A message from Emma. Emma

Recently I’ve been reflecting on my first 12 months as the General Manager of Mates4Mates. What an absolute privilege it has been to be part of such a supportive and lifechanging organisation.

From our team on the ground in the centres and online, delivering social connection activities and clinical services, to our head office and leadership team, everyone’s passion to support the Defence community has inspired me every day since joining Mates4Mates.

Although scattered across the country, from the Northern Territory to Tasmania, the Mates4Mates staff have supported one another and worked together in the face of significant change, while continuing to put the wellbeing of clients first. This is what I’m most proud of during my time so far. Despite floods, relocations, building renovations, and many other changes, they’ve remained positive and encouraging and kept our community moving forward.

I also wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who joined us in

Ipswich earlier this year to officially open the Ipswich Family Recovery Centre. It was an honour to officially open the centre alongside the Honourable Shayne Neumann MP, Jennifer Howard MP and other distinguished guests. The team and I are excited to continue our commitment to supporting veterans and their families within the local Ipswich community through this new location.

As we move into the second half of the year, we continue to celebrate 10 years of Mates4Mates with special events held across our centres with the veterans and family members who trust us to support them in their recovery journeys. We share some wonderful photos from these events on pages 4 and 5. To those who have been part of the Mates4Mates journey since 2013, thank you! Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to help provide a way forward for those who have been impacted by service.

2023 has already been a year of growth. This includes internal expansion within Mates4Mates as we continued to invest in our staff and built out the Mates4Mates Executive Leadership Team. Adam ‘Buzz’ Lawson is our new Head of Operations featured on page 6 who brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the Defence and veteran support space. I know that the leadership team, in alignment with our ‘Journey to 2030’ Strategic Plan, will provide a clear direction for our staff, clients and the organisation moving forward.

As you read through the stories in this edition of the Mates4Mates magazine, I want to say thank you to all the staff, clients, supporters and partners who have been instrumental over my first 12 months at Mates4Mates. The opportunity to meet and speak with our clients and their families so far this year has been invaluable. Hearing their experiences of how Mates4Mates has helped them, even in the smallest of ways, is a great reminder of the connection our staff and services have with the community.

General Manager of Mates4Mates

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Mates4Mates supports current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members, and their families, who have been impacted by their service. We are an initiative established by RSL Queensland. If you would like to contribute to our magazine please contact Mates4Mates Marketing team via marketing@mates4mates.org or call 1300 462 837