Keep in touch with the Brotherhood online

23 March 2010

Keep up to date with the latest social programs and key issues on the Brotherhood of
St Laurence’s bright new website. We have worked hard during the development phase
of our new website to ensure everyone can gain quick access to information about the Brotherhood’s community-strengthening initiatives.

The website features:

• More content, including a ‘hot issues’ section highlighting the Brotherhood’s current advocacy campaigns such as equity and climate change, social inclusion, financial inclusion and our calls for a fairer tax system
• A new improved media centre with just two clicks needed to access our latest media releases
• Personal stories from those whose lives have been turned around by the Brotherhood, including this story from Pat, who tells of emerging from despair and alcoholism: I was married at seventeen. I had three children. I had a very violent relationship, a very violent marriage. It was very frightening and that, and you had nobody there you could turn to. Finally my husband left. I became an alcoholic. I slept on park benches, I just didn’t care anymore. Thirty-four years ago the Brotherhood helped me find a place to live. I come here every day for social activities and friendship. The Brotherhood helped me to turn my life around – these people are my family now.
• An extensive research section, with links to reports published by the Brotherhood
• New functionality, including online subscriptions, image galleries, virtual tours and an events calendar at What’s On
• Videos, including historic films and films about Brotherhood services
• An improved, user-friendly structure and an engaging new design.

WHO WE ARE:
The Brotherhood of St Laurence works to eliminate poverty and disadvantage in Australia so all Australians have the capacity and the resources to lead rewarding lives.

The Brotherhood focuses on people at risk during critical transitions in their lives – children and families in the early years, both at home and in school, young people in the years through school to work and further education, adults seeking employment and training, and older people facing the enormous challenges of retirement and ageing.

We also speak out strongly on issues relating to refugees and financial inclusion. We undertake research, service development and delivery, and advocacy. Through Brotherhood businesses, we provide employment opportunities and raise funds for our other programs.
We want to demonstrate how economic efficiency and social fairness can reinforce each other and lay the foundations for a new social safety net based on economic participation and opportunities. Our current areas of policy focus include social inclusion, equity and climate change, a fairer tax system and financial inclusion.

The Brotherhood aspires to be an influencing organisation. We seek to engage with key decision makers in government, business and the community, and to enlist the support of a broader audience in order to achieve social change.

Learn more about the Brotherhood’s valuable work in our communities through our Annual Reports.

Join our media database by sending your contact details and areas of interest to media@bsl.org.au and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Brotherhoodinfo