services for children 0:08:29.588 --> 0:08:33.248 on building a range of skills. These skills are defined 0:08:33.248 --> 0:08:36.278 in a concept called the Expanded Core curriculum. That's nine 0:08:36.278 --> 0:08:38.678 areas of life skills that a person who is blind 0:08:38.678 --> 0:08:41.258 or has low vision needs to succeed. And it's across 0:08:41.258 --> 0:08:45.218 three life stages preschool, primary school, and secondary school. Our 0:08:45.218 --> 0:08:48.608 aim is that every single child in Australia gets the 0:08:48.608 --> 0:08:51.758 benefit of our services and is able to develop the 0:08:51.758 --> 0:08:56.138 skills that they need to be successful in education, in employment, 0:08:56.138 --> 0:09:00.608 in independence and social inclusion. The Life Reading program focuses 0:09:00.608 --> 0:09:04.238 a lot on employment and building employment skills from a very, 0:09:04.238 --> 0:09:07.358 very young age. In fact, if we had the opportunity 0:09:07.358 --> 0:09:09.458 to talk to a parent on the day that their 0:09:09.458 --> 0:09:12.008 child was born and it was discovered that they had 0:09:12.008 --> 0:09:15.278 blindness or low vision, we would probably somehow in that 0:09:15.278 --> 0:09:19.748 conversation about hope and future progress, would build a comment 0:09:19.748 --> 0:09:23.048 about jobs, because we think that the best way to 0:09:23.048 --> 0:09:25.958 solve the problem that we have today of half the 0:09:25.958 --> 0:09:29.588 blindness and low vision population in Australia being unemployed, is 0:09:29.588 --> 0:09:32.228 to actually get it right for the kids. And then 0:09:32.318 --> 0:09:35.018 very shortly, I'll be talking about the next stage, which 0:09:35.018 --> 0:09:37.898 is getting it right for the adults. The Life ready 0:09:37.898 --> 0:09:41.558 program that we have is also supported by a digital platform. 0:09:42.008 --> 0:09:45.248 It's a first, and what it does is connects all 0:09:45.248 --> 0:09:48.278 of our clients and all of our families with an 0:09:48.278 --> 0:09:53.588 amazing set of resources and communication into our therapists, and 0:09:53.588 --> 0:09:56.408 is basically a platform for binding people into the services 0:09:56.408 --> 0:10:00.458 and providing them with the support that they need through worksheets, 0:10:00.458 --> 0:10:05.738 through videos, through games, through all sorts of tools that 0:10:05.738 --> 0:10:09.308 those families can use. As I mentioned, the next stage 0:10:09.308 --> 0:10:12.788 is career ready. Career ready is the extension of the 0:10:12.788 --> 0:10:17.798 Life Ready program to encompass adults. Now, many would probably 0:10:17.798 --> 0:10:21.548 say that the expanded core. Curriculum that includes things like 0:10:21.548 --> 0:10:25.898 orientation and mobility. Accessible technology skills is equally applicable to 0:10:25.898 --> 0:10:28.508 Australians of a working age, and I think that's absolutely 0:10:28.508 --> 0:10:33.458 the case. We've started our adult employment program under Amelia Utqiagvik, 0:10:33.458 --> 0:10:35.768 and what we're going to be doing over the next 0:10:35.768 --> 0:10:40.118 three years is developing a really, really sophisticated and beneficial 0:10:40.118 --> 0:10:42.578 program for people who are blind to have low vision, 0:10:42.578 --> 0:10:45.488 who are seeking a job or seeking to advance in 0:10:45.488 --> 0:10:49.838 their current job. I'm very pleased to report that through 0:10:49.838 --> 0:10:53.648 the course of the year, we completed our first Reconciliation 0:10:53.648 --> 0:10:58.448 Action plan, our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan. We completed 30 0:10:58.448 --> 0:11:01.748 of the 31 actions and the 31st action is under 0:11:01.928 --> 0:11:07.328 underway at the moment. Reconciliation Australia, the organisation that governs 0:11:07.328 --> 0:11:10.508 Reconciliation Action plans, has approved the next stage for us 0:11:10.508 --> 0:11:15.758 our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan and our commitment remains ever 0:11:15.758 --> 0:11:20.048 strong to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of Australia. 0:11:20.498 --> 0:11:23.618 Our services in Alice Springs have continued on, as I 0:11:23.618 --> 0:11:27.128 reported last year. In Central Australia, we have a service 0:11:27.128 --> 0:11:30.668 provider who works very closely with the Congress organisation there 0:11:30.668 --> 0:11:35.048 and is firmly embedded in their service delivery. We've also 0:11:35.048 --> 0:11:40.088 commenced services and Broome with the Lions Outback Vision organisation 0:11:40.088 --> 0:11:44.708 and providing services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 0:11:44.708 --> 0:11:49.628 communities through that organisation. Well in turn to some thank 0:11:49.628 --> 0:11:53.408 you messages. As I conclude, our clients and our client 0:11:53.408 --> 0:11:56.618 reference group are an absolutely essential part of our organisation. 0:11:56.618 --> 0:11:59.558 We highly value every single one of our clients, and 0:11:59.558 --> 0:12:01.898 I'll talk a little bit later about the client Reference group. 0:12:01.898 --> 0:12:05.288 But some of you are represented here today. Our appreciation. 0:12:05.288 --> 0:12:08.468 My personal appreciation is very high for the contribution you 0:12:08.468 --> 0:12:12.758 make to our organisation. We have donors who contribute generously. 0:12:12.758 --> 0:12:16.868 We fundraised somewhere north of $40 million last year, which 0:12:16.868 --> 0:12:19.718 makes this a very large fundraiser in the sector and 0:12:19.718 --> 0:12:21.788 we're pleased to be able to bring that level of 0:12:21.788 --> 0:12:25.208 investment from Australians into the blindness and low vision community, 0:12:25.208 --> 0:12:28.748 because the need is very definitely there. We have a 0:12:28.748 --> 0:12:32.948 fantastic group of volunteers, so we have around about 2000 volunteers. 0:12:33.188 --> 0:12:36.068 They come in all shapes and sizes in terms of 0:12:36.068 --> 0:12:39.038 their roles, radio and seeing our dogs are very prominent 0:12:39.038 --> 0:12:42.098 and particularly our puppy raisers. And through seeing our dogs. 0:12:42.098 --> 0:12:46.238 2 million volunteering hours are contributed every single year. So 0:12:46.238 --> 0:12:51.938 thank you to our volunteers. I have 850 fabulous colleagues 0:12:51.938 --> 0:12:54.908 in our organisation and I rate every single one of them. 0:12:54.908 --> 0:12:57.218 We work as a team to deliver on our mission, 0:12:57.218 --> 0:12:59.588 and I want to pass on my thanks to every 0:12:59.588 --> 0:13:03.038 single one of my colleagues in our organisation who do 0:13:03.038 --> 0:13:06.728 a fantastic job. And finally, to our board, we say 0:13:06.728 --> 0:13:09.128 farewell to Andrew today and we welcome Amber and I'm 0:13:09.128 --> 0:13:12.158 delighted by that. Sad to see you go, Andrew, very, 0:13:12.158 --> 0:13:14.858 very much. But I'll talk about that a little bit later. 0:13:15.188 --> 0:13:20.558 Our board is nine people, and the workload for volunteering 0:13:20.558 --> 0:13:26.318 on our board is very significant. We have long, arduous meetings. 0:13:26.318 --> 0:13:30.008 We're running a complex organisation. We're a big organisation, and 0:13:30.008 --> 0:13:34.268 I can only pass on my incredible gratitude for, first 0:13:34.268 --> 0:13:36.878 of all, the commitment, because every single one of our 0:13:36.878 --> 0:13:40.538 board members is absolutely committed to our mission. Every single 0:13:40.538 --> 0:13:45.188 one of them is incredibly professional and in the capability 0:13:45.188 --> 0:13:48.218 that they bring to the board. And really, I think 0:13:48.218 --> 0:13:50.708 my final comment would be I couldn't think of having 0:13:50.708 --> 0:13:52.688 a better board. So thank you very much to all 0:13:52.688 --> 0:13:54.608 of you. It's very much valued. 0:13:55.028 --> 0:13:59.798 That was Vision Australia CEO Ron Hooten there. After we 0:13:59.798 --> 0:14:03.758 heard from Ron, Vision Australia chair Andrew Moffat returned to 0:14:03.758 --> 0:14:08.108 continue the formal business of the meeting by firstly tabling 0:14:08.108 --> 0:14:12.858 the minutes of last year's meeting dated the 27th of 0:14:12.858 --> 0:14:17.288 October 2022. The next formal matter of business was the 0:14:17.288 --> 0:14:21.878 receipt and consideration of this year's annual report, and the 0:14:21.878 --> 0:14:26.838 financial statements for the financial year just ended 30th of 0:14:26.838 --> 0:14:32.018 June 2023. Andrew then invited Ron to open up the 0:14:32.018 --> 0:14:37.868 floor for questions. However, there were none forthcoming. As such, 0:14:37.868 --> 0:14:43.088 the meeting returned to company secretary Justine Heath, who announced 0:14:43.088 --> 0:14:47.978 the election of directors, including the real action of Bill 0:14:47.978 --> 0:14:52.478 jolly and so banks. It was further announced that following 0:14:52.478 --> 0:14:56.138 the conclusion of Andrew Moffat's term as chair, that Bill 0:14:56.138 --> 0:15:00.818 Joly would become the new chair of Vision Australia. And finally, 0:15:00.818 --> 0:15:03.998 Justine was pleased to announce the election of a new 0:15:03.998 --> 0:15:08.288 board member, Amber Collins, who you'll briefly hear from right now. 0:15:08.498 --> 0:15:14.468 Thank you everyone. No, I'm being told to come over here. Closer. Yeah, okay. Here. 0:15:14.738 --> 0:15:16.178 I don't know how. Come on my back to people. 0:15:16.178 --> 0:15:20.098 But anyway, thank you very much. It's lovely to meet 0:15:20.098 --> 0:15:21.898 you all, and I look forward to getting to know 0:15:21.898 --> 0:15:24.868 more of you in the future. But as a little 0:15:24.868 --> 0:15:28.678 sort of potted history of me, I'm a Melbourne person, 0:15:28.678 --> 0:15:32.608 born and educated here before I spent my career in 0:15:32.608 --> 0:15:36.868 the UK and the US. My career has been predominantly 0:15:36.868 --> 0:15:41.788 in the advertising, branding and marketing sectors, very much focused 0:15:41.788 --> 0:15:47.668 on retail and logistics. I have three children here in 0:15:48.298 --> 0:15:53.038 Melbourne where we've resettled. My eldest son was born with glaucoma, 0:15:53.458 --> 0:15:58.848 very limited vision and subsequently lost his vision in 2000 2019. 0:15:58.858 --> 0:16:01.768 I have a daughter who's up in Anu and a 0:16:01.768 --> 0:16:06.358 young one doing VCA. I've spent my entire career focused 0:16:06.358 --> 0:16:10.918 on customers, in this case clients. I'm absolutely obsessed on 0:16:10.918 --> 0:16:14.968 improving outcomes that every single experience and interaction that people 0:16:14.968 --> 0:16:20.218 have with this organisation. I've been a customer of Virgin Australia, 0:16:20.218 --> 0:16:22.768 and I've been a customer of various other organisations in 0:16:22.768 --> 0:16:28.048 the sector in the NDIS. NDIS. I understand the problems 0:16:28.048 --> 0:16:31.468 that people, many people face. So I feel like I 0:16:31.468 --> 0:16:34.648 can hopefully bring not just my passion and commitment for 0:16:34.648 --> 0:16:37.198 the sector but also a very, very much a client 0:16:37.198 --> 0:16:40.528 based view on on how it feels to be served 0:16:40.528 --> 0:16:45.058 by organisations such as Vision Australia. I'm super, super proud 0:16:45.058 --> 0:16:48.418 to be part of it. I'm thrilled that Andrew and 0:16:48.418 --> 0:16:52.618 Bill have put their faith in me, and I'm hoping 0:16:52.858 --> 0:16:56.488 that I can contribute widely and deeply on a number 0:16:56.488 --> 0:16:59.788 of issues and serve my board colleagues who I hold 0:16:59.788 --> 0:17:02.788 in great regard. Well, I look forward to meeting you 0:17:02.788 --> 0:17:05.068 over the years ahead. Thank you very much. 0:17:05.308 --> 0:17:09.358 That was newly elected board director Amber Collins, who you 0:17:09.358 --> 0:17:13.948 heard from just there. Andrew returned very briefly to introduce 0:17:13.948 --> 0:17:19.918 the next speaker, Client Reference Group member Paul Hedley, after 0:17:19.918 --> 0:17:23.338 you hear from Paul, Andrew will be back briefly before 0:17:23.338 --> 0:17:27.928 handing over to Ron to discuss the Bursaries Career Start 0:17:27.928 --> 0:17:33.628 program and this year's Vision Australia Awards. But before that, 0:17:33.628 --> 0:17:35.218 he is Paul right now. 0:17:35.698 --> 0:17:39.328 Hi everyone. I'm Paul Hedley. I joined the client reference 0:17:39.328 --> 0:17:43.408 group about six years ago. Banner Vision Australia, a client 0:17:43.408 --> 0:17:46.258 of Vision Australia, for nearly probably eight years. And you know, 0:17:46.258 --> 0:17:48.688 I thought, well, when someone said there was a client 0:17:48.688 --> 0:17:50.878 reference group, I thought, well, I might go and join 0:17:50.878 --> 0:17:52.618 that because then I can have a say about some 0:17:52.618 --> 0:17:56.698 things and, and hopefully help Vision Australia become a better organisation. 0:17:56.938 --> 0:17:59.068 I guess what I've learned over the time is that 0:17:59.068 --> 0:18:02.728 and you know, I'll stand corrected. I guess my original 0:18:02.728 --> 0:18:04.498 thoughts of what I was going to do as part 0:18:04.498 --> 0:18:06.838 of the client reference group have really been blown away. 0:18:06.838 --> 0:18:09.478 And I stand here six years down the track, having 0:18:09.808 --> 0:18:12.838 really gotten involved in the business of Vision Australia and 0:18:12.838 --> 0:18:16.648 and truly understand how hard Vision Australia works to make 0:18:16.648 --> 0:18:20.128 things happen and the complexity of all the funding sources 0:18:20.128 --> 0:18:23.218 like the NDIS and my aged care, you know, and 0:18:23.218 --> 0:18:26.158 their constant changing and all that sort of stuff and 0:18:26.158 --> 0:18:28.828 vision Australia has to adapt and change all the time, 0:18:28.838 --> 0:18:32.248 and I just really applaud the amount of effort by 0:18:32.248 --> 0:18:34.588 the staff and the management and the board that goes 0:18:34.588 --> 0:18:37.768 into ensuring that they can still provide the best products 0:18:37.768 --> 0:18:41.758 and services and support for all the clients. So a 0:18:41.758 --> 0:18:45.478 lot of the time when I first joined, I thought, well, 0:18:45.628 --> 0:18:47.218 I didn't really know what I was going to be doing. 0:18:47.218 --> 0:18:49.408 And I walked in here six years ago and I 0:18:49.408 --> 0:18:51.628 was a bit nervous and all that sort of stuff. Anyway, 0:18:51.628 --> 0:18:53.968 over the course of the last six years, I think 0:18:53.968 --> 0:18:58.648 the CRC has evolved, I think, between the and the 0:18:58.648 --> 0:19:01.258 board and the management. We've both realised that there's a 0:19:01.258 --> 0:19:05.218 great opportunity to really use the lived experience of the 0:19:05.218 --> 0:19:08.668 CRC and our greater client base to look at making 0:19:08.668 --> 0:19:11.698 everything work a lot better, to get the lived experience, 0:19:11.698 --> 0:19:15.418 the feedback, to really use that information to work like 0:19:15.418 --> 0:19:19.888 a co-design situation, to just improve things and be agile 0:19:19.888 --> 0:19:22.048 and provide the best service. And for what I've been 0:19:22.048 --> 0:19:25.468 involved in, like this year, there's been some strategic projects, 0:19:25.468 --> 0:19:28.438 and the CRG gives lots and lots of its time to, 0:19:28.438 --> 0:19:30.718 I guess, give their input and feedback to help Vision 0:19:30.748 --> 0:19:34.228 Australia make sure the projects succeed. One of the first 0:19:34.228 --> 0:19:37.018 projects that we got involved in this year was that 0:19:37.018 --> 0:19:39.298 it was on Employment, and Vision Australia, were in an 0:19:39.298 --> 0:19:42.058 ideation workshop down here in February, and while the CRG 0:19:42.058 --> 0:19:45.148 attended and quite a few other stakeholders, and it was 0:19:45.148 --> 0:19:46.948 a two day event and I can tell you we 0:19:46.948 --> 0:19:50.578 worked really hard. But it was an amazing experience and 0:19:50.578 --> 0:19:52.408 I know there was a lot of good outcomes from that. 0:19:52.408 --> 0:19:55.918 And since then there's been another workshop and quite a 0:19:55.918 --> 0:19:57.958 few focus groups and all that sort of stuff in 0:19:57.958 --> 0:20:00.688 the new employment program that is being developed is going 0:20:00.688 --> 0:20:03.658 to be sensational. I guess I'm a real advocate for it. 0:20:03.658 --> 0:20:06.478 I lost my vision eight years ago, pretty late in life, 0:20:06.478 --> 0:20:09.808 and I work full time. I'm an engineer and I 0:20:09.808 --> 0:20:12.148 didn't know how I was going to keep working, and 0:20:12.148 --> 0:20:14.668 that's why it's close to my heart. I managed somehow 0:20:14.668 --> 0:20:18.178 to retain my job and keep moving forward. But there's 0:20:18.178 --> 0:20:20.038 many people. I mean, I do a lot of quality 0:20:20.068 --> 0:20:23.098 living groups and peer support, and I meet many people 0:20:23.098 --> 0:20:25.048 that have lost their sight later in life, and they 0:20:25.048 --> 0:20:27.358 just don't know how to get a job or retain 0:20:27.358 --> 0:20:30.778 their job. And unfortunately, there's many that just don't. And 0:20:30.778 --> 0:20:33.808 so I think the importance of this new employment program 0:20:33.808 --> 0:20:36.028 is so good. I think it's going to make a 0:20:36.028 --> 0:20:38.818 huge difference to the blind and low vision community. Some 0:20:38.818 --> 0:20:40.738 of the other things that we've been involved in is 0:20:40.738 --> 0:20:44.368 around emotional support. As Ron mentioned, there's the new program 0:20:44.368 --> 0:20:46.108 that's come out for the kids. There's a lot of 0:20:46.108 --> 0:20:49.618 work being done around older Australians where they're developing, trying 0:20:49.618 --> 0:20:53.008 to share the quality living process with peer support through 0:20:53.008 --> 0:20:56.068 the aged care providers and help the older Australians deal 0:20:56.068 --> 0:20:58.978 with vision loss. There's lots of things around, emotional support 0:20:58.978 --> 0:21:02.098 and again, it's very close to my heart. As I say, 0:21:02.098 --> 0:21:04.348 I'm very involved in quality living and the impact of 0:21:04.348 --> 0:21:06.928 vision loss is huge and we all need the support 0:21:06.928 --> 0:21:08.818 when we need it. Just just to round out, I 0:21:08.818 --> 0:21:11.188 guess I'm moving into the last year of my tenure 0:21:11.188 --> 0:21:13.768 on the Client Reference group, and this year we've had 0:21:13.768 --> 0:21:19.018 three new members join. That's Kim Brown Alps and Sam Byrne. 0:21:19.258 --> 0:21:21.118 You know, I've got to know them over the last 0:21:21.118 --> 0:21:23.848 couple of days. And one of the key attributes that 0:21:23.848 --> 0:21:25.648 you need to be part of the client reference group 0:21:25.648 --> 0:21:28.738 is passion. And these guys exude passion. And when I 0:21:28.738 --> 0:21:31.258 do finally step away from the client reference group at 0:21:31.258 --> 0:21:33.388 the end of this time next year, I'm sure I'll 0:21:33.388 --> 0:21:35.788 be leaving the group in good hands with those guys. 0:21:35.788 --> 0:21:37.828 So I'd just like to welcome them officially to the 0:21:37.828 --> 0:21:40.378 group and wish them all the best in the future. 0:21:40.888 --> 0:21:45.058 That was Sage member Paul Hedley there. And now you'll 0:21:45.058 --> 0:21:48.268 hear from Andrew and Ron again, starting off with Andrew, 0:21:48.268 --> 0:21:51.058 who then will hand over to Ron shortly thereafter. 0:21:51.328 --> 0:21:55.228 Thank you Paul. It was interesting hearing you say when 0:21:55.228 --> 0:21:59.038 you first arrived in the Client Reference group six years ago, 0:21:59.698 --> 0:22:01.768 you didn't know what you were going to be doing 0:22:01.768 --> 0:22:04.858 and you felt nervous, but it evolved. And I share 0:22:04.858 --> 0:22:08.698 that feeling in my time horizon, in my role. I'm 0:22:08.698 --> 0:22:12.868 really pleased. Amongst the things that you highlighted was something 0:22:12.868 --> 0:22:16.288 that that Ron no doubt was thinking about, but didn't 0:22:16.288 --> 0:22:19.558 explicitly namecheck earlier when he was talking about how incredibly 0:22:19.558 --> 0:22:23.458 important our 2000 volunteers are to delivering our mission. And 0:22:23.458 --> 0:22:27.478 I know Ron highlighted that significantly, that volunteer group is 0:22:27.718 --> 0:22:31.828 is very visible in terms of in terms of dogs 0:22:31.828 --> 0:22:35.788 and in terms of radio. But so many things where 0:22:35.788 --> 0:22:38.878 we're trying to deliver our mission and help people, the 0:22:38.878 --> 0:22:44.158 support of their peers is incredible in, in technical skills, in, 0:22:44.158 --> 0:22:48.118 in emotional adjustment and in terms of simply not feeling isolated, 0:22:48.118 --> 0:22:50.398 not feeling I'm the person, the first person to have 0:22:50.398 --> 0:22:53.668 gone on this journey. So Paul, it was a very 0:22:53.668 --> 0:22:57.448 timely reminder, and I know your personal contribution to that. 0:22:57.448 --> 0:23:00.658 Peer support staff has been invaluable. And and I know 0:23:00.658 --> 0:23:02.728 that will continue to be very core part of our 0:23:02.728 --> 0:23:04.918 service operating. And just to also describe when I said 0:23:04.918 --> 0:23:09.508 that Ron was nodding. So I'd also whilst we're whilst 0:23:09.508 --> 0:23:12.928 we're on the side, I'd also like to acknowledge and 0:23:12.928 --> 0:23:16.978 thank Nadia Matthias. So who I think Ron would like 0:23:16.978 --> 0:23:19.018 to say a few more words, so I will now 0:23:19.018 --> 0:23:22.348 welcome back to the podium for Ron to talk about 0:23:22.348 --> 0:23:27.268 the bursaries and the career start graduates and and also 0:23:27.268 --> 0:23:29.278 the Virgin Australia Award recipients. Thank you. 0:23:29.878 --> 0:23:33.058 Thank you Andrew. Nadia, I can see you online. Can 0:23:33.058 --> 0:23:39.508 you hear me? Give me a wave. Outstanding. Look, it's 0:23:39.508 --> 0:23:44.038 a sad farewell. Though I'm sure we'll still remain friends 0:23:44.278 --> 0:23:48.178 to farewell. Nadia. She's been a member of the CIC 0:23:48.178 --> 0:23:52.948 since 2016 and initially held a Seeing Eye dog portfolio. 0:23:52.948 --> 0:23:55.828 But it's quite clear to me that her her value 0:23:55.828 --> 0:23:58.588 is much, much broader than being a seeing eye dog 0:23:58.588 --> 0:24:02.098 handler and advising us on that. Nadia, you brought a 0:24:02.098 --> 0:24:07.138 huge expertise to our organisation. You're a you're a disability 0:24:07.138 --> 0:24:09.958 professional in your own right. You're a chief executive in 0:24:09.958 --> 0:24:14.008 your own right. You provide expertise and leadership within the 0:24:14.008 --> 0:24:17.728 disability sector every single day. And to have that on 0:24:17.728 --> 0:24:22.198 our side is just absolutely a remarkable gift, and we 0:24:22.198 --> 0:24:26.458 thank you for that. We're also, Nadia, very, very grateful 0:24:26.458 --> 0:24:29.188 for you being a regular participant in our induction days. 0:24:29.188 --> 0:24:32.248 So we run very special induction days. And they're about 0:24:32.248 --> 0:24:36.238 inducting people to the culture of our organisation. And Nadia's 0:24:36.238 --> 0:24:39.478 role in those induction days quite often is to come 0:24:39.478 --> 0:24:41.938 along and kind of be a target for a whole 0:24:41.938 --> 0:24:44.368 bunch of questions that people want to ask about blindness 0:24:44.368 --> 0:24:47.338 and low vision. And I haven't sat in one of 0:24:47.338 --> 0:24:50.248 those sessions, but they're actually more highly rated than my 0:24:50.248 --> 0:24:54.628 own session. Nadia, in the induction. Because what they get 0:24:54.628 --> 0:24:57.238 is real life stories matched with just a whole lot 0:24:57.238 --> 0:25:01.918 of humour and that wicked sense of humour. Nadia, I'm 0:25:01.918 --> 0:25:04.858 certainly going to miss because we have a lot of 0:25:04.858 --> 0:25:07.768 fun together. So thank you very much for your participation 0:25:07.768 --> 0:25:09.718 in the SIG, and I look forward to seeing you 0:25:09.718 --> 0:25:14.628 at the footy some time soon. But it turned to 0:25:14.628 --> 0:25:18.798 bursaries each year. Vision Australia, over the last 27 years 0:25:18.798 --> 0:25:23.388 has presented bursaries to students of all ages, beginning their study, 0:25:23.688 --> 0:25:27.858 beginning in the tertiary. Studies. We've done 486 bursaries in total. 0:25:27.948 --> 0:25:31.368 They're up to about $10,000, and they fund the accessible 0:25:31.368 --> 0:25:36.828 technology that's needed for students to complete their studies. And 0:25:36.828 --> 0:25:39.858 they level the playing field between a person who is 0:25:39.858 --> 0:25:43.608 blind or low vision and their sighted peers. We're delighted 0:25:43.608 --> 0:25:47.178 this year to award 16 bursaries, and those are supported 0:25:47.178 --> 0:25:50.748 by generous donors right across the country. The names of 0:25:50.748 --> 0:25:53.628 the bursary recipients are going to be recorded in the minutes. 0:25:56.348 --> 0:26:00.878 We also have a really important career start graduate program. 0:26:00.878 --> 0:26:04.928 It's called the Ian Paul Career Start Graduate program, after 0:26:04.928 --> 0:26:10.838 a gentleman who supported us philanthropically for many years and 0:26:10.838 --> 0:26:14.228 left us a great deal in his estate. He provided 0:26:14.228 --> 0:26:19.388 the initial seed funding for for this program and just 0:26:19.388 --> 0:26:22.778 has made a remarkable contribution. We've had well over 40 0:26:22.778 --> 0:26:26.738 people through this program over the over the ten years 0:26:26.738 --> 0:26:29.888 that's been operating, and there has only been one person 0:26:29.888 --> 0:26:33.908 out of those who has not completed the program. Graduates 0:26:33.908 --> 0:26:37.148 spend their first nine months working at Virgin Australia and 0:26:37.148 --> 0:26:41.228 then do a three month placement with another organization. We've 0:26:41.468 --> 0:26:44.288 we've probably employed about ten of the 40 back end 0:26:44.288 --> 0:26:47.558 division in Australia because they're just that good. And the 0:26:47.558 --> 0:26:50.738 remainder have gone on and got great jobs. So we 0:26:50.738 --> 0:26:55.988 congratulate Tristan Browne, Tristan Bowen, sorry, Joe Lennox, Olivia Mitchell, 0:26:56.558 --> 0:27:01.688 Jessie Much Raju and Grace Hobbs on being part of 0:27:01.688 --> 0:27:03.758 our graduate program. And I was talking to the Pet 0:27:03.758 --> 0:27:07.598 Barn people the other day and even about six months 0:27:07.598 --> 0:27:12.278 ahead of Olivia, being eligible to go out to them. 0:27:12.278 --> 0:27:14.168 They're already planning about how they're going to bring into 0:27:14.168 --> 0:27:18.968 their organizations. So she's absolutely rocked her, her interview. So 0:27:18.968 --> 0:27:22.628 congratulations to all of you. I'd like to turn now 0:27:22.628 --> 0:27:27.388 to the Vision Australia Awards. We present each year, Vision 0:27:27.398 --> 0:27:30.398 Australia Awards to people who have made a significant contribution 0:27:30.398 --> 0:27:32.618 to the blindness and low vision community. And we do 0:27:32.618 --> 0:27:36.008 these in three categories. We have individual awards, we have 0:27:36.008 --> 0:27:39.458 youth awards and we have organisational awards. This year we 0:27:39.458 --> 0:27:43.058 have three awards and I'm going to announce these now. 0:27:43.598 --> 0:27:45.278 Andrew's kind of let the cat out of the bag 0:27:45.278 --> 0:27:47.468 a little bit by saying that he's he's going to 0:27:47.468 --> 0:27:49.148 get hers. So he'll have to wait till last to 0:27:49.148 --> 0:27:53.978 get his. The first Vision Australia award is to a 0:27:53.978 --> 0:27:59.018 gentleman called Richard Lyle. Richard Lyle is a part of 0:27:59.018 --> 0:28:01.958 the black and white committee of double Bay, and they 0:28:01.958 --> 0:28:08.198 have for 85 years raised funds for predecessor organisations consistently 0:28:08.198 --> 0:28:11.408 for children who are blind or have low vision in 0:28:11.408 --> 0:28:15.728 the New South Wales and broader Australia. Richard Lyle has 0:28:15.728 --> 0:28:19.748 volunteered for the Black and White Committee for 55 zero 0:28:19.748 --> 0:28:24.218 of those years, and that is pretty much a remarkable 0:28:24.218 --> 0:28:28.838 contribution as a regular. He's a regular master of ceremonies, 0:28:28.838 --> 0:28:31.628 and pretty much every event that I go into, and 0:28:31.628 --> 0:28:33.668 probably every event you go to Larry because you've done 0:28:33.668 --> 0:28:37.328 a few of those. You, Richard, is the person running 0:28:37.328 --> 0:28:41.138 the events. Richard can't be with us today. They're running 0:28:41.138 --> 0:28:44.558 in one of their regular lunches at Otto's in Sydney 0:28:44.948 --> 0:28:46.868 in a few weeks time, and I'm going to present 0:28:46.868 --> 0:28:53.548 him his Vision Australia award at that event. Our second 0:28:53.548 --> 0:28:58.738 award today is for Lara. Natalie. Lara, you're in the 0:28:58.738 --> 0:29:00.928 audience here. Are you going to come up? Why don't 0:29:00.928 --> 0:29:04.108 you come on up? Kate's going to put a microphone 0:29:04.108 --> 0:29:06.028 in your hand. Because I might just get you to 0:29:06.028 --> 0:29:09.208 say a few words. Lara, you're a role model for 0:29:09.208 --> 0:29:11.638 so many young Australians who are blind or low vision. 0:29:12.328 --> 0:29:15.718 I've known you for, I think, seven years now, and 0:29:15.718 --> 0:29:20.338 I've seen you grow, which has been absolutely fantastic. You're 0:29:20.338 --> 0:29:25.108 an accomplished performer. You've been on Carol's by Candlelight last year, 0:29:25.108 --> 0:29:27.148 and you're going to be performing again this year on 0:29:27.148 --> 0:29:28.228 Carols by Candlelight. 0:29:28.438 --> 0:29:28.948 Yeah. 0:29:29.278 --> 0:29:32.848 You're you're going to graduate very shortly. I think you 0:29:32.848 --> 0:29:35.818 told me just before that. Was it yesterday that you 0:29:35.818 --> 0:29:39.228 completed your Masters of degree in music therapy? 0:29:39.238 --> 0:29:40.858 Yes, it was shortly. 0:29:41.788 --> 0:29:45.328 And you and I, we've had a great relationship over 0:29:45.328 --> 0:29:50.698 the years as as friends and colleagues. And I'm delighted 0:29:50.698 --> 0:29:52.918 to present you with a Vision Australia award, which I 0:29:52.918 --> 0:29:59.278 think I have right here with me. That's. Andrew's behind you, Lara. 0:29:59.308 --> 0:30:01.858 Right here is your Vision Australia award. 0:30:02.788 --> 0:30:09.618 Oh, wow. Congratulations. Thanks so much, Ron. And thanks so 0:30:09.618 --> 0:30:13.338 much to everyone at Virgin Australia for supporting me over 0:30:13.338 --> 0:30:17.208 the years. I've been a client since the age of 0:30:17.208 --> 0:30:26.538 six and I've received various services such as OT employment. 0:30:26.988 --> 0:30:30.468 Um and I used to attend the school holiday programs 0:30:30.468 --> 0:30:34.428 when I was at school, so we did like different 0:30:34.428 --> 0:30:40.788 activities and outings and things like that. Um, and I'd 0:30:40.788 --> 0:30:47.448 also like to thank my amazing parents for, um, supporting 0:30:47.448 --> 0:30:51.558 me throughout my life. And thanks to Duncan and Wendy 0:30:51.558 --> 0:31:00.548 from Platinum Creative, um, for being. I'm very supportive managers. 0:31:00.788 --> 0:31:05.138 For Duncan's my manager, and they're both here today, so 0:31:05.138 --> 0:31:05.888 thank you. 0:31:06.458 --> 0:31:15.988 Well done. Lara, thank you very much. Sarah Waters to Andrew, 0:31:15.988 --> 0:31:21.358 Moffat and Andrew. This is, of course, a quite emotional moment, 0:31:21.358 --> 0:31:24.478 I think, for both of us. And as I was 0:31:24.478 --> 0:31:26.088 reflecting on what I was going to say and I 0:31:26.088 --> 0:31:29.488 didn't really work this out this morning. This award is 0:31:29.488 --> 0:31:32.848 not just for you being Vision Australia chair and a 0:31:32.848 --> 0:31:38.158 director for 12 years. It's about 25 years of service 0:31:38.158 --> 0:31:40.198 to the blindness and low vision community in Australia and 0:31:40.198 --> 0:31:44.308 the United Kingdom, which has been quite exceptional. It's about 0:31:44.308 --> 0:31:47.608 the role model that you create for so many people, 0:31:47.728 --> 0:31:50.878 and I know that you're not part of the conventional 0:31:50.878 --> 0:31:57.658 blindness community, but what you are is, I think, probably 0:31:57.658 --> 0:32:02.738 an elite sportsperson. Anybody who rides a bike at the 0:32:02.738 --> 0:32:06.188 speed that you do with the site you have, there's 0:32:06.188 --> 0:32:09.878 got to be a lead in something. But I think 0:32:09.878 --> 0:32:12.008 you mentioned to us last night that you also fenced 0:32:12.008 --> 0:32:15.638 for Australia, so that probably puts you up there. But 0:32:15.638 --> 0:32:19.418 you've also had a remarkable career, first in investment banking, 0:32:19.418 --> 0:32:23.258 and now you're one of Australia's most respected commercial mediators. 0:32:23.348 --> 0:32:27.398 And to my mind, that inspires many, many to, to 0:32:27.488 --> 0:32:32.528 to achieve to the same, same level. You have you 0:32:32.528 --> 0:32:37.208 provided remarkable leadership to our organisation. We've been through the 0:32:37.208 --> 0:32:39.848 last ten years, you and I together. But you've been 0:32:39.848 --> 0:32:42.848 on the board 12, and I can't imagine a time 0:32:43.118 --> 0:32:47.438 ever where organisations like ours have gone through quite such 0:32:47.438 --> 0:32:51.638 a dramatic change. We had the NDIS come along, we 0:32:51.638 --> 0:32:55.808 had a pandemic wander all the way through. We've as 0:32:55.808 --> 0:32:59.228 an organisation grown incredibly and delivered some great products and 0:32:59.228 --> 0:33:03.098 built our organisation over that time, and you have been 0:33:03.098 --> 0:33:06.968 an enormous part of that, that success. Our fundraising people 0:33:06.968 --> 0:33:10.358 wanted to me to pass on their grateful thanks for 0:33:10.358 --> 0:33:15.158 how good a fundraiser you are, an absolutely remarkable networker 0:33:15.158 --> 0:33:19.988 at events, and probably the characteristic that I'd like to 0:33:19.988 --> 0:33:25.108 bring out most is, is that we never, ever are 0:33:25.118 --> 0:33:27.398 going to wonder about you in terms of what you 0:33:27.398 --> 0:33:34.238 think and, and also also your your absolute commitment to 0:33:34.238 --> 0:33:38.798 our organisation, the enormous enthusiasm you put into everything, your 0:33:38.798 --> 0:33:42.068 willingness to to talk to anybody. If I was to 0:33:42.068 --> 0:33:45.038 ring up Andrew and say, hey, we've got a five 0:33:45.038 --> 0:33:47.678 year old boy who lives in Alice Springs who'd like 0:33:47.678 --> 0:33:49.658 to have a chat to someone who's an investment banker. 0:33:50.198 --> 0:33:53.228 Andrew would probably fly there to have that conversation as 0:33:53.228 --> 0:33:56.378 opposed to on the telephone. So, Andrew, your willingness to 0:33:56.378 --> 0:33:59.828 contribute to our community has just been remarkable over the 0:33:59.828 --> 0:34:03.458 last 12 years. And I'm sure for the other 13 0:34:03.458 --> 0:34:05.558 years that you were part of action for blind people 0:34:05.558 --> 0:34:09.218 in the United Kingdom. I'm going to stop there because 0:34:09.218 --> 0:34:12.848 it's just becoming a fraction emotional for me. I present 0:34:12.848 --> 0:34:15.848 you with your business award, and you can now talk 0:34:15.848 --> 0:34:17.048 for as long as you want. 0:34:17.828 --> 0:34:18.788 Thank you very much. Thank you. 0:34:25.718 --> 0:34:29.288 Ron, thank you very much. Now I. As people have 0:34:29.288 --> 0:34:32.378 probably gathered, for the most part, I really have enjoyed 0:34:32.378 --> 0:34:34.598 being chair of Vision Australia. And I'm going to look 0:34:34.598 --> 0:34:38.858 at Darren here. I think constitutionally, constitutionally, what I'm about 0:34:38.858 --> 0:34:43.418 to say is probably legally not quite correct. But practically, 0:34:43.418 --> 0:34:45.908 I think I can stay as chair for as long 0:34:45.908 --> 0:34:48.728 as this meeting lasts, which is until the conclusion of 0:34:48.728 --> 0:34:51.908 my speech. So can I encourage you all to get 0:34:51.908 --> 0:34:55.778 some lunch and make no sorry. Only kidding. So I, 0:34:56.408 --> 0:34:59.228 as some of you will remember when I was first 0:34:59.228 --> 0:35:02.048 chair these Vision Australia Awards. So this one, for those 0:35:02.048 --> 0:35:05.438 of you who can't see, is basically the Vision Australia 0:35:05.438 --> 0:35:10.478 logo turned into a piece of perspex that would break 0:35:10.478 --> 0:35:13.898 your foot if you dropped it. It used to be 0:35:13.898 --> 0:35:18.248 a cylinder that looked like a kind of unexploded bomb, 0:35:18.248 --> 0:35:21.278 and the first couple of times when I was chairing, 0:35:21.278 --> 0:35:22.808 I was giving a Vision Australia awards. I don't know 0:35:22.808 --> 0:35:26.318 whether any of you remembered I tried to milk such comedies. 0:35:26.318 --> 0:35:32.288 I could get from describing audio description, which was accurate, 0:35:32.288 --> 0:35:37.208 but possibly not entirely absence of sarcasm, but I'm not 0:35:37.208 --> 0:35:40.238 sure what I can say about this, actually, other than 0:35:40.238 --> 0:35:42.908 I will be asking somebody like Bill next time I 0:35:42.908 --> 0:35:45.218 see him to check that the Braille is actually in 0:35:45.218 --> 0:35:47.828 accordance with the handwriting, which I shall be reading with 0:35:47.828 --> 0:35:49.958 my magnifying glass, but I'm very thrilled to get it. 0:35:49.958 --> 0:35:55.988 So yeah, look, deeply emotional moment for me. And there 0:35:55.988 --> 0:35:58.628 are some things that I would like to say. When 0:35:58.628 --> 0:36:05.048 I arrived, there was some fairly obvious recent, I think, trauma, 0:36:05.048 --> 0:36:08.378 it's fair to say, within the board and across the organisation. 0:36:09.068 --> 0:36:14.258 And there was also some, some real uncertainty about what 0:36:14.258 --> 0:36:17.828 the NDIS might mean. So I think I joined at 0:36:17.828 --> 0:36:21.638 a at a time when there was, I mean, as always, 0:36:21.638 --> 0:36:24.158 in an organisation like this, there's an opportunity to make 0:36:24.158 --> 0:36:26.408 a difference. But there really was in this particular case, 0:36:26.828 --> 0:36:31.688 fairly shortly after I joined the board, decided we need 0:36:31.688 --> 0:36:35.768 a change of executive leadership. And through a process, Ron 0:36:35.768 --> 0:36:43.688 joined us. An extraordinarily energetic and an extraordinarily energetic man, 0:36:43.688 --> 0:36:47.288 as we discovered a great listener. But at the time, 0:36:47.528 --> 0:36:49.928 if anyone can remember, I know lots of staff have 0:36:49.928 --> 0:36:52.718 been here. We're very good at retaining wonderful people. So 0:36:52.718 --> 0:36:56.138 I know a lot of the staff were were listening 0:36:56.138 --> 0:36:59.498 to Ron when he first joined in this bizarre mixture 0:36:59.498 --> 0:37:03.698 of kind of military jargon and hospital clinical speak, and 0:37:03.698 --> 0:37:06.158 then a few IT terms put in, all delivered in 0:37:06.158 --> 0:37:09.608 a New Zealand accent, which was very bewildering. But, you know, 0:37:09.608 --> 0:37:11.618 we worked through that. What we did discover from Ron 0:37:11.618 --> 0:37:14.228 is the speech was a bit odd, but the listening 0:37:14.228 --> 0:37:17.078 was incredibly acute. And Ron spent a lot of time 0:37:17.078 --> 0:37:22.898 understanding the staff, understanding our clients, understanding our mission, and 0:37:22.898 --> 0:37:26.648 fairly soon we started to see the fruit of of 0:37:26.648 --> 0:37:29.378 that listening. And so there was a, I think, a 0:37:29.378 --> 0:37:34.508 very energetic, receptive discussion between Ron and the board and 0:37:34.508 --> 0:37:37.268 the management team. And we started to see, I think, 0:37:37.268 --> 0:37:41.288 the fruits of that quite quickly, in fact. So there 0:37:41.288 --> 0:37:44.798 was some some practical stuff, the most obvious one being 0:37:45.038 --> 0:37:48.878 as the NDIS was initially rolled out to to two 0:37:48.878 --> 0:37:54.278 and then three trial sites, I thought a fantastic next 0:37:54.278 --> 0:38:00.398 step of creating Vision Australia test sites that were in 0:38:00.398 --> 0:38:04.178 those trial locations, so that we had an ability to 0:38:04.178 --> 0:38:07.568 work with the very first wave of people who were 0:38:07.568 --> 0:38:09.998 blind or had low vision in Australia, who were within 0:38:09.998 --> 0:38:14.918 the NDIS and within those test sites. The staff were, 0:38:15.188 --> 0:38:18.578 I guess, liberated from the normal structures and processes of 0:38:18.578 --> 0:38:22.838 the rest division in Australia and encouraged to try stuff, 0:38:22.838 --> 0:38:25.538 including stuff that might not work. And I thought that 0:38:25.538 --> 0:38:28.838 was outstanding and very much, I think the foundations of 0:38:28.838 --> 0:38:32.558 what have been embedded today, in many cases can be 0:38:32.558 --> 0:38:35.078 seen from what we've learned in those places. So that 0:38:35.078 --> 0:38:38.138 was the first thing. There was a strategic element as 0:38:38.138 --> 0:38:42.758 well that has been initiated back then and has really 0:38:42.758 --> 0:38:45.398 stood the test of time, and that is as a 0:38:45.398 --> 0:38:49.628 result of a long period of, again, intensive listening to 0:38:49.628 --> 0:38:52.028 clients and working with staff and what have you, which 0:38:52.028 --> 0:38:57.758 the board was intimately involved with also, and that that 0:38:57.758 --> 0:39:01.058 confirmed that where we should focus at what was important 0:39:01.058 --> 0:39:04.148 for our clients were those four domains that still drive, 0:39:04.148 --> 0:39:07.538 I think, our strategic thinking today. So focusing on employment, 0:39:07.538 --> 0:39:12.128 focusing on education, focusing on independence and on social inclusion. 0:39:12.128 --> 0:39:15.008 And just to remind everybody who was here at the time, 0:39:15.008 --> 0:39:18.428 we didn't go in with those as foregone conclusions and 0:39:18.428 --> 0:39:21.488 then suffer from confirmation bias by trying to get people who. 0:39:21.978 --> 0:39:25.518 That that's actually that makes sense to them. Actually. We listened. 0:39:25.518 --> 0:39:29.508 And in fact, the the emphasis on social inclusion, which 0:39:29.508 --> 0:39:32.208 has been a very important driver in everything we've done 0:39:32.208 --> 0:39:36.978 since then, that emphasis was materially more from our clients 0:39:36.978 --> 0:39:39.588 than we'd expected going in. So we had we had, 0:39:39.588 --> 0:39:41.958 of course, some kind of ideas of what might come 0:39:41.958 --> 0:39:45.288 out of it. But we listened and we realized that 0:39:45.288 --> 0:39:49.848 actually our clients would like us to focus slightly differently 0:39:49.848 --> 0:39:52.938 than than we might otherwise have decided to do. So 0:39:52.938 --> 0:39:55.758 that was the strategic element. And then the third aspect 0:39:55.758 --> 0:39:59.658 was the the cultural element I still have sitting on 0:39:59.658 --> 0:40:02.598 my desk in my office in the city, a Virgin 0:40:02.598 --> 0:40:05.388 Australia mouse mat, which, like all good mouse mates, has 0:40:05.388 --> 0:40:07.938 little circles on with things written on them and the 0:40:07.938 --> 0:40:12.318 five values that that drive everything we do today. And again, 0:40:12.318 --> 0:40:18.318 they were they were extraordinarily catalytic things. They weren't the 0:40:18.318 --> 0:40:21.408 normal stuff, you know, integrity and whatever. You know, the 0:40:21.408 --> 0:40:25.728 normal waffling motherhood statements that lots of organizations tend to 0:40:26.298 --> 0:40:29.958 adopt as values, they were real. They drove change. So 0:40:29.958 --> 0:40:35.418 stuff like agility, customer focus, accountability, these kind of things. 0:40:35.418 --> 0:40:42.048 They have, again, provided a clear message for our staff 0:40:42.228 --> 0:40:47.208 where we see them working with clients, with the organisation. 0:40:47.208 --> 0:40:50.748 And those cultures have been clear enablers for us, for 0:40:50.748 --> 0:40:56.058 everything we've done since. So that's the foundation now then, 0:40:56.058 --> 0:40:59.898 you know, rolling forward over the coming ten years. What 0:40:59.898 --> 0:41:04.068 do I think are the defining features of a Vision 0:41:04.068 --> 0:41:08.838 Australia firstly, and Ron spoke about it before ambition. Now 0:41:08.838 --> 0:41:13.908 the ambition I think is a virtuous, challenging but a 0:41:13.908 --> 0:41:18.078 virtuous cycle. Our message to our clients, some of you 0:41:18.078 --> 0:41:21.168 in this room, but all the others to our message 0:41:21.168 --> 0:41:25.278 to our clients, is you may be blind or have 0:41:25.278 --> 0:41:29.178 low vision, but you can be ambitious for yourself in 0:41:29.178 --> 0:41:32.448 whatever area in which you choose to live your life. 0:41:32.448 --> 0:41:36.528 So we are empowering and encouraging and enabling our clients 0:41:36.528 --> 0:41:39.168 to be more ambitious, but in order to be able 0:41:39.168 --> 0:41:41.628 to then support them in fulfilling those ambitions, we in 0:41:41.628 --> 0:41:43.308 ourselves have to be more ambitious. We have to do 0:41:43.308 --> 0:41:46.338 more and better in more places, with more people in 0:41:46.338 --> 0:41:52.368 different ways. And so that ambition is constant. So somebody 0:41:52.368 --> 0:41:54.348 I'm getting lots of people asking me how I feel 0:41:54.348 --> 0:41:56.928 about leaving the place. And the answer is, yeah, it's 0:41:56.958 --> 0:42:02.088 it's emotionally challenging. But one of the things is there 0:42:02.088 --> 0:42:04.338 is no concept at Vision Australia to say, well, we've 0:42:04.338 --> 0:42:08.358 got it all sorted now. I've known for well, I mean, 0:42:08.418 --> 0:42:10.158 it didn't occur to me when I joined the board 0:42:10.158 --> 0:42:12.648 that I'd ever be chair, but but even if I 0:42:12.648 --> 0:42:14.388 had known that, I would have known 12 years was 0:42:14.388 --> 0:42:18.258 the maximum. But there's no concept to say, okay, Andrew, 0:42:18.258 --> 0:42:21.138 put your skates on, work out, work up to October 0:42:21.138 --> 0:42:25.008 2023 and have everything fixed. Because as soon as we 0:42:25.008 --> 0:42:28.458 achieve one thing, we find ourselves striving to do more 0:42:28.458 --> 0:42:32.178 and better in furtherance of our mission than we have 0:42:32.178 --> 0:42:35.508 done before. And I think that's a wonderful thing. I 0:42:35.508 --> 0:42:39.168 think Amber talked about it, and you can see, I 0:42:39.168 --> 0:42:41.898 think every single utterance, I hope from everyone at Vision 0:42:41.898 --> 0:42:46.248 Australia that that ambition is felt at an organizational level, 0:42:46.248 --> 0:42:51.648 but also at a personal one. The second characteristic I'd 0:42:51.648 --> 0:42:54.648 like to talk about is a willingness to make decisions. 0:42:55.928 --> 0:42:58.868 And that should be something we take for granted. But 0:42:58.868 --> 0:43:03.488 it was astonishing when The Andrew and Ron Show first 0:43:03.488 --> 0:43:07.058 went on the road and we started talking to other 0:43:07.058 --> 0:43:11.768 organizations in our sector and other organizations in the disability 0:43:11.768 --> 0:43:15.698 sector in particular, as the NDIS was starting, and we think, okay, 0:43:15.698 --> 0:43:18.278 you know, we've worked on this. We're bringing the finest 0:43:18.278 --> 0:43:22.118 minds we have and our best hypotheses, but it would 0:43:22.118 --> 0:43:26.768 be really good to to get understandings. And it was astonishing, Ron, 0:43:26.768 --> 0:43:28.988 wasn't it. Every single one of them was saying, oh, 0:43:29.108 --> 0:43:30.218 we don't know. We're just going to wait to see 0:43:30.218 --> 0:43:34.658 what happens. I think really we were we were sitting there, 0:43:34.658 --> 0:43:37.568 we were saying, okay, what do we think might happen 0:43:37.568 --> 0:43:40.598 in the future? What are the doors we need to 0:43:40.598 --> 0:43:43.418 keep open? What are the doors we should close? What 0:43:43.418 --> 0:43:46.028 are the risks that we need to prepare for? We're 0:43:46.028 --> 0:43:51.418 not willing to just be blown around by fate and wait, 0:43:51.458 --> 0:43:54.818 subject to whatever decisions might happen. Because the people who 0:43:54.818 --> 0:43:57.338 will suffer from that are fundamentally not Vision Australia. It's 0:43:57.338 --> 0:44:01.208 all our clients. And if we just sit passively and 0:44:01.208 --> 0:44:06.818 wait to to see what happens for a whole lot 0:44:06.818 --> 0:44:09.638 of people, the uncertainty will fall on them. And I 0:44:09.638 --> 0:44:11.918 think in that case, we fail to make our deliver 0:44:11.918 --> 0:44:15.098 our mission. So one thing I think with Vision Australia 0:44:15.098 --> 0:44:18.308 that I have noted I am proud of and I 0:44:18.308 --> 0:44:23.258 believe I've been part of, is ensuring that we make decisions. 0:44:23.258 --> 0:44:28.538 We look at the facts, we we look at our mission. 0:44:28.538 --> 0:44:32.858 We gather as much information as we can, but we 0:44:32.858 --> 0:44:35.648 still haven't managed to have a crystal ball, Ron, have we? 0:44:35.648 --> 0:44:40.418 We're taking expectations about the future and making plans, but 0:44:40.418 --> 0:44:44.528 we are making decisions and implementing those decisions vigorously until 0:44:44.528 --> 0:44:46.538 such time as we discover we get different data and 0:44:46.538 --> 0:44:49.418 then we we adjust our decisions. And I think that's important. 0:44:49.568 --> 0:44:52.628 And for those of you who've been involved in other organisations, 0:44:52.628 --> 0:44:55.508 I'm hoping you will. You will see that that's something 0:44:55.508 --> 0:44:59.228 that Vision Australia stands out in, because certainly lots of 0:44:59.498 --> 0:45:03.368 lots of organisations in the in the not for profit 0:45:03.368 --> 0:45:07.658 sector and indeed in the commercial sector struggle with decision making. 0:45:07.658 --> 0:45:11.978 And I think, I think Australia, Australia is struggling with 0:45:11.978 --> 0:45:15.728 that at the moment even as a nation. So one 0:45:15.728 --> 0:45:18.068 of the other things I'd like to say is we 0:45:18.068 --> 0:45:22.028 we've also one of our characteristics is to be opportunistic. 0:45:22.208 --> 0:45:25.148 It's funny opportunism. It seems to be regarded. It's used 0:45:25.148 --> 0:45:27.248 as a kind of term of abuse. You're being opportunistic. 0:45:27.248 --> 0:45:30.458 But actually I can't imagine what you do with an 0:45:30.458 --> 0:45:32.438 opportunity other than take it. If it was a good one. 0:45:32.438 --> 0:45:35.768 It's never made any sense to me. Why that seems 0:45:35.768 --> 0:45:38.738 to be a corporate insult, but we've looked at opportunities 0:45:38.738 --> 0:45:42.908 when they've come up. So in every case, tying back 0:45:42.908 --> 0:45:46.238 to remember the four strategic priorities that we've identified and 0:45:46.238 --> 0:45:50.168 the overarching mission that drives everything and how we respond. 0:45:50.168 --> 0:45:54.248 So we're an organisation that's ambitious, we're organisation with that's 0:45:54.248 --> 0:45:56.948 well led, and we're occasionally an organisation that's lucky and 0:45:56.948 --> 0:45:58.868 I think that's a good thing. We should embrace that. 0:45:59.588 --> 0:46:03.848 Of course I need to thank some people. I mean 0:46:03.848 --> 0:46:07.208 actually I need to to thank a list of people 0:46:07.208 --> 0:46:10.898 that's way longer than Justine's roll call and fraught with danger, 0:46:10.898 --> 0:46:14.078 because no matter how many people I try and thank individually, 0:46:14.828 --> 0:46:17.978 I'll miss somebody. And that would be inadvertent, but I 0:46:17.978 --> 0:46:20.948 understand that would be wounding. So therefore I'll go the 0:46:20.948 --> 0:46:23.858 other way. I'm only going to namecheck two people here. 0:46:24.848 --> 0:46:29.618 The first is Ron as as Ron mentioned, he and 0:46:29.618 --> 0:46:32.648 I have worked very closely since he joined. It was 0:46:32.648 --> 0:46:36.368 an odd day when Ron joined because I wasn't there 0:46:36.368 --> 0:46:40.538 was a there was a board subcommittee that was charged 0:46:40.538 --> 0:46:42.908 by the board with choosing the chief executive, and they 0:46:42.908 --> 0:46:45.128 weren't quite as consultative as the rest of the board 0:46:45.128 --> 0:46:48.068 thought they were going to be. So my first meeting 0:46:48.068 --> 0:46:52.808 with Ron was, yeah, we're going to bring the candidate 0:46:52.808 --> 0:46:55.748 in for the board meeting, but you've only got 20 0:46:55.748 --> 0:47:01.748 minutes because he's signing his contract in HR upstairs thought, okay, 0:47:01.778 --> 0:47:06.878 it's that kind of consultation, I get that. Tough, tough 0:47:06.878 --> 0:47:10.688 way to start, Ron. But we've we seem to have 0:47:10.688 --> 0:47:13.148 got into a rhythm one way or other over the time. 0:47:14.108 --> 0:47:18.158 My my relationship with Ron is a very organic one. 0:47:18.158 --> 0:47:24.428 So we we we have I think over the years, 0:47:24.428 --> 0:47:27.218 as you would expect, a pretty good idea of the 0:47:27.218 --> 0:47:31.658 areas where we can benefit from consulting each other. We 0:47:31.658 --> 0:47:34.538 tend not to kind of arrange chats. We simply call 0:47:34.538 --> 0:47:36.158 each other. And if I missed a call from Ron 0:47:36.158 --> 0:47:38.438 or he's missed a call from me, we'll call back. 0:47:38.438 --> 0:47:41.408 And it might be at 7:30 a.m. or 9:09 p.m., 0:47:41.408 --> 0:47:46.238 but that that tends to be okay, because my assumption 0:47:46.508 --> 0:47:49.748 is that if Ron calls me, it's not to discuss 0:47:49.748 --> 0:47:52.988 the weather and vice versa. So we speak often organically, 0:47:52.988 --> 0:47:55.828 and I think that's been wonderful. We challenged. Each other 0:47:55.828 --> 0:47:59.548 a lot. There have been times when people have suggested 0:47:59.548 --> 0:48:02.938 that we. We look like we agree with each other 0:48:02.938 --> 0:48:05.938 too much, but actually in reality, you know, the, the, 0:48:05.938 --> 0:48:10.018 the proverbial swan, you know, cruising smoothly on the surface 0:48:10.018 --> 0:48:13.228 and kicking like mad, invisible under the water. So we 0:48:13.228 --> 0:48:17.788 test our thinking with each other. Eye test on behalf 0:48:17.788 --> 0:48:23.218 of the entire board. Ron's thinking on topics, and Ron 0:48:23.638 --> 0:48:28.248 has become very comfortable testing his thoughts on Vision Australia. 0:48:28.258 --> 0:48:32.488 You know, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. And 0:48:32.488 --> 0:48:36.238 through that process that I think has driven the messages 0:48:36.238 --> 0:48:38.608 that Ron is sending back to the management team and 0:48:38.608 --> 0:48:43.408 how the organization is managed and, and very much then 0:48:43.408 --> 0:48:48.808 the messages that the board needs Ron to have and 0:48:48.808 --> 0:48:52.648 that needs Ron to be thinking about. I think that's 0:48:52.648 --> 0:48:54.538 worked really well. So it's been extraordinary. I'm going to 0:48:54.538 --> 0:48:57.328 miss it very much. It has been, I suspect, well, 0:48:57.328 --> 0:49:01.918 certainly the the closest and probably longest relationship I've had 0:49:01.918 --> 0:49:05.818 in my, in my commercial life. And, and I very 0:49:05.818 --> 0:49:08.908 much hope and I believe that it's been one that 0:49:08.908 --> 0:49:12.298 has worked well for the organization and its mission. But, Ron, 0:49:12.298 --> 0:49:14.098 I'm going to miss it. And I wish you hadn't 0:49:14.098 --> 0:49:18.478 said about being emotional earlier, because that doesn't help. The 0:49:18.478 --> 0:49:23.758 second thing, second person that I'd like to namecheck, of course, 0:49:23.758 --> 0:49:29.098 is Bill now. So Bill's governance career at Virgin Australia 0:49:29.668 --> 0:49:34.918 very much interconnects with mine because of course I'd met 0:49:34.918 --> 0:49:39.208 Bill in my early time on the board. But Bill 0:49:39.208 --> 0:49:42.478 first joined our formal governance structure when I was chair 0:49:42.478 --> 0:49:45.988 of the audit, Finance and Risk Committee, and Bill joined 0:49:45.988 --> 0:49:50.968 that before he became a director eight years ago. So 0:49:51.388 --> 0:49:53.758 Bill and I have worked very closely on the audit, 0:49:53.758 --> 0:49:57.328 Finance and Risk Committee bill, as we all know, is 0:49:57.328 --> 0:50:08.518 a formidable intellect, incredibly knowledgeable about the blindness world, but 0:50:08.518 --> 0:50:12.478 also incredibly open minded as well. And it's a rare 0:50:12.478 --> 0:50:16.018 privilege for us as an organization to have somebody who 0:50:16.018 --> 0:50:20.188 can be so aware of history but not constrained by it. 0:50:20.188 --> 0:50:25.798 So it was only natural that when the board asked 0:50:25.798 --> 0:50:28.318 me eight and a bit years ago, whether I would 0:50:28.318 --> 0:50:34.138 consider taking over the chair entirely unexpected, my first response was, 0:50:34.468 --> 0:50:37.438 and Ron was my was. Ron was right to say, 0:50:37.738 --> 0:50:40.678 I don't see myself in any way and have not 0:50:40.678 --> 0:50:43.408 been a member of the blindness community. So I was 0:50:43.408 --> 0:50:50.128 very keen to make sure that Vision Australia's. Message reputation 0:50:50.128 --> 0:50:53.158 status in the blindness community was not undermined by having 0:50:53.158 --> 0:50:56.398 somebody who's got some kind of vision, at least standing 0:50:56.398 --> 0:51:00.718 at the lectern like this. So I spoke to Bill 0:51:01.018 --> 0:51:04.078 in good Bill and Andrew Way over a beer at 0:51:04.078 --> 0:51:07.228 the Keong Lawn Tennis Club across the road, and asked Bill, 0:51:07.918 --> 0:51:09.548 put this on the table. I said, Bill, you know, 0:51:09.598 --> 0:51:14.188 I've been asked about this. The only scenario under which 0:51:14.188 --> 0:51:17.848 I would consider taking the chair is if the blindness 0:51:17.848 --> 0:51:20.428 community would would be very supportive of that. If it 0:51:20.428 --> 0:51:23.008 makes it look like the organization's focus is drifting away 0:51:23.008 --> 0:51:26.868 from our core mission, then I'm doing the organisation a 0:51:26.908 --> 0:51:32.038 disservice by taking that role, and Bill assured me I 0:51:32.038 --> 0:51:34.948 can't remember the precise words he used, but but broadly speaking, 0:51:35.238 --> 0:51:39.198 the blindness organisation like the organisation, the blindness community, like 0:51:39.208 --> 0:51:42.778 the organisation as a whole cares about my ability and 0:51:42.778 --> 0:51:44.818 the fact that I can also see a little bit, 0:51:44.818 --> 0:51:48.808 you know, isn't necessarily seen as a disqualifier. And so 0:51:48.808 --> 0:51:52.018 Bill and I have had a fabulous organization, a fabulous 0:51:52.018 --> 0:51:55.108 relationship for the whole time I've been on the chair. 0:51:55.108 --> 0:51:59.038 Bill has been a person who's been my go to 0:51:59.038 --> 0:52:02.308 when I need counsel about the blindness community when we 0:52:02.308 --> 0:52:06.058 have fires, fires to fight, which happened from time to time. 0:52:07.078 --> 0:52:11.548 I have always been very comfortable asking Bill advice. Bill 0:52:11.548 --> 0:52:14.638 has always been very comfortable imposing advice on me, even 0:52:14.638 --> 0:52:16.918 if I didn't ask for it. And that has been 0:52:16.918 --> 0:52:21.028 fabulous and foundational. And and Bill, I couldn't be more 0:52:21.028 --> 0:52:25.948 pleased to to pass across leading the organization to you. 0:52:25.948 --> 0:52:28.498 And I look forward to keeping in touch over the coming, 0:52:28.498 --> 0:52:32.248 the coming years, so that you'll be relieved to know. 0:52:32.248 --> 0:52:34.498 Nearly brings me to the end of my discussion. Of course, 0:52:34.498 --> 0:52:37.758 I'd like to thank all the other people who went 0:52:37.758 --> 0:52:40.558 to name so my fellow directors who are on the 0:52:40.558 --> 0:52:43.228 board now, and those people who've been on the board 0:52:43.228 --> 0:52:48.208 during the rest of my tenure, of course, the staff, 0:52:49.348 --> 0:52:53.368 all of our volunteers, our clients who've engaged with me 0:52:53.368 --> 0:52:57.588 very generously in lots of. Ways our donors. I'd like 0:52:57.588 --> 0:53:01.098 to thank everyone. It has been a wonderful process and 0:53:01.098 --> 0:53:04.668 I've always felt very, very welcomed. And I've always found 0:53:04.668 --> 0:53:06.948 I've had very energetic discussions and I've been getting a 0:53:06.948 --> 0:53:10.368 tsunami of emails and texts over the last day, which 0:53:10.578 --> 0:53:15.018 which every time brings a lump to my throat. Finally, 0:53:15.018 --> 0:53:17.478 I would like to address the future and what gives 0:53:17.478 --> 0:53:21.378 me enormous confidence about Vision Australia going forward. I mean, 0:53:21.378 --> 0:53:23.148 apart from all the other stuff that I've been talking 0:53:23.148 --> 0:53:26.508 about the last few minutes. But Ron's right. So I 0:53:26.508 --> 0:53:30.948 have apparently about 15% vision and yes, he's right, I 0:53:30.948 --> 0:53:35.148 fence and and I cycle. I haven't been cycle racing 0:53:35.148 --> 0:53:37.218 for a few years, but at various points in my 0:53:37.218 --> 0:53:40.308 life I cycle race and not on the back of 0:53:40.308 --> 0:53:42.528 a tandem on the front of a bike, of course. So. 0:53:43.218 --> 0:53:47.508 And people who who know me socially, who are aware 0:53:47.508 --> 0:53:50.268 of them socially or professionally, who are aware of that, 0:53:50.268 --> 0:53:51.978 they look at me and they think something doesn't make 0:53:51.978 --> 0:53:55.728 sense because you don't seem like a complete idiot, but 0:53:55.728 --> 0:53:57.918 you do this stuff. Now, just to be clear, I 0:53:57.918 --> 0:54:01.098 am not remotely in the same league in terms of 0:54:01.098 --> 0:54:04.488 lunatic risk taking as Kevin Murphy or Chris Edwards. Okay, 0:54:04.488 --> 0:54:08.778 different level, but I'm asked this quite often, how do 0:54:08.778 --> 0:54:14.718 you do that? And my message is. Actually, if you're 0:54:14.718 --> 0:54:21.388 riding a bicycle reasonably quickly. If you know the direction 0:54:21.388 --> 0:54:25.428 you're intending to head. If you look as far enough 0:54:25.428 --> 0:54:31.908 ahead as you can, then. You encounter something? Something, you 0:54:31.908 --> 0:54:36.348 hit a pothole or whatever, then. What you have to 0:54:36.348 --> 0:54:41.348 do is hold your nerve. If you break suddenly. If 0:54:41.348 --> 0:54:45.788 you try and swerve. You'll probably crash. Sometimes you'll crash anyway. But. 0:54:46.688 --> 0:54:52.388 You know your direction. You get back and you continue. Okay, 0:54:52.388 --> 0:54:58.588 now that has got me here. Cycling for most of 0:54:58.588 --> 0:55:01.198 my life. A few days short of my 57th birthday. 0:55:01.198 --> 0:55:04.528 So that's been my strategy. And if I turn that 0:55:04.528 --> 0:55:09.028 strategy to Vision Australia, I think it maps perfectly. Vision 0:55:09.028 --> 0:55:14.668 Australia knows its mission. Absolutely. It looks far ahead. It's 0:55:14.668 --> 0:55:19.908 it's looking to looking ahead where it needs to go, 0:55:19.918 --> 0:55:23.758 making the decision that it needs to get there. Armed 0:55:23.758 --> 0:55:26.428 with a group of people who know that there will 0:55:26.428 --> 0:55:29.518 be uncertainties that come up in our way, and obviously 0:55:29.518 --> 0:55:31.588 Covid was one of them, but only one, there will 0:55:31.588 --> 0:55:38.008 always be more. And when those uncertainties come, don't forget 0:55:38.008 --> 0:55:41.458 the direction you're needing to head. Deal with the obstacles 0:55:41.458 --> 0:55:45.478 you have and pick up. And I think Vision Australia 0:55:45.478 --> 0:55:49.048 is better equipped to do that than any other organisation 0:55:49.048 --> 0:55:51.238 I can imagine, in any sphere, anywhere in the world. 0:55:51.238 --> 0:55:54.838 So I know I leave the blindness community in good hands. 0:55:54.838 --> 0:55:55.798 So thank you. 0:55:56.008 --> 0:56:01.108 Congratulations and best wishes to outgoing chair Andrew Moffatt there 0:56:01.408 --> 0:56:04.948 as he concludes his time as Chair of Vision Australia, 0:56:04.948 --> 0:56:09.508 recognised there with a Vision Australia award for his years 0:56:09.508 --> 0:56:14.488 of service to the organisation and finally returning to official 0:56:14.488 --> 0:56:18.898 matters of the AGM. Andrew finished up by thanking all 0:56:18.898 --> 0:56:23.638 who attended and noting that the formalities of the annual 0:56:23.638 --> 0:56:29.248 General Meeting had now officially concluded, and therefore declared the 0:56:29.248 --> 0:56:35.998 2023 Annual General Meeting closed. And that concludes this talking vision. 0:56:35.998 --> 0:56:42.358 Special highlights of the 2023 Vision Australia Annual General Meeting. 0:56:42.628 --> 0:56:47.518 The recording of the entire AGM will be available shortly 0:56:47.518 --> 0:56:53.488 on the Vision Australia website. Vision australia.org that's Vision Australia 0:56:53.488 --> 0:56:58.438 or one word.org. Remember as well that you can tune 0:56:58.438 --> 0:57:02.758 in to Talking Vision each week on a Vision Australia Radio, 0:57:02.758 --> 0:57:07.228 the Vision Australia Radio website as well as the Vision 0:57:07.228 --> 0:57:12.688 Australia library and wherever you find your podcasts. This has 0:57:12.688 --> 0:57:17.308 been a Vision Australia radio production. Thank you very much 0:57:17.308 --> 0:57:22.708 to Ed Gamble, Dale Simpson, Mark Ridout, Kate Davies and 0:57:22.708 --> 0:57:28.798 Sanjeev Rajendran for your invaluable organisation and production skills which 0:57:28.798 --> 0:57:33.058 make this program possible. On Sam Cully, it's been an 0:57:33.058 --> 0:57:36.628 absolute pleasure to be with you today, but until next 0:57:36.628 --> 0:57:38.398 time it's bye for now.