National Reconciliation Week 2024

National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all Australians to pause, reflect, and actively engage in the reconciliation journey. It is a time to honour First Nations peoples' and communities' resilience, contributions, and diverse cultures while acknowledging past and present injustices.

On May 27th, Vinnies NSW hosted an online event where we were able to translate the principles of reconciliation into a tangible action. It was a chance for us to demonstrate a genuine commitment to embedding reconciliation into the fabric of our workplace culture in alignment to not only our aspirations and goals in our Reconciliation Action Plan but also our mission and strategy. We are ensuring that we are continuously creating space for genuine connection, understanding and collaboration between First Nations people and communities and non-First Nations members of our workforce.

Our new Reconciliation Action Plan set to launch later this year, focuses heavily on relationships. We know that in order to strengthen communities and transform lives, we need to create and maintain strong relationships with not only the people we assist, but those who walk alongside us in our journey towards a compassionate and just society.

As a collective, across NSW roughly 1 in 5 people we assist Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. In some locations, it can be as many as 4 in 5. When we compare that to population statistics, it is clear that we have a real opportunity to positively influence and drive reconciliation within not only the communities we assist, but within our spheres of influence. We cannot do this alone. We need your help, and we need to work together.

Pictured (top to bottom): Uncle Raymond Denison, Paiige Williams (SVdP Case Worker), Uncle Kelvin Brown and Samantha McGuire (Manager, First Nations Engagement)