I am greatly honoured to accept and perform the Acting CEO role for the next 3 months at a minimum. Best wishes to Cliff Abbasi in his final weeks as CEO before commencing full time in his own business at Infinyx, helping other businesses streamline operations, reduce costs, and drive growth through tailored AI and automation solutions, just as he did with LINK.
We will have the final opportunity to say farewell to Cliff at the LINK End of Financial Year gathering on 30th June. Further details are in the Notifications section. If you haven’t already, please RSVP here.
I am happy to flag that through the combined efforts of all our staff, volunteers and students, LINK is on track for a surplus (for the first time in 3 years). More definitive details on our financials in our next newsletter. This achievement cannot be underestimated, so “Thank you” to all.
In good news LINK has secured several new “groups” for Outings and Transport for the new Financial Year. Disappointingly, a proposed council arrangement for Planned Activity Group transport is not going ahead, but our relationship continues as will future opportunities to provide services.
Here’s an update showing some of the latest data.
Monthly Highlight
LINK currently has 18FT students (this will be an ongoing number) undergoing placement with us on their journey to becoming fully qualified Social Workers. They provide 9am-5pm weekly support to LINK which collectively equates to a staggering $1.1M per annum that LINK would otherwise need to outlay for full time staff. Just like the Volunteers, the students are truly a great resource for LINK. And they are also a joy to have around the office, with their enthusiasm and willingness to help with any task.
Even better, being a placement student is a great pathway to becoming a valuable LINK Team member. In the last 3 years, 5 of our placement students have gone on to employment with LINK. And we’ve been happy to provide support and references to aid all our students in their post-LINK pursuits.
LINK Leaders – who are they?
Finally I want to acknowledge the great work of Sali Melhem, Alna Leaupepe, Cassandra Barrett, Lajan Maharjan, Usman Shamim, Shradda Sovan and Aff Ferrante (LINK’s Team Leaders) in their support and leadership of their teams in the last 6 months, as they have set the tone of professionalism as well as compassion in all that they do.
By popular demand, especially from many of our volunteers, I would like to introduce to everyone our core leadership team. You may have seen their faces, but didn’t know the names or what they did? Hence, the first step in a “who’s who” at LINK that will also extend to introducing the teams and their members in future editions.
And, in the spirit of getting to know us better, here’s a small Q&A about myself.
Maurice Thaung
- Role at LINK: Acting CEO leading the strategic and operational activities of all our staff and volunteers/students to connecting our clients to community and services.
- Favourite Part of Role: meeting all the clients and volunteers/staff and listening to their backgrounds and accomplishments PLUS singing Sweet Caroline at client events and buses
- Why LINK?: Looked after wife’s godmother in her last 12 months before her passing transporting her weekly and saw a LINK van 3 times…so was meant to be with LINK! Started as a Volunteer driver.
- Birthday: 28th November (I get my Seniors Card this year)
- Childhood memory: first Christmas in Australia, coming out from Burma in 1972, where I got a plastic giraffe!!
- Origins: Now in Melbourne with my beautiful wife Sue since 2000
- Favourite Band/music: anything 80s, New Order, ABC, Heart, ABBA, Cold Chisel
- Favourite Colour: Red, because everyone else liked Blue when I first got asked this question
- First Car: Holden HK Kingswood 1967 (cost $200)
