A Message from our CEO

This year MiLife-Victoria celebrates its 30th birthday; that’s 30 years of supporting people with disabilities and their families. This is an incredible milestone and one that deserves commemorating. The contribution the organisation has made to the community is huge. We know that MiLife-Victoria’s soul comes from those who have taken that three-decade journey with us. Those are the people and families whom we have had the honour of supporting since the beginning through to today. We’ve seen more growth and change than anyone thought possible, and without these people, MiLife-Victoria would not be here providing the essential services that the community deserves. It is because of them that we have had the privilege of increasing our reach and impact. It is because of them that we’re still here and it is because of them that we are capable of achieving more. MiLife-Victoria is extremely proud to be trusted with such important community work and I hope we will be trusted to do so for another 30 years.

Despite this year being a momentous occasion, the environment unfortunately did not let up.

This year has, once again, seen us pivot our services to work around the challenges of living within a global pandemic. The state of Victoria was in lockdown for approximately three months at the beginning of the last financial year, and severe weather events caused extensive damage to one of our buildings. This led to a reduction in services we were able to provide our clients, and saw many staff working from home, with many clients not being able to access the services the way they should be able to. It is a true credit to our clients, families and staff who have continued to show their resilience throughout the most challenging times.

However, this year has seen Milife-Victoria take great strides toward our future. We have welcomed new board members and worked with the board, staff, and family members to develop a new strategic plan and direction for the organisation. We have engaged the board, leadership team and relevant staff in a co-design process to identify MiLife-Victoria’s functions and organise them in a way that focuses on our client experience. This process has led to a new organisational design which will be introduced in the new financial year.

The strategic plan and organisational design will see MiLife-Victoria head into the new financial year with much needed clarity around our organisational goals and a new vision for the organisation to see ‘people of all abilities living life to the fullest.’

Seven strategic objectives will guide the organisation over the coming years, each objective has a strong focus on culture, quality and sustainability. At the heart of all this, are our people and families. While we have a great many things to achieve, we know that we must preserve what has made us successful: the connection that we have with our people and families. Thirty years is an important landmark and the magic we have seen over that period is what will take us into the next phase of our organisation’s history.

For those who follow the traditional anniversary celebrations, you’ll be aware that 30 years is signified by a pearl. As such, I proudly dedicate this annual report to our pearls: the people who started it all; the people we live and breathe for. It is for you that we do what we do and it is for you that I’m most excited about what will be achieved next. I give my heartfelt thanks to you and congratulate you for everything you’ve achieved.

Amanda Youngs CEO, MiLife-Victoria.