Staff matters August 24, 2018 - Issue 167 Week 8
We WON a HOLDIDAY! The Afford Shared Services monthly winners have been decided and now it is time to celebrate with the Afford Community at the Annual Customer Service Award presentation at Head Office! The Afford culture is all about recognising those staff who go the extra mile to give our clients the best service in the industry. Among the disability sector, Afford staff are highly regarded and it is because of our staff, who are passionate advocates for people living with disability that our organisation thrives under the NDIS. Recognising the amazing pool of talent that Afford is so fortunate to have is really important to us. It’s important that we praise those who are performing above expectations and showcasing their abilities for others to learn from and to strive for. Afford’s Executive Management Team had a difficult time deciding on the winners, with so many worthy candidates, but the winners have been decided and their dedication to pushing Afford to the next level and delivery of service excellence will be rewarded with some amazing prizes. A huge congratulations to the following winners: • 1st place - Maureen Brown, Recruitment and Training Manager wins a prize of $4,000 to spend on an overseas holiday or equivalent • 2nd place - Ruchi Desai, Assistant Accountant wins a prize of $2,500 to spend on a local holiday or equivalent • Joint 3rd place winners - Michelle Flynn, Marketing Manager AND Toni Preston, Fundraising and Events Co-ordinator win a prize of $1,000 to spend on a romantic, 5 star getaway in the city, or equivalent. Well done to everyone for their amazing efforts, you are most deserving of the prizes won. With such great news, we want to celebrate! So come along and join the team at Head Office on Friday in this fantastic acknowledgement of Customer Service Excellence - and enjoy a snack or two at the same time. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you all for your continued efforts to ensure Afford remains a leader in customer service excellence in the disability sector.
Let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au
In This Issue 1 We Won A Holiday!
2 Staff Profile Baking For A Paws
3 Deskercise - Exercise Tips For Work
4 Afford Is Buzzing! Upcoming Events Selfie Of the Week Have a Laugh
Reminder Don’t forget to send your/clients’ achievements, good news stories and photos to
Marketing@afford.com.au
Staff matters
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August 24, 2018 - Issue 167
Staff Profile
Dimi Moran
Lifestyle Assistant Canley Vale Favourite Song: A lot of songs. Favourite Movie: Sex and the City. Favourite Hobbies: Painting, decorating and going to the gym. Favourite Foods: Anything potato….hot chips, mash, baked spuds and chocolate. If you could be an animal what would you be: A bird…I reckon it would be cool to fly. What is your dream holiday destination: The Greek Islands What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you? Every surprise is the nicest. I appreciate all good things people do for me.
Baking for a paws Last Monday was such a sweet day at Afford… quite literally! Every year, on 20 August is the official RSPCA Cupcake Day, so aside from being a great day to enjoy sweet treats like cupcakes, donuts, scones or muffins, it’s also a great opportunity to raise funds to help disadvantaged animals. The RSPCA works tirelessly every day helping abandoned, neglected and surrendered animals around the country find love, safe shelter and a helping hand. Every year they open their doors to more than 135,000 stray, surrendered and seized animals which is more than enough reason to host a Cupcake Day to help out such a great cause! This year all sites were encouraged to participate in the event, with Head Office taking the lead. Afford’s Marketing Assistant, Kiesha Spies, decided to register Afford as a team on the RSPCA’s fundraising website and get involved. Kiesha’s goal was to raise at least $200 by selling cupcakes for no more than $1 to $2 each. When she first registered for the event, she was the only one who would be selling goodies on the day and quickly realised she was not going to raise very much on her own, so she promptly sent out an email to her colleagues. “I sent out an email to all Head Office Staff asking if anyone would be interested in baking some goodies for me to sell on the day, and I was blown away by the response!” – said Kiesha. When Kiesha arrived to work on Monday morning, her desk was covered with cakes, muffins and treats. She quickly got to work collecting the trolley, loading it up with delicious treats and decorating it with the free host kit from the RSPCA. She wheeled the trolley around the office for morning tea and then again at lunch time visiting the Minchinbury ADE lunch room. By 2pm she had completely sold out! “I absolutely love animals and the work that the RSPCA does is incredible. I’m so thankful for everyone who got involved and everyone who donated. We ended up hitting my fundraising goal and I couldn’t have done it without you all!” – Kiesha Spies, Marketing Assistant.
If you had to teach something what would you teach: Don’t really know…I prefer to be taught.
The funds raised for RSPCA are vital in providing care for animals. $25 can provide a homeless kitten with a warm bed, litter tray and meal and an abandoned puppy can be de-sexed to find their new forever home for $150. Thankfully, Afford raised enough to support both of these services for animals in need.
Something no one knows about me: I was a brownie and a girl guide for many years at a young age.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to get involved and supported Kiesha in hitting Afford’s fundraising goal. Donations are still open until the 21 September, so visit www.cupcakeday-nsw-2018.everydayhero.com/au/ Affordteam to pledge your support. Go Afford!
let your abilities soar
www.afford.com.au
Staff matters
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August 24, 2018 - Issue 167
deskercise- fitness tips for work
We all have busy lifestyles and we know that fitting in balanced, healthy meals and exercise can be quite difficult. At Afford, we continue to encourage Healthy Lifestyle Choices across all Afford businesses and we are always so pleased to see amazing examples of residents tending to their herb gardens and enjoying freshly cooked meals, clients getting involved in energetic activities, and Afford staff leading by example and taking on their own Biggest Loser Challenges. Working in an office environment tends to mean a lot of sitting down and little physical activity. So we’re challenging everyone to set aside some time to incorporate exercise into your daily routine - you’ll be happier, more productive and, most importantly, healthier! There are many ways to incorporate exercise and it could be as simple as a stretch. Think of a stretch like yoga - it’s slow, easy and it feels great! Many of our great leaders past and present stretch, not only as a form of exercise, but as a way to reenergize themselves and show power. Think of Obama, stretching back in his chair with his arms stretched wide out, placed behind his head. Take a moment and lean back and stretch for two minutes and take a few deep breaths. Something as simple as stretching can reduce stress, create better alignment and improves flexibility and posture. There are other exercises to do while seated at your desk, such as twisting your body, enlacing your fingers and stretching them out and holding one arm behind your back and stretching it while the other arm supports it. Michelle Flynn, Marketing and Promotions Manager, recently starting doing small exercises at her desk after seeing a few video tutorials online. “It only took 5 minutes out of my day and it refreshed my energy and is helping me on my goal to a flatter stomach!” – said Michelle. We want to see your ideas on how to get fit and keep active in the office space. Send through your photos and stories to marketing@afford.com.au
let your abilities soar
www.afford.com.au
Staff matters
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August 24, 2018 - Issue 167
Afford is buzzing
Buzz Nights are a part of the Afford culture and these events are essential in creating opportunities for teams to celebrate achievements and develop camaraderie in a fun and relaxed environment. Afford established Buzz Nights as one of our many Employer of Choice initiative. We want to provide opportunities for staff to build their teams and tribes mentality so that each Afford business has strong, supportive cultures that lead to success and quality service for clients. Belinda Howle, Mount Druitt Day Program Team Leader, recently organised a very special Buzz Night for staff on Saturday, 11 August at Rooty Hill RSL. The team is currently split over two locations - one Day Program is operating out of Paull Street in Mount Druitt, while the other is based at Cherrywood - so this Buzz Night was a fantastic opportunity to get everyone together, share a meal and update each other on clients, progress and future plans. There was an incredible turn out with over 30 staff attending. There was discussion about recent client successes, everyday routines at the sites, but generally it was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to learn more about each other in a casual setting and have a few laughs. LSA, Allen Fuimaono, finished off the night taking over as the frontline singer in the Reggae band that was playing at the RSL! “It was just what our team needed. It had been a while since our last buzz night and we had a great turn out! It was great to have staff from the Cherrywood Hub and Paull Street spending time together because the team is split into two. It’s not very often the team gets together to have a great night,” said Belinda. WE WANT TO SEE YOUR TEAM CULTURE! Send through your buzz night stories to marketing@ afford.com.au
UPCOMING EVENTS Date: 20-26 Aug
Keep Australia Beautiful week
1-31 Aug 27 Aug - 2 Sep 1 Sep 1-7 Sep
MS Readathon Legacy Week Gold Bow Day (Thyroid Cancer) National Asthma week
Have a laugh
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In the Selfie Above: I spy Dickie Knee, aka Aarong Young, Customer Care Coordinator.
let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au
Please send in your selfies or laughs