Our AGM was held on Thursday 6 November, at the Woden Valley Uniting Church in Gillies St Curtin.
Our President, Shukry Sahhar, spoke about points in his report to the AGM, then introduced Leanne Heald of Woden Community Service (WCS).
Leanne said WCS has nine programs relating directly to mental health for which she’s responsible, and others which relate to it indirectly. She spoke of her long-standing enthusiasm for the MyHome proposal, and praised the cooperation among the local community, the Woden Valley Uniting Church (WVUC), the MyHome association and Wesley Mission which has made it succeed.
Leanne emphasised the importance of MyHome’s offering its residents places within communities – their own, that of Wesley Curtin, and that of Curtin and the Woden Valley – since so frequently people with mental illness bear a great burden of loneliness, with consequent harm including to their physical health.
Next Andrew Tyndale of Wesley Mission gave us an update of progress with Wesley Curtin. Andrew said his team aim to achieve soon the financial close after which they can contract the building work. A helpful development is that the Wesley Curtin entity has received charitable status. He noted that a vital factor for the project’s viability is use of WVUC’s site at no cost; and he thanked the MyHome association for helpful advice along the way.
Shukry invited Evan Mann, the WVUC representative on our committee, to talk about community reactions to the MyHome and Wesley Curtin proposals. Evan said the Curtin Residents Association had played a most helpful part in enabling and informing discussion. The concerns expressed about Wesley Curtin referred to parking, local infrastructure and pedestrian safety, not about whether “unsuitables” would live in MyHome.
AGM business: the minutes of last year’s AGM, and the financial statements for FY2025 prepared by our Treasurer, Bob Ellison, were accepted. Since nominations for the association’s committee were received only for its present members, they were taken to be elected for the year ahead:
- President – Shukry Sahhar
- Vice-President – Pauline Sullivan
- Treasurer – Bob Ellison
- Secretary – John Eyers
- Committee Member – Barbara Fogarty
- Committee Member – Tania Manuel
- Committee Member – Robin Stanton.