3Bridges Community

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF THE LAND ON WHICH WE MEET, WALK, WORK AND LIVE. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ELDERS PAST AND PRESENT AND THE CARE THEY HAVE GIVEN THIS COUNTRY.

2021 | 2022

Annual Report

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

 

 

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THE JOURNEY TO ALLIED HEALTH

 

 

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ARROWSMITH & COGNITIVE LEARNING

 

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FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

 

 

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AROUND THE GROUNDS

 

 

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FRIENDS LIKE THESE

 

 

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3Bridges believes in offering support and services to the most vulnerable regardless of age, location, disability, or ethnicity.

Chairperson Report

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The highlights from the last year once again belong to our dedicated 3Bridges team. With COVID restrictions easing, the team has worked diligently to return to a sense of normalcy and embraced new innovations along the way.

With the support of the Board, CEO Raj Nair, has continued to guide the organisation through demanding circumstances all while driving continuous improvement and future prospects. We are excited about the opportunities ahead, utilising our broad range of services to meet the needs of our community and clients.

Thank you to the 3Bridges team for always striving for excellence and to my fellow Board members for your steadfast contribution over the last year.

Thank you

Catriona Barry
Chairperson

Board of Directors

Catriona Barry

Catriona Barry

Chairperson

Brendon Chapman

Brendon Chapman

Finance & Audit Committee

Peter Merrett

Peter Merrett

Deputy Chair, Governance & Risk Committee

Paul Hawkins

Paul Hawkins

HR, Change & Technology Committee

Peggy Huang

Peggy Huang

Governance & Risk Committee

Rajesh Govindan

Rajesh Govindan

Treasurer, Finance & Audit Committee

Prof. Steevie Chan

Prof. Steevie Chan

Director

Josephine Simone

Josephine Simone

HR, Change & Technology Committee

Olga Stoutchilina

Olga Stoutchilina

Governance & Risk Committee

“I am so proud as I look back on the past year.”

There has been a real sense of energy building at 3Bridges, which can be seen across the organisation through a consistent display of dedication, agility, and motivation within our team. It once again highlights what we are capable of as an organisation and I’m so proud of how well we have overcome the difficulties of the past two years.

3Bridges provides something truly special to the communities we support, and I look ahead with optimism and confidence. As we shape our workforce to meet the needs of our diverse community and as we strengthen our team capacity through individual growth and development.

Our culture has been formed with a community spirit and passion to give back. Thank you to our team of employees, volunteers and Board members for always sharing their passion for what we do.

– Raj Nair, Chief Executive Officer

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Raj Nair

Raj Nair

Chief Executive Officer

Amal Madani

Amal Madani

General Manager, Reframing Ageing

Caroline Tumeth

Caroline Tumeth

General Manager, Health & Disability

John Lee

John Lee

Chief Financial Officer

Daniel Emmerick

Daniel Emmerick

Associate General Manager, Education & Training

Leighton Pollard

Leighton Pollard

Associate General Manager, Social Impact & Engagement

2022 PREMIER’S MULTICULTURAL AWARD

COMMUNITY MEDALS AND HONOUR ROLL

WINNERS – BUSINESS EXCELLENCE NOT FOR PROFIT MEDAL

We were humbled and honoured to win the medal for Business Excellence – Not for Profit, at the Premier’s Harmony dinner, hosted by the Minister for Multiculturalism, the Hon. Mark Coure MP.

We pride ourselves on being inclusive, supporting the most vulnerable & walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through empowerment, collaboration and creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

NAIDOC LOGO ARTIST – KANE PHILLIPS

“The main focus point was having a symbol of strength, resilience, and standing up for what you believe in.

The fist has long been a representation of this through various groups. Second, and not as prominent is the whale inside the fist showing a connection to the spirit animal of the Bidjigal People.

Paying homage to the past in our ancestors while looking to the future in our
younger generation and what kind of place we will leave them.”

NAIDOC 2022

For our inaugural NAIDOC event, 3Bridges Community partnered with Georges River Council to provide an exciting opportunity to connect and strengthen our diverse communities by celebrating the longest known living culture, the First Nations peoples.

The first of this scale in the Georges River LGA, we saw a day of sunshine, connection, experiences and most of all education and understanding of Australia’s Indigenous culture.

The event had specific Aboriginal supports and services, information stalls for stakeholders and 3Bridges, where they promoted their services as well as activities to increase engagement from the community.

All corners of 3Bridges collaborated to bring the event together, with the Youth & Community team leading the project.

We look forward to building exciting NAIDOC events for the future.

LOCAL BUSINESSES
AND ORGANISATIONS
PARTICIPATED

ESTIMATED ATTENDEES
THROUGHOUT THE DAY

%

OF EVENT FUNDS WENT
TO ABORIGINAL & TORRES
STRAIT ISLANDER BUSINESSES

DIVERSE CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS IDENTIFIED
ATTENDING THE EVENT

REACHED THROUGH
3BRIDGES DIGITAL
CHANNELS

“It was a magnificent day and the sun came out to help us celebrate our special NAIDOC day, it’s through events such as these that our community adds to its richness of culture and our heritage.”

Mayor Nick Katris

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
TO ABORIGINAL AND TORRES
STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES

3Bridges acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the true custodians of the lands, sea, and sky we provide our support services. This statement of commitment reflects the intention to work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. To empower and deliver programs for the community, while enhancing the culture competency, creating safe and inclusive environments for our community, employees and volunteers.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Jada Mundine, Aboriginal Youth Development Worker received the Third Sector, Young Leader of the Year award for her amazing work within the Indigenous youth community.

EARLY YEARS & YOUTH

YOUTH ZONE

UNIQUE YOUNG PEOPLE
ATTENDED YOUTH ZONE
OVER A 6 MONTH PERIOD

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

STUDENTS ACROSS 10
SCHOOLS ENGAGED WITH
TARGETED INTERVENTION
PROGRAMS

EARLY YEARS SUPPORT SERVICE

MOTHERS ACCESSED
THE SUPPORT SERVICE
PER MONTH

AVERAGE NUMBER OF YOUNG
PEOPLE ATTENDING YOUTH
ZONE ON A WEEKLY BASIS

STUDENTS ENGAGED IN SWEEP
ON A 1:1 CAPACITY ACROSS 9
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

HOURS CONTRIBUTED BY 73
VOLUNTEERS EACH YEAR

“EYSS has been amazing, I was in a very dark place after the birth of my twins and they got me through to the other side. I am now a more confident and relaxed mother thanks to the encouragement and support from my wonderful volunteer”

COMMUNITY IFTAR

The 3Bridges Youth Zone and Al Zahra College Iftar brought together young people as well as community members in a celebration of community, faith and harmony. The spirit of Iftar centres around unity and peace, as it is a joyous time.

This year, we had over 80 people in attendance, including the Leader of the Opposition – Chris Minns MP, Steve Kamper MP and Jihad Dib MP, local soccer clubs and businesses, and community members, as well as staff and students from Al Zahra College.

CREATING A DEMENTIA
FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

An important community focus at 3Bridges Community is to enable a respectful environment for people living with dementia and empowering the community through education and awareness.

3Bridges Community, in collaboration with Anglicare Sydney and St George and Sutherland Dementia Alliance, held an awareness forum to build capacity and build a momentum for creating a dementia friendly community.

A special thanks to the speakers and panel members: 

  • Dr Gaynor Macdonald – Dementia Reframed
  • Robert Fitzgerald AM – NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner
  • Catherine Homonnay – St George and Sutherland Dementia Alliance Friend
  • Jacinta Craine – St George and Sutherland Dementia Alliance
  • Dragana Bozinovski – Anglicare at Home, Dementia Advisory Service
  • Rhonda Brown – 3Bridges Community

In memory of Dr Gaynor Macdonald

REFRAMING AGEING

MARY POTTER HOUSE

Mary Potter House is a social support group and respite centre for individuals who have a diagnosis of moderate to advanced dementia.

FOR FAMILIES

  • Respite
  • Carer support and information
  • Access to other community services

FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

  • Care in a supportive environment
  • A friendly, happy, safe and social environment
  • Physical, social and fun activities that are stimulating
  • Meals that are nutritious in a social setting
  • Activities that assist our clients with independence
  • Respect of people from all cultures and backgrounds

“Are you better off as a result of receiving a Home Care Package from 3Bridges?”

92% of clients said Yes!

%

OLIVE & LEN’S STORY

Here’s a little bit of my story and how I ended up at the 3Bridges group, how I chose it.

I’m just going to go back briefly, to I think 8 or 9 years ago when we, in the family, we noticed Len, my husband, acting a little bit strange and what we should do about it.

At the time he was actively working in the Men’s Shed, he was also a volunteer with Sydney Heritage Fleet, he was enjoying that too, carpentry was his interest and he was working on the Kanangra, the old ferry, and he loved it but dementia was showing and things were getting difficult.

The Men’s Shed was good at the time, but it was a shipyard he was working in at Sydney Heritage Fleet, and they finally said “look, it’s an occupational hazard, we’ve got equipment here and I really think he can’t come any more.” Len really didn’t understand that at all, the Men’s Shed stayed with him for longer, they beared with him, they tried and they helped but then he was walking out. We were finding him on the train heading out somewhere, so we had to do something about it.

So I started to search, I searched for where he could go to a group and who would accept him. At that stage I wasn’t thinking about me, I didn’t need a group I was ok I was doing things. I was really looking for somewhere for Len and I started to Google what we should do, I looked around, tried places. There was a community group very close to us, and I knew if Len went there he would find his way just down the street back home. Had a lovely day there with them, came back I thought “Oh this is going to be good!” and horror, the phone call came and they just said “No we can’t take him, we can’t be responsible for him.” Now at that stage, they offered no help, no advice, what I could do “if you could come along, maybe” or “if you could get a carer, maybe bring him along he’d be ok” but no we didn’t get any advice like that at all.

I thought at one stage we were going to another organisation, I took Len along with me, anyone with people with dementia will know that they talk out, they don’t necessarily go with the conversation and for me that was very uncomfortable. I felt for him, I felt for people around who didn’t really know what to do, so that one finished as well.

Tried a few places, it was always “we don’t have a locked door” or “oh no, I don’t think so, you can come and look but I don’t think so.”

I don’t know, somehow or other, I don’t know exactly when it was, but we heard about 3Bridges and they were just down road in St. Peter’s in the church hall, and they were there so I went off, “oh yeah, come, come they said” and I went there and from the moment I walked through the door of that hallway I was welcomed and not only was I welcomed, Len was welcomed. And that was the difference, there was acceptance.

And we sat down, other people in the group accepted him, there was no uncomfortable. If he wanted to talk, they would stop “now wait a second, Len’s got something to say” and we would listen and it was such a difference. I think that, one of things I want to say about the 3Bridges group, is the total acceptance, whoever comes through the door. It was probably a week later, Rhonda (Manager, Social Groups) came to visit, and she then took me to one side, I was still talking about the group for Len, not for me she never said, “oh no, that’s not a good idea” she just went with the flow, that’s alright, fill out the paper, talked about it. But I can tell you, he never went on his own, I always went with him and now I’m going on my own! We have moved on a few years now and I just love it, I just love it. Over that time, that’s where I learned about 3Bridges, and the dynamic team that they have that work with the aged people, whether they have dementia, whether they’re on wheelie things or sticks or whatever it is, they have this great team of energetic, creative, young people, obviously driven and its just been such a good answer to us.

An example of total acceptance, might have been a Christmas party, when 3Bridges gets everyone together, there’s entertainment, music and food. When the music started, Rhonda came across the floor, and she came to Len and said “Let’s dance.” She took him up and danced with him, still chokes me to this day that she did that for us. And that is total acceptance, total acceptance is what you get with 3Bridges, whatever, whatever your situation is.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Rhonda Brown, Manager Social Groups was acknowledged through Westfield Hurstville Local Heros for her amazing work with seniors in our community.

SERVICES THAT GIVE BACK

THE JOURNEY TO ALLIED HEALTH

LOOK HOW WE’VE GROWN!

Allied Health is rapidly growing in Australia and our team is leading the trend. Our Allied Health services provide essential and professional care for people of across the life span, including children, seniors and those with chronic and mental illnesses and disabilities. Through collaboration with our clients, our team of exercise physiologists, nurses, and occupational therapists help to increase  independence, community participation, and well-being.

INTRODUCED NURSING SERVICES

2021 saw the introduction of Nursing Services to 3Bridges. The quality of care provided, rapidly saw the need to expand the nursing team further with services being offered to Home Care Package clients and NDIS clients.

NEW SPECIALISED STAFF

Occupational therapy has been another growth area for Allied Health in 2021/22. This year we employed Senior Occupational Therapists who specialise in the care of child and adolescents, mental health, aged care, palliative care, as well as in the prescription of complex home modifications, making the team equipped to work with clients with a variety of illnesses and disabilities.

CLIENTS ACCESSING ALLIED HEALTH SERVICES

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

NURSING

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY

Simone’s goal was set, she wanted to become more competitive in swimming.

To support Simone in reaching her goal, our therapist, Jo, has been working with Simone on improving her strength, co-ordination and flexibility. This therapy, along with Simone’s grit and determination, has not only helped with becoming a more competitive swimmer but she has competed at the 2022 Special Olympics and won gold, silver and bronze, as well numerous other ribbons in various swimming events.

Congratulations Simone!

The 3Bridges Allied Health Team are so proud of Simone and all she has achieved and can’t wait to see what she does next!

ARROWSMITH & COGNITIVE LEARNING

ARROWSMITH IS BASED ON NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH.

Research has shown it is possible to address learning challenges by identifying and strengthening weak cognitive capacities. Incorporating the classroom learnings with overarching social and community inclusivity to allow a well-rounded experience and support each individual reach their full potential.

Arrowsmith can support a variety of learning challenges, from school aged children struggling with reading and writing to those who need more intensive social and learning support needs, benefiting individuals who struggle with the following:

WORKING
MEMORY


Reading maps or finding objects

AWKWARD BODY
MOVEMENTS


Bumping into things, spatial awareness

READING BODY
LANGUAGE


Social cues or interpreting emotions

STRUGGLE WITH MATHS,
READING, WRITING


Spelling, comprehending, letter and number reversals

DIFFICULTY FOLLOWING
CONVERSATIONS


Thinking and talking at the same time

FULLTIME PROGRAM

In this course, adult individuals are engaged in 3 – 8 cognitive exercises for 40 minute periods, 2 – 5 days per week. An individualised cognitive program then targets multiple weak cognitive functions.

Unique to 3Bridges, we offer additional learning, enhancement and vocational readiness activities. Integrating elements of Arrowsmith with personal development assists with wellbeing and independence. These can include independent living skills, travel training, exercise and social interaction. 

Delivered mainly face to face and can utilise NDIS funding to access this service.

16 – 45

AGE OF CURRENT
COHORT OF
PARTICIPANTS

6

MONTHS OF
ENROLMENT ON
AVERAGE

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

For school aged children, offered in the afternoons during school term for a 2 hour period. Participants work on 1 cognitive exercise during the session.

Measurable outcomes include:

  • improved hand writing
  • reading
  • maths skills
  • quicker problem solving
  • improved social skills
  • increased ability to concentrate

Delivered both face to face and online. Participants may be able to access NDIS funding depending on assessment.

12 – 18

AGE OF CURRENT
COHORT OF
PARTICIPANTS

6

MONTHS OF
ENROLMENT ON
AVERAGE

MORE SERVICES TO GIVE BACK

OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE

As school returned to regular onsite capacity, our team of dedicated educators were excited to greet the children and families back to 3Bridges Outside School Hours Care. Our goal is always to deliver high quality service for primary school aged children, in a stimulating, comfortable and supportive play-based learning environment.

REGISTERED TRAINING ORGANISATION

The RTO maintained focus on the delivery of health and community training, while exploring and investing in the betterment of service offerings for our current and future learners.

HOME MODIFICATIONS & MAINTENANCE

The HMM team continued to deliver services that support our clients, allowing them to live safely and independently in their own homes. From landscaping to lift installation, our team of qualified tradespeople work with occupational therapists to design the most appropriate solution for each client.

DISABILITY SERVICES

3Bridges Disability Services successfully connected our clients with the right service providers, accessed one to one service options, and supported the management of NDIS plans to create well-being and promoted healthy communities.

AGED CARE

Home Care Packages is a truly responsive management of care and the consistent delivery of a range of household services such as household chores, social activities, personal care, and assistance with transport.

Social Connections & Independent Living Support come together to make everyday tasks less daunting for our seniors. The program helped ageing individuals access supports to stay connected and live independently.

OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE

As school returned to regular onsite capacity, our team of dedicated educators were excited to greet the children and families back to 3Bridges Outside School Hours Care. Our goal is always to deliver high quality service for primary school aged children, in a stimulating, comfortable and supportive play-based learning environment.

REGISTERED TRAINING ORGANISATION

The RTO maintained focus on the delivery of health and community training, while exploring and investing in the betterment of service offerings for our current and future learners.

HOME MODIFICATIONS & MAINTENANCE

The HMM team continued to deliver services that support our clients, allowing them to live safely and independently in their own homes. From landscaping to lift installation, our team of qualified tradespeople work with occupational therapists to design the most appropriate solution for each client.

DISABILITY SERVICES

3Bridges Disability Services successfully connected our clients with the right service providers, accessed one to one service options, and supported the management of NDIS plans to create well-being and promoted healthy communities.

AGED CARE

Home Care Packages is a truly responsive management of care and the consistent delivery of a range of household services such as household chores, social activities, personal care, and assistance with transport.

Social Connections & Independent Living Support come together to make everyday tasks less daunting for our seniors. The program helped ageing individuals access supports to stay connected and live independently.

FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

Treasurers Report

3Bridges Community reported a surplus of $525,037 for the year. This is a significant recovery from the challenges the organisation faced during COVID-19 and previous financial year, where 3Bridges Community recorded a deficit of $1.37 million.

The organisation presented income growth of 2.6% with $30 million compared to $29 million in 2021, which were primarily stemming from growth within Home Care Services and Disability Services.

3Bridges Community continued to respond strongly with a coordinated effort through the COVID challenges. Successfully navigating through these challenges created a strong organisational position, generating a clear recovery pathway and plans for future progress.

Thank you

Rajesh Govindan
Treasurer

MILLION ANNUAL INCOME

  • Disability, Youth & Communities 16% 16%
  • Home Modification & Maintenance 11% 11%
  • Outside School Hours Care 11% 11%
  • Reframing Ageing 58% 58%
  • Training & Education 4% 4%

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Carss Park Community Centre

Penshurst Community Centre

Menai Community Centre

Home Modifications & Maintenance

Oatley Senior Citizen's

Summer Hill Community Centre

Penshurst Park Youth Facility

Hurstville

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

PENSHURST PARK YOUTH FACILITY

The Penshurst Park location is the home to many of our Youth and Community team, including Youth Drop In, Early Years Support Service and the host location for our annual NAIDOC event.

Penshurst Park Youth Facility officially opened in 2022. Over 100 people joined us in the 3Bridges official opening of the Penshurst Park Youth Facility. Our amazing young people who form part of the 3Bridges’ Youth Advisory Committee orchestrated the entire event from conception to delivery, sharing their stories of connection and visions for the new space.

Special thanks to Georges River Council for their ongoing support.

3Bridges Summer Hill Community Centre

This year we were warmly welcomed to the Summer Hill community, where we took up residence at the Summer Hill Community Centre.

The formal opening was an evening of beautiful stories, conversation and great food, followed by a community open house for everyone to join in the celebration of our arrival to Summer Hill.

Special thanks to Inner West Council for their ongoing support and contribution of nominal rental requirements.

FRIENDS LIKE THESE

These amazing organisations and individuals have gone out of their way to support 3Bridges over the past year.

Thank you! Your contributions have helped us create positive community impacts and generated meaningful connections for the most vulnerable.