To our valued members, our community and our stakeholders,
Welcome to Harm Reduction Victoria’s Annual Report for 2022-2023.
As the contents of this report make clear, the organisation is thriving in its mission to advance the well-being and dignity of, and social justice for, people who use drugs in Victoria.
Through these pages you can read about the impressive achievements in each of our core programs, PAMS, DOPE, DanceWize, Viral Hepatitis Health Promotion & Harm Reduction, and FUSE Initiatives, exemplified by the wide range of innovative projects and activities undertaken by the team at Harm Reduction Victoria (HRVic) throughout this reporting year.
HRVic’s achievements are due to the incredible people who make up the organisation – our hard-working CEO, staff and volunteers who are dedicated to bringing about the changes our communities need and deserve. Along with my fellow Board members, I extend my heartfelt thanks and commend you for your inspiring service.
Of course, HRVic does not work alone. Throughout the year, we have continued to work with our many partners and stakeholders to address issues and priorities that matter to communities of people who use drugs. On behalf of the Board and HRVic, I thank all of our valued stakeholders and partners. We look forward to continuing and further strengthening these vital partnerships and collaborations in the coming year.
We also remain deeply grateful and extend our sincere thanks to our funders in the Department of Health. We are immensely fortunate in the respectful and productive relationships we continue to enjoy with Department staff and in the generous support they provide that enables our work addressing the multiple issues that impact on the health and well-being of people who use drugs.
In reflecting on this past year, what stands out for me is how our focused efforts over the last few years to build the internal capacity of the organisation have been realised. Most visible, of course, is our new premises in Brunswick. We hoped this new home would better support our goals of meaningfully engaging with our communities to work together on our needs, interests and priorities. We are already beginning to see these hopes realised as we have hosted a number of community-driven events, and we have many more planned for the year ahead. Less visible perhaps, at least as I write this, are the substantial achievements in expanding staffing and therefore program delivery capacity, and in consolidating and extending the leadership capabilities of the staff and the organisation as a whole. The strengthening confidence of the staff and organisation as lived and living experience peer leaders and advocates has been made most apparent to me as I have participated in our Strategic Planning processes throughout the year. These processes have highlighted the remarkably consistent shared values – of dignity, respect and justice - among the staff, volunteers, CEO and Board members who make up the organisation. But more impressive, and reflective of their living experience knowledge and confidence, has been the inspiring scope and ambition of the vision, mission and objectives we hope to achieve. With this serving as a teaser, I look forward to sharing our new Strategic Plan with you in the coming year.
In closing, I am pleased to assure you of the strong position of HRVic in meeting challenges going forward and I am excited to see what this outstanding peer-based and peer-run organisation will achieve over the coming years.
On behalf of the Board, I wish you all a happy and successful year ahead.
Robyn Dwyer
President
Harm Reduction Victoria
The Board of Harm Reduction Victoria (L-R top-bottom)
ROBYN DWYER
TONY WYATT
PENNY HILL
KATIA LALLO
GABY BRUNING
CRAIG HARVEY
PETER HIGGS
The Staff of Harm Reduction Victoria
CEO
Sione Crawford
HEALTH PROMOTION
Jane Dicka
Caro Weidner
Brittany Chapman
Amanda Callus
Mark Belzer
Lesa Ryan
Zeneta Fetah
FUSE INITIATIVES
Nadia Gavin
Matthew Plumb
Christian Vega
Amelia Berg
DANCEWIZE
Nick Wallis
Ally Anketell
Liam Troon
Mae Vincent
Jackson McClean
PAMS
Sarah Lord
Jimmy Harrington
Daniel Ward
Frank Bees
Bee Hayes
ORGANISATIONAL SERVICES
Jessica Holcombe
Snowy Primmer
COMMUNICATIONS
Samantha Jones
POLICY & ADVOCACY
Nick Kent
Ben Yonson
With Special Thanks To
our Accounts Team for 2022-2023 for all their extra help -
Kim and Shaily