As we step into another Term, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support for the work of SU Australia and our incredible chaplains.
We recently wrapped our very first SU Australia National Conference on the beautiful (albeit rainy) Sunshine Coast, and it was a heart-warming reminder about the strength we have when we come together. With over 850 chaplains, SRE teachers, school ministry workers and office staff attending – it was humbling to acknowledge the ways in which this work is making a difference in the lives of so many young people across our nation.
Some key electives included topics around neurodiversity, wellbeing resource development, and supporting students through complex social and emotional challenges, and it was an exciting atmosphere watching the chaplains make new connections and share strategies and solutions with one another.
Perhaps most exciting of all, was the simple encouragement that came from being face-to-face in one room. It was a reminder that we are in this together. Across the country, we are seeing a new cohort of chaplains stepping into the role, and schools continue to request a chaplain to bring an extra layer of support in their school community. Thank you for your involvement in making this work possible, and for the heart you have to see our young people supported and thriving in schools.
2024 – 2027 Funding Round
As many of you will already be aware, Queensland state schools wishing to apply for funding to deliver chaplaincy or student wellbeing officer services for the 2024-2027 school years are invited to submit their application online. Please note the funding round is currently open and will be closing at 5pm, July 21st.
An email outlining all the relevant information should have already been sent to all school principal email addresses, but please reach out to support@su.org.au if you have any questions at all about this process.
DGR Status
As you would know from our recent communications, donations to support the in-school hours of individual chaplaincy services are no longer tax-deductible as of 1 July 2023. SU Australia has followed this up with the Government to seek clarification about this decision.
In their response, the government shared that while they have not extended SU Australia’s named entity status in the tax law (we were the only Accredited Employing Authority given this previously out of a total of 150 other providers) SU chaplains may be able to access additional funding through the government’s $203 million wellbeing package boost, which was paid into school accounts at the end of term 2.
This investment translates to an average of approximately $20,000 for a single school to spend on wellbeing support over the coming financial year. For schools that already have a chaplain, this would be a great opportunity to increase their chaplain’s hours so they can provide more support for their school community.
For schools that currently do not have a chaplaincy service, and missed out on NSWP funding, this could be a great opportunity for them to now secure a chaplaincy service.
Your Field Development Manager will be reaching out to your school communities in the coming weeks to assist them with any queries they may have about using this money to enhance their wellbeing support services.
Peter’s Retirement Announcement
Many of our LCCs and chaplains would already be aware of this news, but we wanted to share that Peter James has made the decision to retire from his role as Group CEO of SU Australia at the end of this year.
Peter has been working for SU for the past 11 years, and has made an enormous contribution to the direction and success of this organisation. He has led two high court challenges to support our chaplains in schools (Save our Chappies and Back our Chappies campaigns); navigated the movement through multiple federal funding renewals; advocated for multiple Frontline Dinners in Brisbane, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast and Townsville; hosted annual chaplaincy conferences to upskill and train our field workers and so much more.
Before merging to become SU Australia, Peter asked the SU Australia Board for a two-year contract to lead our post-merger process. By the end of this year, SU Australia’s post-merger transition will be complete, and we will be positioned for the future we envisioned prior to merging.
It’s certainly an exciting time, but there are still many changes on the horizon and your support is crucial. Thank you for all you do to make this work possible!
Best wishes for all this term will hold for you and your community.
Ian Cumming