Leichhardt Municipal Council has renewed its partnership with the Australian Red Cross, taking the agreement into its second year. Located seven kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD, Leichhardt is the first Local Government Friend of the Red Cross in Australia.
The partnership was initiated in June 2005, with Leichhardt offering a sponsorship donation of $1,000 to the Red Cross. Since that time, the Red Cross has worked with Council to progress Aged Care and Youth Services programs. It has also helped with a local program – Balmain for Refugees, which provides essential assistance to impoverished refugees seeking asylum in Australia.
The partnership helps to characterise elements of the ‘optimalist’ approach recommended in the Independent Inquiry into Financial Sustainability of New South Wales Local Governments. Commissioned by the New South Wales Local Government and Shires Association (LGSA) in 2005, the report describes the approach as Councils being ‘the champions of their areas and as such should take a leadership role in harnessing public, non governmental organisations and private resources to promote particular outcomes rather than attempt to fund and operate local initiatives on their own’.
Leichhardt Councillor, Kate Hamilton, moved the cross party initiative at Leichhardt, which received unanimous support from all Councillors.
“The partnership is based on the principle of governing by network,” she said. “It is based on shared resources and on dense networks of community service congruence. It just makes sense because in many ways we are defined by how effective our service delivery is to our communities.”
By working together in a formalised partnership with the Red Cross, Councils have a stronger chance of receiving additional funds from both State and Federal Governments to offset unexpected reduction in the real value of government grants and to fill service gaps.
In April, Leichhardt and Red Cross won the tender for a Youth Mentoring program from the Department of Housing. The program supports young people in public housing and provide them with leadership skills and a forum to be heard.
Leichhardt has committed to the Red Cross in a number of ways including the following:
- promoting Red Cross Australia to the community, raising awareness of the programs they conduct and highlighting those in the local community
- supporting Red Cross Australia through corporate sponsorship of $1000 per annum
- providing in kind contribution, such as fee waivers on use of the hall and other facilities
- working with Red Cross Australia to establish Red Cross Council Youth Ambassadors in local schools
- exploring other ways of working together to pursue common community and humanitarian goals.
