Blog: May 2011 Archives

On Thursday June 16, 2011 I’ll be joining others around Australia who will sleeping out on our streets as part of an event known as the ‘Vinnies CEO Sleepout’.

This initiative was developed by St Vincent de Paul Society and is now run annually to raise funds to help our homeless.

In Victoria Vinnies operates a range of accommodation and support services for people who experience homelessness including hostels, women’s refuges, soup vans, education programs and family services.

They provide crisis accommodation for over 1,000 people every night of the year and provide meaningful support to help people break personal cycles of poverty through education, recreation and referral programs.

The most common reasons for homelessness in Victoria are domestic and family violence.

Nearly half of Australia’s homeless are women and sadly, around 30% are children.

I’d greatly appreciate your support for this worthwhile cause.

It only takes a moment to donate and make a difference. You can donate here.

Thanks in anticipation of your support.

Dean Joel
Managing Director

The GFC and current economic uncertainty has effected industries in different ways. The playground industry has not been immune from financial challenges, impacted by a contraction in the market during the Building the Education Revolution (BER) program when school playground projects almost came to a stand still during major building works. While we’re seeing some return to normality, a number of playground companies have been placed under significant financial strain impacting their ability to effectively deliver projects.

With new playgrounds representing a large investment, it is important that customers ensure that the businesses they entrust with supply, can and will deliver. With all Australian playground companies being privately owned, financial records are not publicly available. However a simple method, and good practice, in assessing the viability of a playground supplier is to check their references. When asking for references request to speak with customers of their most recent projects. Confirm that projects were completed to the agreed specification, to the right quality and on time. If you have concerns, perhaps ask for references from major suppliers. If you still have concerns . . . . . . common sense should prevail.

A little time invested in checking the viability of the playground company intended for your project can save much of the stress that can result from proceeding with a company that may not deliver.

Dean Joel