Carrie's wrap - 18 August 2017

In the week that has been, I have spent time in the presence of incredible Australians whose stories of heroism, perseverance, endurance and love have affected me deeply.

A morning spent alongside our Patron, Dr Brendan Nelson, at the Department of Defence initiated considerable reflection. Brendan spoke of his journey and the lessons learned, leaving an audience forever changed for the better. The messages were immensely thought provoking, and highlighted how an honourable life was one spent in the service of others.

Last night I met Paul Field (well known as the MD of the Wiggles) at his book launch titled 'Gimme Shelter'. Paul has written a book so impactful, based on the stories of those who’ve endured unimaginable adversity, and fought for survival physically and emotionally in the aftermath of such suffering. One of those stories is of a very dear friend, Alan Sparkes CV, OAM, VA. A shout out to you Al, it is such a blessing to know you and to work with you. Being in the presence of Al, of the men and women in that book, made me realize that too often we are focused at what we can see at the end of our nose. We need to look up and around at the world we’re creating and thank those on the front line protecting it for us. It was also a pleasure to meet John Bale, the CEO of Soldier On. I look forward to opportunities that may present in the future as our organisations strive to change lives for the better.

Speaking of Lifeline Canberra... As the fearless leader of a team I love and admire, my ultimate goal is for them to thrive in the environment we’ve created, to feel valued and to achieve the near impossible. As an organisation of 13 staff and over 750 volunteers providing critical services to the community in which we live, our outward focus continually highlights new areas of need. Naturally, we set out to fill them, and this in turn further fuels our vision and creativity.  Thank you to you, the person reading this, for supporting us in the work we do.

Our Women of Spirit Awards nomination process closed today and we thank you and all our community for promoting these awards and nominating inspiring women in our community. This is our way of recognising the spirit mentioned above. If you would like to submit a nomination but feel you are too late, let me know asap and we will see what can be done ;)

We encourage you to join us at our Women of Spirit Awards luncheon on Monday, 18 September at the National Gallery of Australia. Tables are available for purchase, as well as individual tickets. Guests will be treated to the Awards presentation and a heartfelt keynote speech from Wing Commander Sharon Bown (Retired), who served as a Nursing Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force for 16 years. Sharon embodies everything about our Women of Spirit Awards. She was seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Timor-Leste in 2004, but successfully fought to continue to serve, despite her injuries, until September 2015. We’re honoured to have her join us on 18 September.

We're excited about the events we have coming up over the next four months and we invite you to join us at any (or all) of them.

Our EPIC Bookfair, the biggest of the year, will be held on 8, 9 and 10 September. Our wonderful volunteers are working hard to prepare for this event and we are excited that on the Saturday, we will host a family day with supporters, including the Gecko Gang, helping make the day a great one for all!

Our Out of the Shadows suicide awareness walk is also coming up, along with our Corporate Touch Football Day and Run for your Lifeline Fun Run and Marathon. You can find details in our latest event update.

In wrapping up I wish Board Director Jess Mellor, team mate Sheena Ireland, and generous supporter Claire Corby well in this evening’s Canberra Women in Business Awards. These wonderwomen are finalists in different categories for the awards! Congratulations on your nominations, I’ll be there cheering you on.