Looking back, looking forward: 75 years of making a difference

This past 75th anniversary year has been one of reflection, celebration and growth. We were reminded of the long journey we have taken since 1948, when we began in response to post-war challenges facing couples and families. From our humble beginnings in marriage counselling, we have grown into an organisation that works with a diverse range of complex issues ranging from relationship breakdown to family violence, to mental health, dispute resolution and trauma. 

We understand that relationships are at the core of individual, family and community wellbeing, and that by supporting individuals and families, we are strengthening and supporting healthy, cohesive communities.

As you’ll read in this report, we marked our anniversary in a number of ways. Alongside celebrations of our past achievements, the year brought with it several key highlights during the year. We released our inaugural Social Impact Report, and accompanying ‘How we create change’ animation. The report is a powerful illustration of the real, measurable difference we make, not just in in the short term. Our work is about creating lasting, positive impacts that ripple out to families and entire communities, across generations.

Other notable achievements include our certification against ISO 27001, a globally recognised standard for information security, and a successful International Organization for Standardisation audit of our quality management systems. The audits’ findings reaffirmed that our systems and processes are robust; we prioritise protection of sensitive client, staff and financial data; and we are highly effective in delivering quality, client-focused services.

Within service delivery, we continued to grow, with a new service to address the growing need for mental health services for young people in Gippsland. This Youth Enhanced Service (YES) has been designed to offer much-needed support for those whose mental health needs fall outside the reach of existing service models. With peer support workers playing a central role, our service is not only responsive but also grounded in lived experience. This report highlights this new YES service, as well as other programs that illustrate the breadth of our suite of services.

At the same time, we remain deeply committed to our work in the family violence sector, where the need has never been more urgent. The alarming increase in gender-based violence is a tragic reminder of the importance of the work we do. We stand alongside those experiencing family violence. We will continue to provide support, and to advocate for our clients’ unmet needs, so as to effect real, systemic change.

We welcomed the opportunity to participate in the review of the Family Services Program during the year, which will shape future service delivery in ways to best serve Victorian families. Our partnerships with government and community organisations remain crucial to the ongoing development and delivery of our services, and we look forward to ongoing collaboration following the report’s outcomes. We are grateful for the continued support of the Australian and Victorian governments, whose recognition of the value of our work has allowed us to serve our clients.

In this, our anniversary year, I also want to take a moment to thank all our funding bodies and the many partner organisations who have supported us across our history. It is through these and other relationships that we have been able to grow and innovate, and respond to some of the most complex challenges facing our clients and communities. Together, we have made a significant impact, and I look forward to continuing this work in the years ahead.

Looking back over the years, it is clear RAV has made many tough decisions that have been crucial to the organisation’s growth and diversification of services. On each occasion, we have deliberately chosen to step out of our comfort zone in order to respond to emerging community needs. This success is a credit to the many Board members, leaders and managers who fearlessly stepped up to make these decisions, and, in doing so, shaped RAV into the organisation it is today. In particular, I extend my heartfelt thanks and recognition to our outgoing President, Professor Lyn Littlefield OAM, for her remarkable contributions over the past 3 decades. A steadfast leader on the Board who has provided valued counsel, she will be greatly missed when she departs the Board in October.

I extend my deepest gratitude too, to our incredible past and present staff members, whose unwavering commitment to our clients is inspiring. They bring our values to life every day, and it is their dedication, adaptability and focus on our clients that ensures we can continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of so many Victorians.

Thank you for your ongoing support.