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28/07/2017
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Invest In Yourself logo

Launch of Invest in Yourself Campaign

By | Financial Literacy, News

Empowering women towards financial literacy

Brisbane Women’s Club, supported by the Queensland Government’s Office For Women, is launching a campaign that aims to improve the financial literacy of women across the Greater Brisbane region.

Using a partnership model between financial services experts and community agencies, Invest In Yourself will feature educational events, workshops, resources and online tools specifically designed for women in six key target groups.

Brisbane Women’s Club President, Robin Francis, says, “In planning this campaign, we have realised that too many women of all ages and demographics actually have very little understanding or control of their financial situation. Even professional women who may appear to be in control of their money have shared their secret financial confessions with us – and many are not as in control as they might appear.

“And then, of course there are those women caught in unemployment cycles, domestic violence and desperate situations who are feeling disempowered and can’t even imagine a financially free future – we need to equip them with the skills to gain control of their financial situations.”

Minister for Women and for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Shannon Fentiman said financial literacy was a critical need for women, particularly those who had made the brave decision to leave a violent relationship.

“Initiatives like this provide another important element of support to women who might previously have been caught in controlling relationships,” Minister Fentiman said.

“The more skills they have, the better able they are to reach their full potential and manage their own financial situation while they are at it.

“This will make a real difference in women’s lives and give them back the independence they deserve.”

Invest in Yourself is funded by the Brisbane Women’s Club and Office for Women and the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (DCCSDS). This initiative already has a number of financial planning experts and women’s community groups committed to being part of the campaign and who are giving their services on a pro-bono basis.

Brisbane Women’s Club are seeking further interest from financial services businesses and community agency groups to be part of delivering this campaign to women in our community.

Explore Invest In Yourself Website

 

26/07/2017
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Recruiting Non-Executive Director – Brisbane Women’s Club

By | News

Non-Executive Director – Brisbane Women’s Club

Brisbane Women’s Club (BWC) is seeking one or more female non-executive board members to join our vibrant board in building the organisation.  BWC is one of Queensland’s oldest social justice organisations founded in 1908.  Relaunched by the current board in 2015, the organisation’s membership of professional women has grown rapidly.

BWC seeks to make a difference to the lives of women in Brisbane & Queensland through our community support, programs and advocacy; to be a valued resource for our members in professional development, networking, awareness raising and social engagement; and to be a leading voice for women’s issues in Brisbane and Queensland.

Desired expertise and skills include board experience, women’s advocacy, fundraising, policy development, corporate/government connections, stakeholder engagement, professional development, or finance.  If you have skills in any of the areas noted, are well-networked and feel passionate about growing the organisation with us, we would love to hear from you.

Our current board can be found at https://www.bwc.org.au/our-story/#our-board

Applications to the Secretary of the Board, Patrice McKay: secretary@bwc.org.au

21/07/2017
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Grant Funding to Aid Critical Women’s Projects

By | News

Grant Funding to Aid Critical Women’s Projects

 

Homeless and disadvantaged women in Brisbane will benefit from Brisbane Women’s Club grants that have been awarded to The Lady Musgrave Trust and the Logan Women’s Health & Wellbeing Centre.

Each organisation will receive a grant of $5000 to help fund their critical work which aligns with Brisbane Women’s Club’s commitment to supporting women’s social welfare initiatives that empower, educate and enable Queensland women to achieve their potential.

Brisbane Women’s Club President, Robin Frances said, “We received many compelling applications from a wide range of inspiring organisations and I am thrilled that we are able to support these two critical initiatives, particularly as they align with our soon to be launched “Invest in Yourself” program which aims to increase financial literary and resilience for women in Brisbane.”

The grant for the Lady Musgrave Trust (Trust) will help fund their Forum, “Women and Homelessness – Innovative ideas to end homelessness,” to be held in Brisbane on 30 August 2017.

Karen Lyon Reid, CEO of The Lady Musgrave Trust said, “The Trust is honoured to have the support of the Brisbane Women’s Club for our 9th Annual Forum – which is the only community led collaborative Forum focusing on women’s homelessness. As two of the oldest charities in Queensland (The Trust est 1885 and The Club est 1908) we continue to work towards the same goals to this day – to assist women so that they can have sustainable, happy and positive lives for the future.”

The Logan Women’s Health & Wellbeing Centre were also awarded a grant to support 30 vulnerable / disadvantaged women to receive one-on-one support, coaching and evaluation as part of participating in a 6 week online course on financial literary and resilience.

Stacey Ross, Manager of the Logan Women’s Health & Wellbeing Centre said, “Receiving this grant means so much to Logan Women’s but more importantly for the women who are a part of the incredible community we support. We are honoured to be the recipients of the grant and to be partnering with BWC and are very excited to see the positive impact we can collectively achieve together.”

The annual grant program is open to any charitable organisation assisting women in Queensland.  Previous grant recipients include Qld Institute of Medical Research; Country Womens’ Association; Womens’ College University of Qld and Womens’ Legal Service.

View past grant recipients

01/03/2017
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2016 AGM Summary

By | AGM, News

On Wednesday 22nd February BWC held its 2016 AGM – our second since we began the Club’s revitalisation in 2015.  Often an AGM can be a colourless affair – ours was anything but! What was achieved in 2016 was amazing, by any standards. We ran fund-raisers, produced a Senate policy submission on children’s access to internet pornography,  received a $20,000 State Government grant for our Financial Literacy project, built relationships with major corporate partners such as PWC, McCullough Robertson, ANZ and Stanwell, hosted Queensland Women’s Minister Shannon Fentiman at a brilliant sundowner event, delivered professional career development workshops and much more. All of this was achieved with the inspiration of our tireless part-time CEO, and hours and hours of hard work from our Board and member volunteers.

We’ve invested in our people and brand and dramatically turned around our financial performance to end the year with a $25,700 surplus. So it’s not surprising that among the many comments  I heard from new and existing members present were ‘inspiring’, ‘exciting’.’ impressive’, ‘important’  and ‘looking forward to being part of BWC in 2017’.  For more details, download a copy of the annual report here.

We’re not resting on our laurels in 2017 either, with exciting events in the planning stages, so watch this space! The BWC Board is also committed to improving our back-end processes and systems and to giving renewed focus to our community grants program.

But our biggest priority for 2017 will be to engage more deeply with our members, to create more opportunities for them to be involved in the Club’s work, and to keep growing our amazing community of like-minded women.

The Board has been strengthened with the election of  two new members. Balveen Ajimal is joining as a Director and will relinquish her role as CEO in May 2017.  We are also pleased to welcome Amanda Sartor, as Treasurer, and I am delighted to be elected as President for a further term.

BWC is showing Brisbane and Australia what a group of determined, committed and capable women are able to achieve and we look forward to having you on that journey with us.

Best wishes,
Robin Francis
President

01/07/2016
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Invest in Yourself: Financial Literacy 101

By | Financial Literacy, News

BWC communications intern Louise Priddle signed up for our first Financial Literacy 101 workshop and came away with five top tips from the experts:

  1. Make a real budget … and stick to it
    Being conscious of money-in versus money-out is important. BWC Director Cara Brett, from Bounce Financial, says you need to be realistic about the money you actually spend, rather than restricting yourself too tightly and dipping into your savings later. The key here is to include everything.
  1. Pay off your debt … particularly the bad kind
    Bad debt, such as credit cards, car loans and payday loans, is something that you want to get rid of quickly, according to Nicole Green from Unique Finance. Don’t be afraid of borrowing money for things like a home, but be careful about using debt to prop up your everyday expenses – it’s a sure sign you are living beyond your means.
  1. Top up your super
    Retirement might seem a long way off but it will be here sooner than you think. On average, women have half as much superannuation as men, so making contributions or salary sacrificing is important to ensure you have a decent amount to live on when you stop working. There are still some tax advantages for investing in super and jobs with the government or an NGO often have their own super perks. The rules change frequently so make sure you have a chat with your accountant or financial adviser.
  1. Invest in your own nest
    Buying a house or shares is a good option if you want an asset that is likely to increase in value over time. Of course no investment is guaranteed but borrowing money in these instances may not be such a bad thing.
  1. Give yourself a safety net
    Australia is one of the most under insured countries in the world which means most of us are exposed to big financial risks when things don’t go according to plan. Life, income and total and permanent disability insurance are the key ones for all of us to have or at least consider. Life insurance is also much easier and cheaper to get the younger you are, and something you definitely won’t regret if you’re ill or have an accident. If cashflow is a little tight it may be possible to pay for insurance out of your super so talk to your financial adviser about what’s best for you.

Useful websites
Personal Loans
Credit Cards
Property
Budgeting
Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia
Superannuation search
Women’s money toolkit
How much super will you have?
Centrelink benefits estimates
Lodging your tax return online
Calculating tax withheld on salary
Income Tax payable/refund estimator
ATO Summary of Deductions
My Gov Website for super searching
Universal Rollover Form

http://www.afr.com/leadership/it-took-an-expat-to-turn-around-the-brisbane-womens-club-20160113-gm550r – the business world sits up and takes note of BWC’s relaunch!

http://bmag.com.au/your-brisbane/brisbane-extra/2016/03/07/brisbane-women-push-through-the-glass-ceiling-together/ – article on “Regeneration – a story of change”, a stunning exhibition curated by the BWC in support of the Women’s Legal Service.

20/04/2015
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University of Queensland’s Women’s College

By | News, Women's College

The Brisbane Women’s Club has launched a new $20,000 scholarship for students at The University of Queensland’s Women’s College.

The scholarship enables the Women’s College to provide annual financial assistance to an outstanding Women’s College applicant who previously may not have been able to accept or maintain her place at College due to financial circumstances.

Mrs Mendy Campbell of the Brisbane Women’s Club said Ms Laura Riddell would have her financial burden eased, enabling her to focus on her studies.

Head of Women’s College Adjunct Professor Iyla Davies said the scholarship allowed the College to accept the best and brightest applicants.

“This scholarship means we can offer places to women who not only will blossom in the College community but who will enrich other residents’ lives,”Adjunct Professor Iyla Davies said.

The Women’s College was founded in 1914 and provides a vibrant intellectual community through quality academic, residential and pastoral care for rural and regional Queensland women.

The College’s mission is to increase students’ understanding of the world and to foster educated women leaders within that world.

The Brisbane Women’s Club was founded in 1908 by Margaret Ann Ogg (1865-1953). She co-founded the Queensland Women’s Electoral League in 1903, which was instrumental in obtaining the Right to Vote for Queensland Women in 1905.

She became known as a pioneer of Women’s Rights. In 1908 she founded the Women’s Progressive Club, which later became the Brisbane Women’s Club.

The Brisbane Women’s Club supports women’s social and cultural needs through the establishment of the Brisbane Women’s Club Charitable Trust.