2019-20 Annual Report Final - Flipbook - Page 21
Our partnership with Yellow Edge
has continued positively, with two
Churchill Fellows, Stephen Geason
(2015 TAS) and Sam Bayley (2013
WA) being selected to participate
in the Global Leadership Practices
Program in 2019. Read about their
experiences in India and Singapore
in this report.
More recently we have developed
a collaborative partnership with the
National Farmers Federation (NFF),
which will see additional support
provided to Churchill Fellows from
the agricultural sector, as well as
targeted promotion of the Churchill
Fellowship and sharing relevant
Fellowship findings throughout
the NFF network amongst other
developments.
In 2019 we welcomed a collaborative
three-way partnership with the
Australian and New Zealand School
of Government (ANZSOG) and the
New Zealand Winston Churchill
Memorial Trust to offer one Churchill
Fellowship for Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islander peoples, and one for a
Mori working in the Australian and
New Zealand public services.
We also welcomed Community
Sector Banking as a sponsor of
two Churchill Fellowships aimed
at strengthening Australia’s not for
profit sector leadership.
There are always many positive
stories about Churchill Fellows
in the media and we sometimes
get the opportunity to bask in
their successes at special events.
I was privileged to attend Lainie
Anderson’s premier screening of
her documentary The Greatest Air
Race which followed publication
of her historical fiction Long Flight
Home, both informed by her
Churchill Fellowship research. We
have featured some other Fellow’s
successes in this report and I
encourage you to subscribe to our
social media channels to keep on top
of the exciting and interesting work
of our Churchill Fellows.
Measuring the satisfaction of our
Churchill Fellows with the Trust’s
work is something we have been
doing for some time now, and the
results continue to be pleasing.
The level of personal support that the
Trust provides to Churchill Fellows
stands out as the most appreciated
strength of the experience. In
addition, the flexibility and freedom
given to Fellows to design and
manage their own projects is greatly
appreciated. The post-Fellowship
support and development
opportunities are seen as being
highly valuable by Fellows, as is
the recognition provided through
the Government House award
ceremonies and dinners hosted by
our Churchill Fellows Associations.
The Trust’s role in recognising Sir
Winston Churchill’s legacy through
delivering the Fellowships has also
come through this year’s feedback,
which is reassuring for the Trust.
It has been a difficult start to
2020 with bushfires and smoke
affecting and disrupting many parts
of Australia throughout January,
swiftly followed by the COVID-19
pandemic.
The Trust acted quickly to develop
a specific COVID-19 Crisis Plan to
manage the emerging impacts of
the spread of the virus as it evolved
into a pandemic. Timely advice was
provided to Churchill Fellows who
were travelling overseas, planning
to travel overseas or were eligible to
travel but had not yet done so. We
were at all times focused on ensuring
the safety of our travelling Fellows
as a priority, as well as managing
the financial risks associated with
anticipated cancellations of meetings
and flights.
All Churchill Fellows who were
overseas when the pandemic
escalated were able to return home
safely and the Trust has granted
all untravelled Churchill Fellows
an additional twelve months to
undertake their Fellowship travel.
This year we were delighted to
welcome Sir Peter Cosgrove as
a Life Member of the Trust, and
equally pleased that the GovernorGeneral, His Excellency General the
Honourable David Hurley AC has
agreed to be the Trust’s Patron in
Chief. And it was with sadness that
we farewelled two Life Members,
Emeritus Professor Ray Martin and
Robert Beggs, who both passed
away having contributed many years
of generous service to the Trust.
I would like to thank our Board
members for their personal
contributions to the work of the
Trust, as well as the Churchill Fellows
Associations and members of our
Selection Panels and Committees.
The importance, value and
appreciation we have for our many
volunteers simply can never be
overstated.
The highest praise is also due to
our team in Canberra who have
demonstrated an enormous
commitment to the ongoing growth
and success of the Trust and Churchill
Fellowships. Every member of the
team has been flexible when needed
and adapted quickly to working
remotely as the country manages
the hugely disruptive COVID-19
pandemic.
I would like to think that by the time
you read this Annual Report the
world will be a safer place with the
COVID-19 pandemic well on the way
to being beaten, however it is clear
that the impact will be lasting, with
the road ahead long, winding and
uncertain. Nonetheless we will strive
to maintain a positive and optimistic
outlook and look forward to brighter
days ahead, drawing inspiration from
our many Churchill Fellows past,
present and future.
Adam Davey
Affected Fellows have responded
positively to the Trust’s handling and
communication of the situation and
have welcomed the certainty that
the Trust has provided them, that
will allow them extended time to
undertake their Fellowships.
Learn globally, inspire locally.
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