Maria Brown-Shepherd, President of the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District Inc., Regd. No A6321, delivers the Annual Report for year 2019 on 26 September, 2019.
The Board is required to be well informed on the functions and the financial probity of service delivery particularly in a period of growth as exists at the moment. The Board receives monthly financial and activity reports from Management to oversight the Councils Financial and overall performance to ensure our financial viability and standard of service delivery.
Each Board Member makes a valuable contribution to the overall working of the Ethnic Council and I acknowledge the commitment of every Board member.
I have represented the Ethnic Council at a diverse range of community events including Chinese New Year and regular functions in the Italian community. Of special significance was to attend a celebration recognising 70 years of Ukrainian settlement in Australia; my own parents Alesky and Halina Czerkaskyj came to Australia as displaced persons on 29th April 1949. I am a member of the Advisory Committee at Harmony Village and of the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia’s Rural and Regional Advisory Committee which meets via teleconference on a monthly basis and annually in person and I also sit on FECCA’s Healthy Aging Reference Group and I represent the views of our older multicultural communities in this important forum.
The Board maintains an excellent working relationship through Manager Chris Hazelman with our staff who are responsive to Board needs and provide information and support as requested. Successfully achieving additional grants funding has provided a level of financial security which enables better strategic program planning and service delivery.
All of our current grants carry a requirement for partnerships and networking in the delivery of grant outcomes and each of the primary funds obtained last year require a consortium approach and evidence of collaboration between agencies and community organisations. As the total of our funding comes from government grants we recognise the risk that this entails as we are subject to changes in funding programs and policy direction so it is important that we maintain good relationships with our funding providers and take every opportunity to interact with the bureaucrats and elected representatives.
I represented the Ethnic Council at the annual GOTAFE graduation ceremony and presented the award sponsored by the Ethnic Council and have attempted to attend the various function to which I am invited on behalf of the Ethnic Council.
Our end of year financial position is welcomed and the relationship with Auditors Stubbs Wallace indicates a level of compliance and understanding of the various components required for financial reporting.
I encourage all members to maintain the objectives of the Council and to remain a viable organisation providing advocacy and specific services for multicultural people.
Maria Brown-Shepherd,
President,
Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District Inc., Regd. No A6321
26 September, 2019