STARTING OVER SUPPORT ASSOC. INC. 2017 ANNUAL REPORT · Kaye Winfield, one of the founding...

STARTING OVER SUPPORT ASSOC. INC. ANNUAL REPORT 2 0 1 7

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission Statement

Our Story

Chairperson’s Report

Manager’s Report

Organisation Chart

Committee Members

Our Volunteers

Our Community

What Else Do We Do

Grants

Operation Key Areas

Financial Statements

Notes to the Financial Statements

Our Supporters

Agencies

Our Future

Our Request

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Our Values

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To provide families moving on from crisis with essential furniture and household items, helping to move towards a new life.

To inspire the community to benevolence and generosity as we provide help, hopeand understanding for those who are struggling with limited financial resources.

Our services operate with honesty, transparency and ethics.

We are committed to use the resources thatare donated and to be held accountable for their proper distribution.

We ensure all our staff andvolunteers are well trainedand we seek to ensure they always pursue excellence.

Help to empower families and individuals.

We ensure that we act responsibly on behalf of those that are struggling with limited resources.

We are committed to supporting families in crisis to have a better standard of living.

We work with others in thecommunity to ensure we providea service the community needs.

Integrity

Excellence

Stewardship

Community

Empowerment

Advocacy

Our Values

Our Vision

Our Mission


Founder, Debbie Mason, had a connection to the Zonta House Women’s Refuge for several years, through the Zonta Club of Perth and discovered there was no real support for women leaving the safety of a refuge to access furniture and household goods to set up home. During an interstate trip Debbie realised this was her purpose, to set up SOS to assist these women.

So that SOS could begin immediately, it was set up as a project under the Positive Pathways Program initia-tive of Zonta House Refuge Assoc. Inc. (ZHRA). ZHRA provided a small granny flat and a double garage to be used for storage of donations, but space to sort and store items was limited and the site rapidly became too small to keep up with service demand.

Two years later in February 2016, SOS was able to lease a warehouse in Bayswater due to extensive, targeted fundraising. Shortly after, in March, SOS became an Incorporated Association giving it the foundations to expand the ever increasing demand for services it provides. SOS can support men, women and families escaping domestic violence, plus those who are threatened by

homelessness due to other crises. People in these circumstances have usually left their previous situationwith little or no possessions and often have no financial capacity to begin again. Individuals and families are referred to SOS by refuges, government and non-government agencies. SOS assists with the transition by furnishing their homes when they leave a refuge and move into the community.

The SOS service is free and the most comprehensive one of its kind in Perth. An extensive network of 65 agencies throughout the Perth metropolitan area have accessed the service.

Three key areas make up the SOS operation. The first is SOS’ ability to deliver furniture and household goods to referred individuals to set up their new home. These include items such as whitegoods, general furniture, kitchenware, floor rugs, small electrical items, linen and bedding, and cleaning products.

The second key area is the collection of donations. SOS volunteers collect pre-loved and unwanted household goods and furniture from the generous

Our StoryOnly three and a half years old, Starting Over Support (SOS) has already grown into one ofWestern Australia’s leading service charities, dedicated to providing furniture and householdgoods to people in search of a new life after becoming homeless through domestic violence or other crisis.

Our 2011 performance was significantly better than industry averages in most categories

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public and businesses of Perth, sort them in the warehouse and then deliver to the recipients. The public become aware of our need for pre-loved items through public speaking engagements that Debbie Mason undertakes, the SOS Facebook page, letterbox drops and newsletters, and Facebook pages of the many agencies that access the SOS services.

Volunteering is the final key area and an integral part of the SOS community spirit. The SOS volunteer team is friendly, relaxed, welcoming and inclusive, including some people who have been supported through a crisis by the SOS service. SOS has also benefited from corporate volunteering groups who regularly support it by providing people who can help with any part of the daily operation so that SOS can continue the service of giving people a sense of worth and confidence for the future when they most need it.

When SOS was first established in 2014, it relied solely on hire trucks for the delivery of items. A successful application towards the end of 2016 for Lotterywest funding meant the charity was able to purchase a new truck. Having their own set of wheels has meant the organisation can expand its reach to more people who need the service.

In June 2017, SOS further expanded its operation by moving to a larger warehouse in the same complex providing additional storage. This was vital for times when SOS receives large quantities of furniture, as happened recently when the Kings Perth Hotel closed to refurbish and SOS became the recipient of all the furniture from six floors of guest rooms.

There have been a lot of challenges in SOS’ short life so far and it’s hard to believe how far it’s come in that time. There will no doubt be many more as we continue to grow and provide this valuable service to the Perth community.

SOS works closely with other community based services to create a supportive and

responsive service that “makes a difference”

within our community.


Chairperson ReportThe annual report covers the first full financial year for Starting Over Support (SOS) as an Incorporated Association from July 2016 – July 2017. This year has seen some outstanding achievements by SOS. The success of SOS is a credit to all the volunteers and supporters. During 2016-2017 we experienced growth in a number of areas: Demand for our services increased 260% on previous years, from an average of approximately 100 referrals per year, to 360 referrals per year.

The number of agencies referring clients to SOS more than doubled. We have worked with 65 agencies in since our inception in 2014. This is due to both an increased awareness of our services and the positive reputation SOS has built with clients and the agencies that refer people to us for support.

The number of regular volunteers increased from approximately 12 to over 30. This has been essential enabling us to meet the increased demand for our services. Another development this year has seen us extend our support to different client groups. We continue to support women who are moving on from domestic violence, and have increased our support to other groups, including women and men who have been homeless for some time. In January this year we were delighted that our founder, Debbie Mason, was recognised for the selfless work she has done in establishing SOS when she was named as the City of Bayswater, Community Citizen of the Year on Australia Day. Debbie’s recognition continues to build public awareness of SOS, which increases our in-kind donations of household goods and furniture as well enhance our profile of a professional not-for-profit organisation doing fantastic work in the community. At the beginning of 2017 SOS was awarded two grants to support our collections and deliveries. The Waste Authority gave us the means to purchase a box trailer to collect preloved household goods and furniture with the aim to reduce landfill. Lotterywest granted us money to buy a furniture truck, meaning we no longer need to spend money on truck rentals each week. Competition for these grants from other organisations is fierce and it is with great pride that SOS accepted these grants and acknowledge the hard work that our volunteers put in to achieve these positive outcomes. Recently a car with towbar was generously donated which enables SOS to be able to utilize the trailer on an ad hoc basis giving the service more flexibility. SOS is extremely grateful for the generous support we receive from the public and corporations, donating items that SOS then distribute to help people in need to establish a new home. An example of this generous support is the donation of approximately 150 beds, 100 ironing boards and small tables, 70 televisions and bar fridges by a local city hotel. The growth in demand for our service has led to some challenges due to insufficient warehouse space. In June we successfully negotiated reasonable terms for a larger warehouse on the same property. SOS is now starting to see benefits, such as more efficient and safer storage practice and a better work environment for our valuable volunteers. In March this year Lou Sammut, our inaugural chair, resigned due to time constraints. Under Lou’s guidance SOS forged a unique niche in providing services to needy families in Perth who are recovering from crisis situations. Kaye Winfield, one of the founding committee members, assumed the Chair position and as the charity grew, demands on committee members were increased and we had several changes to the management, welcoming four new members between April and June.

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Being established as an Incorporated Association in March 2016 marked a significant milestone and an important step in ensuring that SOS can support vulnerable people and families on an ongoing basis. The next step for us will be to continue to build a sustainable organisation, so that we can provide a reliable and consistent service to clients and referring agencies. This means securing financial support for the medium-long term, to give us a firm base from which to plan how to best target our services. It also means continuing to recruit committed volunteers so that the work is shared among many. SOS has an exciting time ahead. We look forward to increasing our community involvement, staying connected to our current donors and supporters and completing our strategic framework which will include the remuneration for our manager and truck drivers. The results achieved this year would not be possible without the generous support from our partners, funders and donors. We also acknowledge the tireless work of our management committee, supporters and volunteers. Finally a very special mention must go to Debbie Mason our manager, for her extraordinary commitment and dedication. Her leadership and drive is what makes SOS a very special charity that provides a valuable service to the community that enables families and individuals to build a safer and fulfilling new life.

Lou Sammut Outgoing ChairStarting Over Support

Kaye Winfield ChairStarting Over Support


Manager’s ReportAs this is my first published Manager’s report I decided to focus on the things that have made Starting Over Support (SOS) successful since its inception in 2014.

I have been blessed with having amazing people come to volunteer at the organisation. People who have helped to mould and create a service that has grown in size, stature and reputation among the agencies we assist and has been able to help make the lives of the recipients more secure, with a feeling of comfort in their homes.

SOS faces challenges on a daily basis, from having enough items required to assist those in need, having enough warehouse space to fit the ongoing donations of furniture and household goods, to having enough funds to keep the service going.

I am proud that SOS has been able to achieve so much in such a short time. We have moved twice since inception, to larger premises and have acquired our own truck, car and trailer, through generous grants and donations and have grown from the original 2-5 volunteers to 30+ regulars.

Prior to starting SOS I had experience with community service projects, through churches and the Zonta Club of Perth and fundraising experience through the same and through my rowing club, the West Australian Rowing Club. I was also a business owner, employing up to six staff.

I felt I had good background knowledge and the range of skills I would need to manage an organisation like SOS. Since starting SOS I have gained further skills in public speaking, mentoring, training staff and logistics. During the first two years of operation I also drove the trucks and collected and delivered the furniture, so I have a keen understanding of the circumstances of our recipients and their needs.

Debra MasonStarting Over Support Founder and Manager

I am determined to make SOS sustainable into the future.

We are known and sought after by agencies assisting people in need and one of my goals is to

never say no to a referral that fits our criteria.

Home by home I want to see homelessness become a memory

for the people we assist and to make their lives safer and

more secure as they and their families move into

independent accommodation.

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Organisation ChartStarting over Support is run entirely by volunteers. The Manager is accountable to the Management Committee, which is led by a Chairperson.

ManagementCommittee

ChairVice ChairSecretaryTreasurer

Committee Members

Manager(Voluntary)

FinanceDistribution:

Collection anddeliveries

Coordinationof Warehouse

VolunteerRecruitment and support

Fundraising,Media andMarketing

Administration:Liaison of

Referrals andAgencies

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Kaye Winfield is currently a Medical Research Scientist with the Telethon Kids Institute and was a founding committee member of SOS after being recruited by life-long friend Debbie Mason to help out with donated goods in the early days of the charity.

Kaye is never not volunteering for SOS, and any spare time she has is dedicated to the sustainability of the charity working tirelessly to achieve positive outcomes on any issues presented to her. She brings a wealth of experience to the committee with a lifetime of work volunteering in sport and disabilities.

Seanna DempseySecretaryWith a background in community services and youth development, Seanna Dempsey currently works for Ngala and is a recent addition to the SOS committee.

She first heard about SOS from a Zonta club member and was inspired by howthe organisation makes a positive difference to the lives of people experiencingvulnerability. After a few months on the committee, Seanna is enjoying learningall about SOS and being able to contribute her skills and experience towards itsvaluable work.

Committee Members

Jenny DoneganTreasurer

Jenny Donegan runs her own business, works on a hobby farm and is a busygrandmother but still manages to find time to support SOS due to her belief of how worthwhile she feels the organisation and its valuable work is.

She is currently committee treasurer, but has been involved with the charity forabout two years helping out with garage sales, making goodies for several High Teas she has also attended, as well as contributing personal donations of goodsand money to support the cause.

Maree HemmingVice ChairSince the first committee meeting 18 months ago which created SOS as a charity, Maree Hemming has been on board after hearing about the passion and vision of Debbie Mason and the difference SOS makes to the lives of people it assists.

Maree is currently working at TAFE and maintaining an East Perth Heritagebuilding, but as Vice Chair at SOS, she devotes as much time as possible withmanagement and operational tasks, assisting with organising fundraising events like the High Teas and Garage sales.

Kaye WinfieldChairperson

As founder and manager of SOS, Debra Mason feels SOS was what she was meantto do and her previous experience was accumulated to give her the grounding needed to achieve its purpose.

She has an extensive background in human resources management, businessadministration and bookeeping as well as experience in managing sporting events,fundraising, and is a past board member for Rowing WA and the Zonta Club ofPerth. Debra currently has her own bookkeeping business working part time topay the bills while devoting on average 45 hours per week volunteer time at SOS.

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Committee Members

From his current fulltime work as a finance manager, Klavdy Zatuchny brings great and valued financial expertise to his volunteer role and has only recently joined the SOS committee since earlier this year.

He believes anyone should have a second chance and the work of SOS provides invaluable assistance for women trying to rebuild their lives after a crisis.

Having been a committee member since 2016, Paula Annesley has managed to increase awareness of SOS in the community through social media after seeing feeds on SOS Facebook page that many were sharing but not really responding to. Aside from the challenges of negotiating social media and assisting SOS withevents and garage sales, one of Paula’s priorities since being on the committeeis actively engaging local schools to support SOS any way they can. This comesfrom being a mother to two children and her background and current position as a part-time education assistant at a Kindergarten.

Clare Mullen currently runs a business providing human resources, change management and project implementation services to small business and non-government organisations. She has an extensive background having held management roles in the health sector as well as being a committee member with domestic violence organisations both in Australia and the UK.

From an advertisement calling for volunteers, Clare was inspired to become involved with SOS after spending time with Debbie, experiencing her passion to make a difference and seeing first hand the impact SOS had on a family settling into their new home. Clare has been a committee member since April 2017.

Debra MasonCommittee Member

Paula AnnesleyCommittee Member

Clare MullenCommittee Member

Klavdy ZatuchnyCommittee Member

SOS volunteers give people a sense of worth and

confidence for the future when they most need it.


Our Volunteers

Starting Over Support (SOS) would not exist if not for the work, efforts and devotion of the team of volunteer people that contribute their time to creating new beginnings for others. They are all part of a friendly, relaxed and welcoming team at SOS, where some volunteers are people who have been supported in a crisis themselves. SOS volunteers collect pre-loved and unwanted household goods and furniture, sort them in the warehouse and then deliver to people who have been referred to SOS from one of many agencies utilising the service. Volunteers appreciate the opportunity to assist vulnerable people and are proud of their involvement. SOS volunteers have been complimented on their understanding, compassion and appreciation of cultural differences among the recipients. They genuinely care about the people SOS helps and this is recognised and encouraged.

Volunteers often recruit friends or acquaintances to join the SOS operation. Many of the community groups, such as schools, senior citizens, craft groups, churches and retirement villages have projects and “drives” to collect and donate goods and money

but also provide many volunteers who devote their time and effort as well. Our volunteers have purpose, supervision and leadership which fosters health and well-being.

Opportunities for volunteering at SOS include truck driving, assisting with collections and deliveries, sorting, cleaning and packing, office work, maintenance and fundraising activities. Specific positions are recruited for by advertising with Volunteering WA, Inclusions WA, Bayswater Connect, Facebook and other means.

It’s hard to measure the value of the volunteer team at SOS. They are wonderful, caring and supportive people – to each other as well as to those SOS helps and each one is highly appreciated.

Volunteers who devote their time and efforts are an integral part of the SOS community and the very heart of the organisation, giving people who have left a crisis situation a sense of worth and confidence for the future when they most need it.

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Ian Roberts has been volunteering with Starting Over Support since January 2015. He now volunteers two days a week, every week, driving the truck collecting and delivering furniture. Having known Debbie Mason (SOS’ founder and (unpaid) manager) for over 30 years, his partner convinced him to volunteer his time and he was more than happy to be on hand to help out.

Ian describes himself as a “jack of all trades”, with skills in gardening, welding and many other hands-on roles. He had previously worked for a furniture importer, moving and installing furniture, so his skills were a perfect match for SOS. Now he puts those skills to good use driving the SOS truck collecting, delivering and setting up furniture, helping SOS’ clients make their house a home.

Ian’s motivation to help out comesfrom his belief that helping someone escape domestic violence by setting them up with beds and

other furniture could be the support they, and their children need, for the family to rebuild their lives free from violence.“Instead of kids sleeping on the floor in their new house, which might make someone consider returning to a violent home for the sake of the children, if the kids can sleep on a bed, and the house has some basic furniture, they may be more likely to start over – just as the name of the charity suggests,” he says.

When asked what he’d say to someone considering volunteering with SOS, he describes the work as rewarding, commenting that volunteering with SOS you get the chance to “make a difference to people’s lives with the time you put in”.

Laurel Kingston-Kerr has been volunteering with SOS since January 2017. She was looking for a voluntary role where could help others, but one which was supportive of the

fact that she had some back and neck problems. One of Laurel’s dog-walking friends knew Debbie, and she recommended SOS as somewhere Laurel might enjoy volunteering.

Laurel now volunteers at SOS two days a week and more when she can. When not volunteering, Laurel helps others through her job as a school traffic warden Monday to Friday. She’s also an avid card maker and writes a blog where she shares this passion with others. She keeps fit and catches up with friends through daily walks with a dog walking group.

Laurel enjoys meeting the people who bring donations in to SOS. One of Laurel’s most memorable experiences as a volunteer is when she asked a client if she wanted a knife block with knives. The client replied “we have nothing. Thank you.”

Laurel’s advice to others who may be considering volunteering is to “give it a go as it is very rewarding. All the volunteers are friendly and welcoming and we have a lot of fun together.”

Truck Driver Volunteer

Warehouse Volunteer


Our Community

Community support has been essential for the charity as it has coped with the steady growth in demand for SOS services. The support has come in many shapes and forms and in multiple ways from the same and similar groups.

The majority of the goods supplied by SOS to recipi-ents is donated by the general public and businesses throughout Perth. Our community doesn’t just encompass the metropolitan area but also includes supporters in country locations such as Bunbury, Albany and Dunsborough.

There are a number of community service organisa-tions and groups that support SOS with volunteers, donating goods and holding fundraising activities and events throughout the year.

These include:Kiwanis Karrinyup who run fundraising theatre nights and provide volunteers.

Lions Club Of Wanneroo that used proceeds from their Christmas in July raffle to make blankets.

C3 Hepburn Heights regularly provide volunteers and promote SOS in their area.

Zonta Club of Perth held a quiz night fundraiser and regularly provides volunteers.

WA Rowing Club members have helped with deliveries.

Kalamunda Uniting Church provided volunteers and donated household goods.

Lake Gwelup Christian Church Ladies Fellowship donated hand made rugs.

Central Park Building Management notfies SOS when a tenant in the building moves out and leaves furniture behind that SOS can utilise.

Outstanding support is given from the general public and many community groups who contribute to the SOS cause by donating time, money and items through fundraising efforts and activities throughout the year.

Our 2011 performance was significantly better than industry averages in most categories

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Beta Sigma Phi are holding regular fundraising events throughout 2017.

Department of Child Protection & Family Services held a fundraising quiz night last year with proceeds donated to SOS.

St Catherine’s College UWA Golden Z Club helped SOS with relocation to the first warehouse.

Department of Corrective Services provide regular volunteers.

Bayswater Primary School has held fundraising events and provided cleaning products.

Bayswater Men’s Shed regularly provides donations of good and volunteers.

Aerodrome Management Servies (AMS) provides skips bins to SOS for excess rubbish disposal.

Curtin University Volunteers helped with the organisation of goods for SOS to move into the first warehouse.

PLD Literacy and Learning provide a constant supply of boxes for packing mugs, glasses and utensils.

The many agencies that have accessed SOS’s service during it’s short life form a substantial part of our community. To date, there have been 65 refuges, agencies and sub-agencies that have used the charity and have sent over 600 referrals for assistance. These agencies also promote SOS to the public, often passing on our contact details to people calling them to donate goods as they have no or limited storage of their own.

Through the referrals our volunteers have met some amazing individuals who have been the recipients of the SOS service. Often these people have been through some tough times and although they can be fragile and vulnerable they also have a resilience and strength to start again after crisis.

“SOS pretty much helped us with everything that we needed from a potato peeler to couches

and beds. I don’t know what we would have done

without their support.”


What else do we do?

Fundraising for SOS started by selling excess stock at the Belmont Rotomart on a monthly basis. Early 5am starts, regardless of the weather enabled funds to be raised for the hire of the truck. Items not suitable for distribution or in excess quantities were piled into two small hatchback cars along with folding tables for display. What fun – cold wet mornings in winter, sipping on hot chocolate bought from the local McDonalds or blazing hot 40 degree summer sun scorching the bitumen and scalding our feet! The Car Park markets continue to be a regular source of income for SOS due to a dedicated few, namely Rowena Fairweather, Carol Taylor and Christina Andronis (who are obviously ‘early birds’) taking it in turns to attend either the Belmont Rotomart or Morley Markets on a Sunday morning.

The SOS High Tea has become a bi-annual event and is looked forward to by many of the regular supporters of SOS. All items utilized at the High Tea have been donated, from the cups, saucers,

teapots, milk jugs, cutlery and tablecloths. 3-tier stands are constructed from donated plates and make an eclectic addition to the table, especially when filled with delicious donated slices, cupcakes and muffins. Funds are raised through door sales, raffles and the sale of everything else that is used for the day. Our enthusiastic volunteers make the day a success from the setting up and cleaning up, to cooking and preparing.

Our May High Tea acknowledged and thanked the regular SOS volunteers and the day was made extra special when students from TAFE hospitality donated their services. Committee members Maree Hemming and Paula Annesley did such a good job they are now planning our November High Tea.

Moving into the John Street premises gave SOS the advantage of being able to organise regular garage sales. The sales are now held on the last weekend of every month with takings steadily increasing. A database was collated to include previous donors, volunteers and supporters of SOS and these contacts

Outstanding support is given from the many community groups who contribute to theSOS cause by donating time, money and items through fundraising efforts and activities throughout the year.

Carpark markets

High Tea

Garage Sales

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Bayswater Primary School Garage Sale and Spring Fair

contacts are emailed on a monthly basis informing them of current items available for a bargain, or to recycle, or to upcycle. Tables are filled, items are priced and group displayed. Regular customers come early and often late comers are worth accom-modating as they are happy to spend their money.

Harcourt’s Foundation donated funds for the purchase of signs to display at prominent road intersections to catch passing trade. Again all this is possible due to the hard work of a dedicated band of volunteers who work a roster to run the event.

The Bayswater Primary School has been very active in supporting SOS. They have not only raised money with dress free days, organised a bucket of love from each of their classrooms at Christmas but included us in the Garage Sale Trail in October 2016 and have asked us to be involved in the November Spring Markets. SOS volunteers are involved in setting up and selling targeted goods in a fun, school ground fair atmosphere.

SOS became involved with this community fundraising event by chance and thanks to Adele Standeven SOS has been invited to return to attend the annual event. Vintage goods are reserved for sale for the car boot sale which is set up on the Maida Vale oval in a rural countryside ambience. Marquees are set up, sellers dress in costume and the bargains and sales are bountiful.

Our founder Debbie Mason has been given many opportunities to present at meetings, connecting people with SOS and what challenges are involved in providing services to needy people.

When groups hear about the fabulous work SOS is doing in the community they instinctively want to know how they can help. Their first port of call is to invite Debbie as a speaker to their meetings and then action their activities on knowing SOS’ needs.

The following are groups have invited Deb as a guest speaker including community service groups – Zonta, Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Siroptimist, Churches: C3 Hepburn Heights, Kalamunda Uniting Church, craft groups, senior citizen groups and Men’s Sheds.

There have been many interviews that have been edited and published on webpages. These include:“GIVIT - Goods For Good Causes” and publications in the Business News, Western Australia: “SOS, website have the goods on giving “and in The Advocate Community, “International Women’s Day celebrated throughout eastern suburbs.” Debbie has also been interviewed on radio by Dale James of 101.7FM

All of these connections have been invaluable at creating the word-of-mouth promotion of SOS into the wider community, which is the greatest source of donated goods SOS has.

All Things Vintage Car Boot Sale

Presentation and Talks


Purchase of Truck Although a large part of SOS functions on donations of household goods from the community, funds are still needed for the operation to exist day to day. Obtaining grants are essential to SOS being able to provide the service that it does.

When SOS was first established in 2014 delivery of items was solely reliant on hire trucks. An application was made for Lotterywest funding at the beginning of the year which included letters of recommendation from Lisa Baker MLA, Bayswater Deputy Mayor Stephanie Coates and the Bayswater Men’s Shed.

SOS were successfully awarded the grant and were able to purchase a new truck including it being customised with an extra door to allow two volunteers to unload and load at the same time. Having a truck has meant the organisation can save money, provide flexibility of volunteer time and collections, which can have very short lead times, and most importantly, reduce the wait for services from three weeks down to less than 7 days.

Waste Authority “SOS Spring Clean” Starting Over Support was granted the cost of a box trailer, along with lifting and moving trolleys, in a project “SOS Spring Clean”. The aim of the SOS Spring Clean project was to reduce landfill by collecting unwanted whitegoods and furniture and upcycling these preloved items to needy families in Perth.

The charity targeted areas prior to kerbside pick up, requesting the donation of whitegoods (fridges, washing machines, microwaves) and furniture from the residences.

To do this we:1. Engaged volunteers to letter drop in specific areas prior to roadside rubbish collections. This was to alert the households that we would collect clean and in working order (in the case of whitegoods) goods and furniture prior to any being broken by vandals or damaged by the weather.

2. Acquired a purpose built trailer and furniture removal trolleys for the collection of the items.

3. Delivered the items collected to the warehouse where they were tested and cleaned by the SOS volunteer group and packed for redistribution to the needy families.

SOS visited 125 suburbs, ranging from Armadale in the south, Joondalup in the north, Cottesloe in the west and Kalamunda to the east. Kingsley (9), Maylands (8), Karrinyup (6) and Wembley (5) were the suburbs that had the most pickups.

In the period January 2017 to June 2017, SOS delivered household goods and furniture to over 200 needy households. Most households consist of a mother and 2-3 children, therefore over 600 people directly benefited from the upcycling of these items.

GrantsA vital source of funding for Starting Over Support is grants which have so far made it possible to expand its operations and continue to provide this essential service to community.

The truck is rated as “easy to drive” by Deb and has a handy GPS. The 16m of advertising space available on the sides of the truck is now proudly sponsored by the Kiwanis Karrinyup group.

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The acquisition of the trailer made it possible for the retrieval of household goods and furniture that would have otherwise ended up in landfill. A lot more items were collected than expected.

SOS feels that the objectives to this project were met within the designated time frame.

SOS has now taken on a “Spring Clean” Project volunteer who will continue to work with the Waste Authority objectives of this project.

Community Grants Hub: Volunteer Grants 2016 (DSS)SOS was successful in acquiring a volunteer grant to the value of $4100 to contribute to the costs of undertaking background screening checks of volunteers, for first aid and safety and to the contribution to the reimbursement of fuel costs for volunteers using their own vehicles to increase the amount of work SOS can do.

A major goal is to gain and retain our volunteers, having purpose, supervision and leadership, which will foster health and well-being. They are committed to the missions of SOS and this grant helps us to show our commitment to them.

National Volunteer Week Grants ProgramVolunteering WA was responsible for a grant to SOS for $1000 to reward our volunteers with a function to celebrate National Volunteer Week. Volunteers were invited to a High Tea as a thank you for their efforts throughout the year.

This included those who had helped in the warehouse, assisted in the truck and have helped organise collections with volunteers from Zonta Club of Perth, Zonta Club of Swan Hills, Kiwanis Club of Karrinyup, Bayswater Community Men’s shed, Vincent Men’s shed and BreastScreen WA Mirrabooka.

80 people attended the high tea which included members of the public who paid a donation to SOS to attend.

A volunteer spoke about their experiences and involvement with SOS and Certificates of Appreciation were issued to those who have volunteered for over 12 months, as well as giving SOS name badges to the current volunteers.

City of Bayswater Support GrantThe City of Bayswater generously provided $1000 towards the hire costs for trucks. This was prior to SOS receiving funding to buy a truck.

Harcourt FoundationAdvertising GrantFunding was sought to increase theprofile of the organisation and highlight the work that SOS undertakes in order to attract donations and support for organisations and individuals.

SOS desired to create a more professional appearance with the aim of increasing confidence in the organisation and to improve the organisation’s branding. This is likely to attract greater corporate and private support as it would promote confidence in SOS’s professionalism.

Specific strategies included:A pop-up style banner that is displayed at public speaking events: a visual snapshot of the charity with its logo and mission statement. As SOS manager, Debbie Mason undertakes regular promotionaltalks to seek commitment from private and corporate organisations for donations of goods, money and time. Outdoor signs to advertise monthly garage sales for strategic placement at prominent intersections have guided people towards the sale venue. The signs have increased awareness of the garage sales and have attracted more buyers with an increase in the takings.

Number of whitegoods and furniture upcycled and saved from landfill.

Fridges 53

Freezers 5

Washing Machines 27

Microwave Ovens 17

Dryer 1

Bar Fridges 76

Furniture (no. of pickups not items) 217

Household Goods (no. of pickups not items) 95

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FurnitureDelivery

Household goods and furniture are collated and organised in thewarehouse and then delivered to people referred from agenciesto set up their new home. Items for delivery can include general furniture, whitegoods, linen, smallelectrical appliances, bedding and cleaning products.

Donationsand

CollectionsVolunteers

SOS volunteers collect and receivepre-loved and unwanted furnitureand household goods from the generous public and businesses.Items received or collected are sorted in the warehouse and then prepared for delivery.

Volunteers who devote their time and efforts are an integral part ofthe SOS community. The success of the daily operation depends on the essential involvement of many volunteers in a variety of roles including loading or unloading the truck, sorting household goods and furniture in the warehouse and partcipating in a roster for regular SOS fundraising activitiessuch as the Garage Sales.

Operation Key Areas

0

100

200

300

400

Referrals Received

Value of Furniture andHousehold Goods given

2014 - 6 mths

2014 - 2015

2015 - 2016

2016 - 2017

0

$10,000 2014 - 6 mths

2014 - 2015

2015 - 2016

2016 - 2017

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$50,000


Revenue 4 116,227Grants Income 5 71,704Depreciation Expense (3,708)Fundraising Expenses (1,422)Rent & Outgoings (28,765)

Other Expenses (25,385)

Surplus (deficit) for the year 128,651

Starting over Support Association Inc.ABN 64 154 483 091

INCOME & EXPENDITURE STATEMENT for the year ended 30 June 2017

Financial Statements

Note 15 months to 30/06/2017

ASSETS

Current Cash & cash equivalents 6 62,732 Trade & other receivables 7 1,841 Other Assets 1,284 Current Assets 65,857 Non-current Property, plant & equipment 9 64,493 Other non-current assets 6,600 Non-current assets 71,093

Total assets 136,950

LIABILITIES Current Trade & other payables 8 4,375 Current Liabilities 4,375

Total Liabilities 4,375

Net Assets 132,575

EQUITY Retained Earnings 128,651

Total Equity 128,651

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONfor the year ended 30 June 2017

Note 15 months to 30/06/2017

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Notes to the Financial Statements

1. Nature of operations

Starting Over Support Association Incorporated’s principal activities are to supply material aid, in the

form of furniture and household goods to people who have become homeless through domestic violence

or domestic disruption.

2. General information and statement of compliance

The general purpose financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of

the Corporations Act 2001, Australian Accounting Standards and other authoritative pronouncements of

the Australian Accounting Standards Board.

A Statement of Compliance with the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) as issued by the

International Accounting Standards Boards (IASB) cannot be made due to the Organisation applying

not-for-profit specific requirements contained in the Australian Accounting Standards.

The financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2017 were approved and authorised for issue by

the Management Committee on August 24 2017. The charity is not required to provide financial statements

under the requirements of the Australian Not-for-profit and Charities Commission (ACNC) but has chosen

voluntarily to do so.

3. Financial Statements Period

The period covered for this inaugural report is March 24 2016 to June 30 2017.

Starting over Support Association Inc.ABN 64 154 483 091

RevenueFundraising Income Financial Donations 87,328 Garage & general donations 20,739 High Tea 6,754

Theatre Night 260Scrap Linen Sales 125Delivery Fees - Agency 591Interest Income 430

Total Revenue 116,227

4. Revenue The general revenue for the organisation may be analysed as follows:

2017


Notes to the Financial StatementsStarting over Support Association Inc.ABN 64 154 483 091

Grants IncomeGrants City of Bayswater 1,000 Bankwest 200 Lotterywest (for truck purchase) 62,578

Waste Authority 2,826 Department of Social Services 4,100 Harcourt Foundation 1,000


5. Grants Income The grants income for the organisation consists of the following:

2017

Cash on hand 305Cash at bank 58,552


2017

6. Cash and cash equivalentsCash and cash equivalents consist of the following:

Information regarding the grants is located in the Grants section of this report.

Trade debtors 200GST receivable 1,592

Total Revenue 1,792

2017

7. Trade & other receivablesTrade & other receivables consist of the following:

Trade creditors 4375

Total Revenue 4,375

8. Trade & other payablesTrade & other payables consist of the following:

2017

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Notes to the Financial StatementsStarting over Support Association Inc.ABN 64 154 483 091

9. DEPRECIATION SCHEDULES

30 June 2017

PLANT & EQUIPMENT

Box Trailer - 1TSA545 1 22/12/2016 190 3,122.58 0.00 3,122.58 10% 162.55 2,960.03

Box Trailer - Transfer Costs 1 01/03/2017 121 101.90 0.00 101.90 100% 101.90 0.00

Fuji Xerox CM225F printer 1 18/05/2017 43 408.18 0.00 408.18 33% 16.03 392.15

Trolley - 6 wheel fridge 1 16/01/2017 165 338.00 0.00 338.00 100% 338.00 0.00

Trolley - backsafe - flat free wheels 1 16/01/2017 165 330.00 0.00 330.00 100% 330.00 0.00

Trolley - backsafe - flat free wheels 1 16/01/2017 165 330.00 0.00 330.00 100% 330.00 0.00

P&E TOTAL 4,630.66 0.00 4,630.66 0.00 1,278.47 3,352.19

MOTOR VEHICLES

Truck - Hino Series 616 Medium Auto 1 16/03/2017 106 62,450.00 0.00 62,450.00 10% 1,813.62 60,636.38

Truck - Satnav 1 16/03/2017 106 590.00 0.00 590.00 50% 85.67 504.33

Holden Barina 1 17/06/2017 13 500.00 0.00 500.00 100% 500.00 0.00

Holden Barina - Transfer fee 1 17/06/2017 13 30.15 0.00 30.15 100% 30.15 0.00

MV TOTAL 63,570.15 0.00 63,570.15 0.00 2,429.44 61,140.71

PAGE TOTAL 68,200.81 0.00 68,200.81 0.00 3,707.91 64,492.90

QTY DATE ACQOR SOLD

DAYS IN FIN YEAR

ORIGINALCOST

OPEN WDV

ADDITIONS DISPOSAL DEPN RATE (PC)

DEPN AMOUNT

CLOSING WDV


Our SupportersStarting Over Support would like to acknowledge the following groups and organisations for their generous and valued donations through in the past year.

Donations

Corporate Sponsorship & Major Grants

VolunteersStarting Over Support would like to thank the following groups and organisations for their help and support from volunteers who provided their time and effort.

Donegan Enterprises

Bayswater

Midland

Wanneroo

Mirrabooka

Kalamunda

Murdoch

Lisa Baker MLAStephanie Proud (City of Stirling)Stephanie Coates (Bayswater Deputy Mayor)Dan Bull (Bayswater Councillor)

Curtin University Volunteers

ROTARY CLUB OF NEDLANDS

Morley

Key SupportersStarting Over Support would like to thank the following people for their ongoing support.

Government of Western AustraliaDepartment of Finance

Government of Western AustraliaDepartment of Corrective Services

Staff from

Government of Western AustraliaDepartment of Child Protection and Family Support

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AgenciesPeople are referred to Starting Over Support from the following agencies:

55 Central Inc

Anglicare

Armadale Health Service

Avocare

Bentley Health Service

Black Swan Health (Fremantle Partners in Recovery)

CACH

CARAD (Centre for Asylum Seekers, refugees & detain-

ees)

Centrecare (Cannington)

Centrecare (Gosnells)

Centrecare (Midland)

Centrecare (Mirrabooka)

City of Cockburn Family Support Service

CONECT (Complex Needs Coordinator Team Crosslinks

Inc.)

Department of Child Protection & Family Support

Fiona Stanley Hospital - Social Work Department

Foundation Housing Street to Home

Fremantle Family Support Network

Fremantle Multicultural Centre

Housing Authority (Fremantle)

Indigo Junction - Karnany centre

Koolkuna Women’s Refuge (Midland)

Lincoln Street Outreach Centre (Highgate)

Mercy Care

Midlas

Nardine Wimmins Refuge

NWM Community Corrections

Orana Refuge (Bayswater)

Osborne Adult Community Mental Health Service

Partners in Recovery - 360 Health & Community

Partners In Recovery - Cyrenian House

Partners in Recovery (Guildford)

Passages Resource Centre (Northbridge)

Pat Thomas House (Mandurah)

Pat Giles - Safe at Home (Ellenbrook)

Patricia Giles Centre - Rebecca West House

Perth Inner City Youth Service

PMH - Koorliny Moort

Pregnancy Assistance (East Perth)

Relationships Australia

Rise Network

Ruah (Kambarang Place) Perth

Ruah (Northbridge)

Ruah Refuge (Harmony Place)

Ruah Safe at Home (Maddington)

Ruah Safe at Home (South East Corridor)

Ruah Tenancy Service

SOUL- Servants of United Love Inc

South West Metro Youth Justice/Gt Southern Justice

St Bartholomew’s House (East Perth)

St Bartholomew’s House (Tuart Hill)

St Patricks Community Support Centre

Starick Services - inc Mary Smith House

Stirling Women’s Centre / Refuge (Nollamara)

Strong Families (Fremantle)

The Lucy Saw Centre (Warrawee)

Unitingcare West (East Perth)

Unitingcare West - Wyn Carr House (Fremantle)

Unitingcare West (Mt Lawley)

Wayss Dandenong Victoria

Women’s Resource & Engagement Network (Mirrabooka)

Wooree Miya Womens Refuge - AADS

Youth Futures WA

Zonta House Refuge Association (Positive Pathways)


Our FutureStarting Over Support will continue to meet demand for our services and build a sustainable organisation so that we can provide a reliable and consistent service to clients and agencies.

Volunteer recruitment and supportContinue to recruit and support community members who are able to donate their time helping vulnerable people and families.

Ensure that we have enough volunteers to keep up with the demand.

Fundraising and marketingContinue to identify and approach organisations who can provide financial and other support.

Work towards identifying funding to enable us to appoint one or more paid members of staff, to respond to the increased demand for our services by building a sustainable organisation.

Finance and administrationEnsure our financial administration complies with all the appropriate standards and contains safeguards for accountability and transparency.

Produce an annual report to provide to clients, funders, volunteers and partner organisations an overview of our operations.

SOS has already built a reputation of effective support to those we assist. Our future goal is to continue to retain this reputation, or to enhance it, as we grow.

SOS has encountered a lot of challenges in the last three years. The coming three years will be important ones for Starting Over Support, as we work hard to meet the increasing demand for our services.

To guide our work and build a strong foundation for this next period, the Management Committee will work with clients, volunteers, referring agencies, funders and other key stakeholders to develop a strategic plan.

That plan will ensure that all our efforts are efficiently targeted towards securing the resources we need – both in terms of volunteer time and donations of goods and money – to continue to provide essential support to vulnerable people and families as they rebuild their lives after a crisis.

Key areas of focus will include: Collections and deliveriesIncreasing the number of days the service is available to our donors and recipients

Referrals and partnershipsContinue to build collaborative partnerships with like-minded organisations who support vulnerable people and families to rebuild their lives.

Working to make the best use of our finite and limited resources, endeavouring to meet the needs of every recipient.

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Make a donationYour donation will make a huge difference to what we do with meeting the growing demand for our services. A tax deductable receipt for all donations over $2 will be provided. To make a donation please visit our website.

Become a VolunteerSOS is not possible without our volunteers. They work tirelessly to collect, sort, clean and deliver items to those in need. Demand for our service is rapidly growing and we are always looking for more volunteers to lighten the load and share the rewarding feeling of doing something good within our community.

If you are part of a business association, sporting club and/or community service organisation, why not help us out monthly or annually. Please contact us if you would like to become a volunteer.

Item DonationsWe gladly accept donations of furniture, mattresses, and household items such as appliances in good workingcondition, clean, undamaged. For assistance for any large items that you may not be able to deliver pleasecontact us and we can arrange pick up. SOS covers most of the Perth metropolitan area.To make an item donation please contact us or visit our website.

Corporate DonationsCorporate donations enable SOS to be financially sustainable giving the charity a sound basis to conduct a professional and needed service. Company commitment really makes a difference to our services and has a positive effect within your organisation. To set up a charitable fund program or make a donation please contact us or visit our website.

Community Groups/ClubsWhether a sewing group, church group or a men’s shed you can help SOS by either fundraising or sponsoringan event. There are many ways you can make a contribution or difference so please contact us or visitthe website for more details.

Leave a LegacyOnce your family has been taken care of, you may wish to include in your will a donation to SOS and a charitable bequest is a simple way of planning a gift and can be an amount or a percent of your assets, life insurance, real estate and/or listed securities (shares) to SOS.

Our RequestThere are many ways you can help us give vulnerable members of our community a safer and fulfilling new life.

Warehouse Address:

Phone:

Website:

Email:

5A John Street Bayswater WA 6053

0403 367 767

www.startingover.org.au

[email protected]@startingover.org.au

Starting Over Support

Postal Address: 20/217 Walcott StNorth Perth WA 6006

Warehouse Address:5A John StreetBayswater WA 6053

0403 367 767 startingover.org.au @Startingoversupport

STARTING OVER SUPPORT ASSOC. INC. 2017 ANNUAL REPORT · Kaye Winfield, one of the founding...

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Transcript of STARTING OVER SUPPORT ASSOC. INC. 2017 ANNUAL REPORT · Kaye Winfield, one of the founding...