Lifeline Australia's E-Newsletter

December 2005

CEO Message

On behalf of the National Board and Staff at Lifeline Australia, I would like to wish you and your family a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

Over the Christmas period Lifeline sees an increase of calls from people experiencing family problems and loneliness. More than at any other time, it is essential that we are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Although a joyful time for many, Christmas can add to life’s pressures. These might be added financial worries or perhaps it is the first Christmas since a significant event such as a death or divorce.

Call numbers on Christmas day are particularly high in the afternoon and throughout the night, reflecting strained family celebrations and increased alcohol usage. These calls are generally related to family or relationship issues and from people who are feeling lonely. Our telephone counsellors also receive calls from people at risk of suicide.

Recognition needs to be given to our many volunteers and staff. Without their dedication and hard work we could not continue to have such a positive impact on the lives of so many Australians.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support of Lifeline’s vital work within the community.

Dawn Smith
CEO

New National Board Chair Announced

Lifeline Australia is pleased to welcome Tony Eviston who was elected to the position of National Board Chair at Lifeline’s Annual General Meeting in November. Tony’s appointment comes about after the retirement of long serving National Board President, Scott Grimley.

Tony’s involvement with Lifeline began in 1991 when he became a member of the Board of Lifeline Central West (NSW). He continued to serve on the Board of Lifeline Central West (NSW) until 2001 when he joined Lifeline’s National Board.

Based in Bathurst, Tony is the manager of the Catholic Development Fund. He is also an active member of the Bathurst Justice Group, Josephite Foundation, No Interest Loan Scheme and Communities Australia.

“Tony’s appointment signifies a new chapter for Lifeline and the experience he brings to this role will be invaluable for the long term sustainability of the organisation.” said Dawn Smith, CEO Lifeline Australia.

Lifeline’s Volunteers and Staff Recognised

At the Lifeline National Convention held in Wollongong in November, long serving volunteers and staff were presented with Lifeline Recognition Awards. The awards are an important part of Lifeline culture and are the opportunity to acknowledge and thank Lifeline staff and volunteers, who have committed so many years of service.

The Golden Wattle Award is presented to long serving staff and volunteers, who have given more than 15 years to Lifeline. The blue of the award signifies Lifeline under the Australian sky, the gold is a symbol of excellence and long-standing commitment, and the wattle is symbolic of Australia. In the years in which the Golden Wattle has been given, a total of 854 awards have been received amounting to a total of 15, 530 years of service.

This year marks the introduction of a new award - The Opal of Honour. This award will be received for the first time by staff and volunteers, upon retirement after 20 or more years of service. The opal is recognised as a symbol of great achievement and is inherently Australian. It is for this reason that it was chosen to symbolise Lifeline’s highest award.

This year 119 people received the Golden Wattle Award and 14 people received Opal of Honour Awards. This year’s recipients came from twenty-nine centres across the country who have given a combined total of 2072 years of service to their communities. This award is a true reflection of their commitment and dedication to the work of Lifeline.

Opal of Honour Awarded on retirement for 20 years of service	Golden Wattle Awarded after 15 years of service

Lifeline Calls Profile 3 - Loneliness

With Christmas just around the corner, it is possible to overlook how the holiday season can be a different experience from one Australian to another. Over the last year, Lifeline has conducted studies into people who use our 13 11 14 telephone counselling service. Exploring Loneliness: the experiences of rural and metropolitan Australia is the third of these profiles and comes from the analysis of 415,000 calls made to Lifeline during 03/04. It gives a unique insight into the concerns of a wide cross section of the Australian community.

The report has drawn many insights into how loneliness affects Australians. Some key findings include:

• Loneliness is the second most common issue for callers to Lifeline
• Lonely callers were not more likely to be single than partnered
• Loneliness was most common between the ages of 35 – 44 years
• More older men in rural areas called Lifeline about loneliness than other issues, and were more likely to be seeking help from other agencies than women callers
• Lonely callers were more likely to live in metropolitan areas than in rural areas

Some implications of these findings are:

• Relationships may not be a protective factor against loneliness
• Social disconnection may be highest at a time when focus on career and family may be a priority
• Older men in rural areas experiencing loneliness may favour telephone counselling as a preferred help seeking strategy
• Metropolitan areas may be lonelier places than rural areas

In addition to the profile on loneliness, we have also focused on general information about our callers and compared the experiences of Australians living in rural and metropolitan communities. These profiles are available on the Lifeline website at: http://www.lifeline.org.au.

The real impact of community support

Every year, Holroyd Rotary hosts a Golf Day with the proceeds donated to local charities. Holroyd Rotary wanted to support rural farmers and felt that the services Lifeline provided to farmers in crisis and need was the perfect fit. This year, Holroyd Rotary donated $7000 to Lifeline Central West NSW. As a result of this generous donation, Lifeline Central West was able to train two trainers in the LivingWorks T4T. The centre will now be able to deliver Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) in 2006 throughout the Central West and Riverina/South West Slopes and Plains where we also conduct outreach. What a great outcome!

This is just one example of the community support that Lifeline received throughout 2006. Support such as this allows us to offer services specific to the needs of local communities and to continue to offer our telephone counselling services 24 hours a day seven days a week. Local communities raise more than $10 million every year keeping Lifeline just a phone call away.

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Lifeline Australia Annual Report 2004-05

Every minute of every day, there is a new call to Lifeline. In 2004-05 Lifeline answered 489,406 calls.

This report outlines the work done by Lifeline Australia in 2004-05.

Download a copy of the Annual Report.

Support Lifeline through Workplace Giving

Lifeline provides many free services, to make this happen we rely on financial support from the community and we need to fundraise. Lifeline shops raise 80% of our operational costs each year by selling donated clothing, furniture and books, but it’s simply not enough. But you can help by supporting Lifeline’s vital work through workplace giving.

Workplace Giving is designed to bring a strong sense of community into the workplace and encourage employee involvement through easy, tax-effective donations to charity. Since launching the Workplace Giving concept in 2003, The Australian Charities Fund has continued to grow its client base with to facilitate giving in the corporate sector. The Australian Charities Fund is a not-for-profit organisation that receives funding for its operating costs from corporate supporters.

The idea behind Workplace Giving is to provide the simplest way for people to make small, regular donations to the charities of their choice. For Lifeline, Workplace Giving provides a solid foundation for broader corporate community programs. It allows employees to really get involved with the charities they support and track the progress being made as a result of their donations.

For more information on how you can support Lifeline through workplace giving contact The Australian Charities Fund on (02) 9231 7908, info@australiancharitiesfund.org.au or visit The Australian Charities Fund at www.australiancharitiesfund.org.au.