Category: Social

Lifelong bee obsession delivers Sweet Justice

10/7/2023

REGIONAL, SMALL BUSINESS, SOCIAL

Claire Moore never imagined her lifelong bee obsession would see her end up entrenched in Victoria’s criminal justice system, for good.

Published by OAK Magazine

Claire Moore, founder of honey enterprise, Sweet Justice. (Image: Emma Foster)

Former refugee’s fix for skills-starved construction industry

14/6/2023

SMALL BUSINESS, DIVERSITY, SOCIAL

As Australia’s construction sector remains hamstrung by a skills shortage, former asylum seeker Hedayat Osyan says refugees offer an untapped pool of workers ready to step up to meet demand.

First published by Westpac Wire.

Former asylum seeker Hedayat Osyan says refugees can help plug the construction industry skills shortage. (Emma Foster)

Nundah wonder: the small enterprise blazing a big trail

17/4/2023

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

The pioneer of a business model now commonly used across Australia’s $21 billion social enterprise sector, is about to turn 25. It was originally created by a handful of people with cognitive difficulties who simply wanted discrimination-free work.

First published by Westpac Wire.

Trial could be game changer for neurodiverse jobseekers

29/3/2023

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

A social enterprise which sees its neurodiverse employees as its competitive advantage has been chosen for a pioneering trial that could be a game changer for jobseekers experiencing disadvantage.

First published in Westpac Wire

New program boosts capacity of remote social enterprise

28/2/2023

SOCIAL, SMALL BUSINESS, INDIGENOUS

Like most start-up cofounders, Fraser Nai welcomes advice and connections that might help scale his community-focused cultural tourism platform, but concedes they’re often difficult to come by given the remote location of his business, in the Torres Strait.

Published by White Box Enterprises.

Strait Experience co-founders Fraser Nai and John Palmer (supplied)

Fertility leave the new family friendly frontier

22/11/2022

CAREER, DIVERSITY, SOCIAL

The uptake of fertility treatment is grabbing the attention of human resources teams around the world as organisations look to better support employees in new ways, like Westpac’s new fertility leave policy.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Westpac is among the first of a growing number of companies introducing fertility leave for employees. (Getty)

Nature positive: The new net-zero frontier

7/11/2022

SOCIAL

The next climate frontier – natural capital – is fast approaching, says Westpac’s chief sustainability officer Siobhan Toohill, ahead of today's release of the bank’s latest climate change position statement.

First published on Westpac Wire

Coastal rejuvenation projects exemplify the new push towards "nature postive". (Emma Foster)

BOARD WALK: Audette Exel on zeitgeist shifts, data versus ideology and what’s next

16/10/2022

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

Board director and social entrepreneur Audette Exel AO says the zeitgeist has shifted in the way big businesses see their role in the community, in a broad ranging podcast interview.

First published on Westpac Wire

Audette Exel AO, board director and social entrepreneur. (Emma Foster)

New Afghan café makes big impact

23/9/2022

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY, SMALL BUSINESS

It’s not just the spiced lamb dumplings and Kabuli burgers filling Roya Rasuly with pride in Sydney city’s newest Afghan café, Kabul Social – it’s also the impact it’s having behind the scenes.

First published on Westpac Wire

Roya Rasuly, Plate It Forward HR manager, at Sydney’s newest Afghan food venue, Kabul Social. (Emma Foster)

PODCAST: Turning global spotlight on Aussie entrepreneurs

9/8/2022

SOCIAL
Next month’s Social Enterprise World Forum, hosted in Brisbane, will be transformative for Australia’s burgeoning social enterprise sector, says renowned social entrepreneur, Luke Terry, in a podcast interview.

First published on Westpac Wire.

Luke Terry, chief executive and co-founder of White Box Enterprises. (Emma Foster)

Perfect match? Platform eyes volunteering lift

16/5/2022

SOCIAL

A project sparked by her own personal loss could help to reverse declining volunteering rates, says newly named Westpac Scholar and founder of Freddy Match Dr Roxane Foulser-Piggott.

First published on Westpac Wire

Dr Roxane Foulser-Piggott, founder of Freddy Match.

GOOD PAIR: Co-founding a family…and a social enterprise

15/6/2021

Couple Daniel (left) and Loretta Bolotin, co-founders of social enterprise Free to Feed, with their two children. (Supplied)

SOCIAL, GOODPAIR

After meeting randomly in Kenya, Australian couple Loretta and Daniel Bolotin have co-juggled the mammoth tasks of starting a family while realising their dream to create a food-sharing social enterprise.

First published on Westpac Wire.

‘Blown away’: Boosting neurodiverse ranks

2/9/2020

SOCIAL, DIVERSITY

Gavin Burton went through a tailored recruitment process (Image: Emma Foster)

Three years on from Westpac’s inaugural hiring program to overcome barriers for people on the autism spectrum, the bank is kicking off a second intake of interns in a bid to attract more neurodiverse talent into its ranks.

First published in Westpac Wire.

ANZAC at home: 'I'll still do my bit'

23/4/2020

VETERANS

War veteran Ian Bubb, OAM. (Image: Emma Foster)

Despite the cancellation of public ANZAC Day services, veteran Ian Bubb says he’ll be out the front of his house at 6am on Saturday to remember those lost and hopes “thousands upon thousands” of Australians do the same.

First published in Westpac Wire.

‘Life changing’: Jawun’s purple haze

27/5/2019

INDIGENOUS, SOCIAL

Beyond the chaos of a purple courtyard filled with chickens, firepits and guitars, Mark Scott – the 900th Westpac employee on a Jawun secondment – discovers how dialysis is helping Indigenous communities “hold on strong” to culture.

First published in Westpac Wire.

Irene Nangala (left) and Mark Scott. (Image: Emma Foster)

Rising stars flicking career switch

5/10/2018

DIVERSITY, CAREER

A decade ago, Prue Burns made partner at 29. Yet she recently stepped away from law to join Westpac’s year-long Equilibrium program – and she’s not alone.

First published in Westpac Wire.

Prue Burn. (Image: Emma Foster)

The 20-year-old PNG woman taking on tech

25/9/2018

SMALL BUSINESS, SOCIAL

Crystal Kewe. (Image: Emma Foster)

As a founder in a country with gender inequality and an embryonic tech scene, 20-year-old self-taught technologist Crystal Kewe is capturing the attention of global tech giants.

First published in Westpac Wire.

The visionary and the stalwart

21/5/2018

GOOD PAIR, INDIGENOUS, SOCIAL

Noel Pearson (left) and Vit Koci. (Image: Emma Foster)

Since Cape York leader Noel Pearson met Westpac’s Vit Koci in 2001, an experimental idea to send corporate employees into remote Indigenous communities has flourished into Jawun, a national program delivering transformational results.

First published in Westpac Wire.

Blending beauty with banking

8/1/2018

FINANCE, SOCIAL

Ishaa Sandhu. (Image: Emma Foster)

After seeing first-hand the difficulties caused by India’s snap decision to scrap most of the country’s banknotes, 21-year-old Ishaa Sandhu decided to do something about it.

First published in Westpac Wire.

The 14-year old banker and her boss

6/10/2017

GOOD PAIR, INDIGENOUS

Tegan Burke (left) and John Veal. (Image: supplied)

Tegan Burke became Westpac’s youngest ever personal banker after starting her career four years ago as a 14 year old through the bank’s Indigenous school-based trainee program. Her first bank manager, John Veal, is her mentor and biggest fan.

First published in Westpac Wire.

Creative ingredients add flavour to Indigenous careers

18/7/2017

INDIGENOUS

Hayley Peckham. (Image: Emma Foster)

Haley Peckham hasn’t taken the typical pathway to a fast-paced career in commercial kitchens. Rather than learning various culinary skills in private restaurants, Hayley became a fully certified chef.

First published in Westpac Wire.

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