Happy Families Week!
Not sure who is going to hate me more for posting this photo – my brother-in-law or my youngest but – I am happy to take the heat.
My mum had a significant birthday this year and following multiple complaints about our respective failings of having decent photos with her daughters (my sister and I), our husbands and kids – we got a friend to take some happy snaps. The majority are quite glamorous. The one below, as you can tell – is not. This was taken at the end of our photo session and the photographer suggested we make ‘crazy faces’ (I am third from the right). Clearly some of us are better at it than others. However, it is the imperfect nature of this photo that draws me to it. By combining our strengths and foibles – we make this thing called family work. And whilst this is my side of our immediate family, not only do we have my husband’s side of the family, but we have our extended family and friends who are vitally important to our ability to function and fulfill our special and unique role as citizen participants in the broader community.
I take great pride in heading up FRSA. My great team and I dedicate our energy to supporting organisations working with individuals, families, and communities, more often than not during hard times in their lives and goodness knows, we all have them. Our aim is not only to help people through difficult times but to ensure that through our engagement, our impact results in improved wellbeing for the children, men, women and communities we work with. Knowing there are so many fabulous organisations with dedicated and committed people working in them is a great strength of the organisations individually and of the sector and society more broadly.
It will be great to showcase the outstanding work and achievements of the sector at the FRSA Conference in May 2022, almost a year to the day, in the week beginning 16 May 2022. What a great way to celebrate Families Week in 2022!
My congratulations too to Families Australia for their carriage and administration of National Families Week. It is great to see Families Week continue to grow from strength to strength. This is due in a significant part to CEO, Brian Babbington, and Deputy CEO, Stella Conroy, who have both recently announced they will be moving on from Families Australia following 16 and 13 years respectively with the organisation. There is a whole lot of intellect, heart and soul that both Brian and Stella have brought to their roles, the organisation and as a consequence to children, families and communities throughout Australia. Or course, Families Week isn’t the only thing Families Australia does (the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children is another significant contribution that comes to mind, among many). I have no doubt that Brian and Stella will be missed and will leave big shoes to fill. I wish them both all the very best for the future.
By Jackie Brady
