President’s Column: 22 February 2019

The ALGA Secretariat in Canberra has been abuzz with preparations for the upcoming National Assembly of Local Government, which will be held on 16 – 19 June.

At last year’s Assembly, the NGA encouraged you to donate coats to support our first partner charity – National Coat Day via Enormity – and we are excited to carry forward the charity spirit into NGA19.

You’re hearing it here first that our partner charity for NGA19 is Soldier On!

Soldier On’s mission is to work side-by-side with those who serve and protect Australia – as well as their families – ‘HELP’ing them to secure their futures. Its staff work with individuals and families to strengthen resilience and develop meaningful connections with family members, mates, and the local community through a diverse range of health and wellbeing services, employment opportunities, learning and education programs, and participation in community, social, and sporting activities.

Many of you will be aware of the terrific support Soldier On provide to those who have served us under challenging circumstances in the armed and civil service. According to recent statistics, more than 20% of serving members will experience a mental health condition in a given year, while more than 50% of veterans will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.

Today, Soldier On is supporting more than 2500 individuals at any given time across Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Albury, Brisbane, Newcastle, and Perth, and providing professional services tailored to meet the needs of veterans and their families.

Soldier On reflects many of the community values that we applaud and respect in our sector and many councils have supported veterans in their communities through the charity by holding community events and barbeques.

We are proud to get Soldier On on board as the NGA19’s partner charity and we hope you arrive willing and able to support them too.

Registrations for the Assembly are now open. A brochure with current program and speaker details is available on the NGA19 website. If you need a council resolution to facilitate your attendance make sure it’s on your agenda in time to take advantage of the early bird rates which close by Friday 10 May 2019.

Are you Future Focused? See you there!

Mayor David O’Loughlin

   ALGA President