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Looking back over the year of 2011, I’d have to say this has been one of the most exciting and rewarding of my 7 years as CEO of Foresters Community Finance. However, I would also add the success of the year is due largely to the hard work and persistence taken in preceding years. At Foresters we base our product and service development on sound research, knowledge and innovation.
This year we launched two new programs: Fair Finance Australia and Social Enterprise Solutions.
Fair Finance Australia provides small consumer loans for individuals experiencing exclusion from mainstream finance. Our end in mind to assist these people with immediate needs but also to help them back into the mainstream. The program is supported by FaCHSIA and the loan funding through NAB.
Social Enterprise Solutions is a program designed to provide loan capital and appraisal services to social enterprises. We provide sound business support through the Foresters’ appraisal process thus providing many start up social enterprises with an insight into business sustainability. The program is born from the Social Enterprise Development Investment Fund, an initiative of DEEWR who invested $6m with Foresters’ subsidiary Social Investment Australia. This investment was matched by $6m from Christian Super Fund.
Foresters continues to provide Community Asset Building support and funding with great success achieved in Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Government Office Of Community Sector. A similar program has been conducted in Queensland with the assistance of the Queensland Department of Communities.
The implementation and delivery of these programs is achieved by the amazing talent in Foresters. We now have 20 staff members who bring significant energy and knowledge to many aspects or our work. A large part of the success of our team is our values alignment and this must also be said of Foresters Board and the Board of Social Investment Australia.
So, as we close the year I’d like to thank you for your continued support. While we have to bed down our new programs, we also keep innovating and plan to introduce new services in 2012.
In the meantime I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy and safe holidays.
Belinda Drew
CEO
Foresters Community Finance Ltd
7 November 2011 |
