disco annual report 2014 2015 - disco.org.au · “partnering schools, linking with business,...

“Partnering Schools, Linking with Business, Supporting Youth”

DISCO ANNUAL

REPORT

2014 – 2015

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DISCO Downs Industry Schools Co-Operation Inc

DISCO is a not-for-profit community-based organisation focussed with assisting youth between 13-24 years of age.

We provide young people with services and programs that assist them in

making appropriate education, employment and career-related decisions.

With a history of professionalism, high-standards and a genuine passion for our work,

DISCO team members make a difference in the career prospects for our local youth.

What we do


Contents Letter from the CEO………………………………………………………………………………….Page 4

Our Objective, Vision & Mission…………………………………………………………………....Page 5

Presidents Report…………………………………………………………………………………....Page 6

The Management Committee………………………………………………………………………Page 7

Our Regional Footprint……………………………………………………………………………...Page 8

The Year in Review………………………………………………………………………………Page 9-10

Client Highlight……………………………………………………………………………………...Page 10

2014/15 Highlights………………………………………………………………………………….Page 11

Our Programs & Services……………………………………………………………………...Page 12-13

Outreach Initiates…………………………………………………………………………………..Page 14

Our Clients…………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 15

Income Generation……………………………………………………………………………..Page 16-17

Innovative Promotional Tools……………………………………………………………………..Page 18

Communication & Marketing………………………………………………………………….Page 19-20

Our Partner Schools………………………………………………………………………………..Page 20

The Future…………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 21

Organisational Chart……………………………………………………………………………….Page 22

Services Chart - Toowoomba……………………………………………………………………..Page 23

Service Chart - Dalby………………………………………………………………………………Page 24

Service Chart - Roma………………………………………………………………………………Page 25

DISCO Staff………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 26

Contact Details……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 27

Financial Statements………………………………………………………………………………Page 28


It gives me great pleasure to present the sixth formal Annual Report on the

operations of the Downs Industry Schools Co-operation Inc (DISCO) for the

2014/15 period.

Another challenging year has been experienced by the organisation with a

reduction in the suite of programs and services offered.

This is the first year for some time where we have not operated our youth service

in Roma and we have missed not supporting this community through the year

with the organisation only delivering services in Toowoomba and Dalby.

The DISCO Management Committee, which has been guided by businessman

Mr Neil Davy, has continued to forward plan even though trading conditions have

remained challenging and it has been difficult to develop the strategy of the organisation beyond 12

months in the current funding climate.

I acknowledge and thank Neil and the committee again for remaining committed to the organisations

ideals as we strive to support young people in various ways.

The very challenging trading conditions have unfortunately continued and this year, and, like the last two,

have made the process of continuing to support youth (who are our primary focus) very difficult.

On a more positive note the committee’s decision in 2013 to broaden the organisations base to deliver

fee-for-service corporate work supporting young people has continued to expand and this new area of

work has contributed to our balance sheet and is now a very important part of the organisations work to

support youth. I acknowledge and thank all our corporate partners for this assistance.

As I write this note for the Annual Report we await finalisation of a new federally funded tender titled

Transition to Work. If successful, DISCO as a result of this funding could receive financial certainty for

up to seven years. This contract would be fantastic for the business and with a focus around pre-

employment support for early school leavers this could be brilliant for supporting local youth. The

outcome for this should be known early in 2016.

I remain positive about the future and believe that the community and governments have recognised that

young people need to receive more support. It is refreshing to see this debate occurring. I’m always

frustrated when programs cease (assuming they are achieving their objectives) because when services

stop and there is no replacement, it is very difficult to maintain the balance of support. Playing ‘catch up’

is never good because it takes so long to restore the important ‘balance’ to ensure the ‘disconnection of

young people’ is limited.

I would like to recognise the terrific team supporting our organisation during the 2014/15. Although our

numbers were small, the team have remained committed to supporting youth and working with our

agency and corporate partners to do the best job possible. In particular I would like to thank my two office

leaders. Kym from James St in Toowoomba and Le-Anne from the office in Dalby.

I would like to acknowledge all of the partner agencies, schools, parents and members of the public who

have supported DISCO and assisted our work. This support is critical to enable us to do what we do and

we thank you sincerely for it.

Mike Paton

CEO

From the CEO

4


Our Objective, Vision and Mission

DISCO TRANSFORMS YOUNG LIVES

Established in 1997, DISCO has

developed a reputation as a

leader in the provision of youth

services and has a strong

reputation built on quality and

professionalism.

Our Objective

DISCO offers support to young

people who reach out to us. Our

organisation listens, supports and

builds confidence to assist a

young person to determine a

future that maximises their true

potential.

Our Vision

DISCO aims to help young

people grow and develop

irrespective of their

circumstances when they link

with our organisation.

Our Mission

Partnering Schools, Linking with

Business, Supporting Youth.

5


Farmers are very important people and you have probably seen the bumper

sticker which reads ‘Every family needs a farmer’. As I write my report for the

last 12 months more than 80% of Queensland is in drought and this equates

to more than thirty three local Councils across the State. I’m based in

Toowoomba, where we currently have reasonably full dams and have had

some early spring storm rain which is great, so you could be forgiven for saying

‘what drought?’

So what does drought have to do with the progress of DISCO over the last 12

months?

Actually you might be surprised about the many comparisons I have

considered.

1) DISCO has for the last three years has been experiencing a ‘financial drought’. Conditions have

been so bad that the committee and the CEO have needed to use some of our reserves to

continue to operate the organisation.

2) Droughts have the capacity to enable some farmers to get some rain and some farmers miss out

altogether. DISCO has experienced seeing some youth providers or agencies getting some funds

whilst we have not had any federal funds now for over 12 months and the support from the

Queensland Government has been only minor.

3) Smart farmers (who squirreled away dollars in better times) have been able to last out when

others have not. DISCO recognised some time ago that with the future uncertain, it was important

to allocate for the bad times which would inevitably come. And they have!

4) Some farmers in Queensland have not had rain since 2012. No rain in three years. In some cases,

for some regions, this is the worst drought in recorded history. For DISCO, as I have watched our

reserves dwindle, I can confirm that this is the worst funding drought we have experienced.

Unfortunately, like many farmers it has to rain soon or like the farmers who walk of the land, we

will unfortunately need to walk out of our offices.

Now a President’s Report should be upbeat and positive. I couldn’t agree more. It must also be honest

and accurate. It is very difficult to share the challenges the organisation has experienced and, although

we have light on the horizon with renewed State Government funding and some potential new projects

from the Commonwealth, it is also important to highlight that DISCO’s future is delicately poised.

I acknowledge the commitment to ‘stay the course’ from our CEO Mike Paton and thank him for his

contribution in very challenging times. Mike is ably supported by a great team who have also worked very

hard this year.

I want to specifically thank my fellow Executive Members John Skerman and Suzanne Browning and all

of the individual committee members who have been there when we needed them. I would like to thank

each member of the committee sincerely for their support, ideas and commitment during another difficult

year.

I hope you enjoy your break at the end of the year and in whatever way you support DISCO can I say

thank you for helping us to help the young people of today who will be become the adults of tomorrow.

I remain committed to help the organisation to ‘turn the corner’ and I hope to present better news in my

next report. Rest assured both my Management Committee and the DISCO team will be working as hard

as possible to offer the critical support to youth that the organisation has developed a reputation for

delivering.

Neil Davy

Neil Davy

President

From the President

6


DISCO is very grateful for the volunteer leadership and assistance provided by Management Committee

and Ordinary Members who are listed below.

Management Committee Members

Mr Neil Davy

CGD Group Pty Ltd – Toowoomba

President (Parent Rep)

Mr John Skerman

Pittsworth State High School – Pittsworth

Vice President

Ms Suzanne Browning

USQ – Purchasing Officer

Treasurer

The Management Committee

Ordinary Committee Members

Mrs Heather Hagemann

St Joseph’s College – Toowoomba

Mr Alan Gray

Gratitude Services – Toowoomba

Mr Len Zupp

Zupps Farms – Charlton

Mr Ashley Vettiger

Herron Todd White – Toowoomba

Mr Andrew Spradbrow

Toowoomba Regional Council

Mr Lester Eiser

Education Consultant – Toowoomba

Mr Dane Vallely

Youth Rep

7

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The Downs Industry Schools Co-operation Inc

(DISCO) commenced operations in Toowoomba with

a small office in 1997.

Since then the organisation has continued to grow

across Queensland and has operated offices in

communities including Roma, Dalby and Toowoomba.

DISCO has continued to provide support to school

leavers by making resources, including our School

Leaver Guide (proudly sponsored by the University of

Southern Queensland) available and this has enabled

many young people to make the successful transition

from school to the next phase of their lives.

Over the last 12 months the focus of

the organisation has been in

Toowoo mba and Dalby.

As part of DISCO’s ongoing mission to

support more young people, the

organisation is currently investigating

the possibility of opening an office in

the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.

DISCO acknowledges the support of

Gateway to Training (GTT) in

Goondiwindi and the Southern Downs

Industry Education Association Inc

(SDIEA) for their support delivering the

Youth Connections program in

consortia across South West

Queensland.

DISCO recognises that to continue to

be a leader in the delivery of youth

services and to ensure that the

programs and support offered by our

organisation is accessible to as many

young people as possible, we will

continue to open new offices and

commence new partnerships to ensure

that young people from across Queensland and around Australia can have access to specific,

individualised and professional youth services from highly qualified and passionate professionals.

Our Regional Footprint

8


When ‘times are tough’ the ‘tough get going’ and this year certainly has been tough. Many of you would

be aware that funding support for young people in transition has remained generally poor with both the

state and federal governments reviewing, restricting and reducing funding for youth services.

Although there is light on the horizon and the reality exists that we may have turned the corner now that

governments are moving back in to this space with funding, it remains currently a very under supported

and under resourced part of government policy at the federal level. It is encouraging to see the

Queensland State Government recommitting to employment programs under the Skilling Queenslanders

for Work initiative. We acknowledge this and thank the State Government for reinvesting in this area.

Currently the Toowoomba region reflects a youth unemployment rate of 10.1% and the Western Downs

which is slightly lower at 8.8%. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey SA4 Area Profile – August 2015

In reality, though, this year the organisation has lobbied governments because of critical information

around young people that is either ignored or not understood. The following is an excerpt of

communication with local Federal MP Ian Macfarlane:

Due to a slowdown in employment activity, the Toowoomba and wider Darling Downs and South West

regions we have been experiencing a noticeable decrease in the employment of low skilled and semi-

skilled workers. This has impacted notably on young people in particular as evidenced by an increase

in Newstart and Youth Allowance registrations*. Data released from the Department of Social Security

since December last year shows that the Toowoomba region saw an increase of over 20% between

December and March whilst Dalby experienced an increase in registrations by 23%. What makes this

data more concerning is the comparison against March 2014 to March 2015 which shows that

Toowoomba’s Newstart and Youth Allowance applications had risen year on year by a

staggering 31.5% for the Toowoomba region and 47% for the Dalby region.

The organisation has had continued success with a small amount of Community Learning funding from

the State Government and also as a consortium partner with not-for-profit partner United Synergies. This

work (which has a focus on training) has seen more than ninety five young people assisted in 2015.

It has been great to see the continuation of the School

Leaver program and the organisation will again be

producing the School Leaver Guides with booklet support

from the University of Southern Queensland and website

sponsorship from Busy at Work. Over four thousand will be

produced for school leavers in 2015.

DISCO recognises the collaborative way that it work with community partners in Toowoomba and across

the South West. These relationships are critical to enable us to share the load of supporting young people

and work smarter to assist each other when resources are more stretched.

Both in Toowoomba and across the South West DISCO has partnered other agencies and organisations

to deliver a range of programs and services. These have included client graduations, holiday programs,

career’s expo’s and much more.

The Year in Review

9


Tiarni Rowe came to DISCO in May 2015. Tiarni attended our Community Learning ‘Jobs through

Education & Training’ – JET) Program and never missed a day without contacting us.

Due to family issues living at home was not an option and she needed another safe location to live. For

a period of time she stayed at Gateway House and Tiarni thoroughly enjoyed the freedom and

responsibility given to her in this environment. Eventually she moved on from this location and this was

a tough period as she was unable to find somewhere stable to live due to the complicated issues of family

members. Tiarni did not let this stop her from achieving her goals and she continued to attend DISCO

and work on her Certificates and her future.

While all of this was happening Tiarni was also battling mental health issues and felt alone. She began

to open up to DISCO staff and assistance was provided to help her cope with all that was happening in

her life. Red Cross (YHARS), Child and Youth Mental Health and DISCO began to work collaboratively

to provide Tiarni with the best outcomes possible for her. .

We are proud to confirm that Tiarni now has stable accommodation, has successfully completed a

Certificate II in Business, a Certificate III in Business and has completed her Responsible Service of

Alcohol (RSA) as well as successfully studying Apply First Aid and CPR.

Due to her success and the improvement in her self confidence, Tiarni applied to do the Tertiary

Preparation Program (TPP) at the University of Southern Queensland and she commences this program

in November 2015.

Tiarni was thankful for the DISCO experience and noticed that her younger brother was also in need of

help. She promptly referred him to the DISCO program and he was accepted. Tiarni is always looking

out for him and encourages him to do the right thing. She is always the person that notices when others

are down and puts them before herself.

Once Tiarni has completed the TPP Course at USQ she wishes to enrol into a Bachelor of Law.

Tiarni is a wonderful example of a young person who took all of the opportunities presented to her and

our entire organisation is very proud of her achievements which will be celebrated with other students at

a ceremony in December 2015.

Client Highlight

10


A summary of this year’s highlights include:

Continuation of our Community Learning program to provide education

and training support to assist people to undertake training and develop

the necessary skills to access employment or continue their education

Continuation and finalisation of the Youth Connections program. This

program supported young people not in school or work to re-engage

with their community. Ended 2014.

Continued auspicing of the PaCE (Parent and Community Engagement

& transition supporters). Ended 2014.

Participation in various careers

expo’s and other events to showcase

the organisation and support youth

Maintenance of the DISCO website

Continued coordination of the DISCO

Facebook page with increased

participation by the community

Continued delivery of the

organisations newsletter DISCO

Beat!

Participation in various community groups and agencies to

showcase our work and support youth

Delivery of the School Leaver program and continued

distribution of the School Leaver Transition Booklet

Continuation of the ‘In School’ DISCO training awards to

recognise vocational excellence

Continued marketing of DISCO at

community events and in shopping

centres to support young people

The continued development of

team members to enhance

performance and create

succession planning opportunities

2014/15 Highlights

11


During 2014/15 we have continued to offer the regions in which we operate a range of youth services.

We have had a focus to assist young people referred from a range of partners including;

Schools

Parents

Other agencies

Police

Justice

Churches

As a result of the funding cutbacks our services have diminished and this has impacted on the range of

options available through our agency to support youth this year.

Programs delivered have included:

Youth Connections Program (Federal Government Funded)

The Youth Connections (YC) program continued through 2014 with

funding from the Department of Education (DOE). DISCO

acknowledges the support provided by consortium partners the

Southern Downs industry Education Association Inc (SDIEA – Based

in Warwick) and Gateway to Training (GTT Based in Goondiwindi)

who have supported the program in a number of regions assisting

many young people.

The program has the objective to reengage and support young

people from 14 – 17 to attain year 12 or its equivalent and to help

them make a successful transition through education and onto

further education, training or work and has a focus on personal

development, relationships and connection and progression.

During the year demand for the program grew steadily with all offices

consistently receiving a higher rate of referrals. This demonstrates

not only the maturity of the program but also how positively it was

being received by the community.

We are pleased that the program has supported so many young

people since it commenced but are dissapointed that nothing was

avilable to replace it in 2015.

To demonstrate the numbers of clients assisted in 2014 we would

highlight the following general data for the delivery of this contract in

Toowoomba, Dalby, Roma and surrounding regions. The information

below is for the period January – December 2014. This program has

now concluded.

Total Number of Clients Assisted: 144

Number of Indigenous Clients: 55

Number of Humanitarian Refugees: 6

Number of Young People who have received outcomes as a result of our work: 140

Our Programs & Services

12


Our Programs & Services

Community Learning Program (State Government Funded)

Community Learning aims to provide a supported pathway for nationally recognised training to young

people who do not receive government income, employment support or assistance.

Community Learning provides:-

Certificate Qualifications

Flexible learning and assessment styles

Training to lift confidence and self-esteem

Skills & experiences that support activities that lead to employment or educational opportunities

Work placements and industry visits to build knowledge and assist career development

To demonstrate the numbers of clients assisted in 2014 we would highlight the following general data for

the delivery of this contract in the Toowoomba and Dalby regions. The information below is for the period

January – October 2015 but the program continues until the end of December.

Total Number of Clients Assisted: 95

Number of Indigenous Clients: 5

Number of Humanitarian Refugees: 0

Number of Young People who have received outcomes as a result of our work: 62

Parents and Community Engagement (PaCE) (This program is auspiced on behalf of the PaCE

Reference Group) – Federal Government Funded

Other Project Initiatives

DISCO has again been delighted to auspice funding for the Indigenous community in Roma to provide

support for Indigenous parents in the region. This program has enabled parents to receive one-on-one

support and group support and this initiative has contributed to assisting parents to provide greater

support to their children and helped improve young Indigenous students to complete the compulsory

phases of education. This program has now concluded.

The organisation has continued to deliver a range of independent and sometimes self-funded projects to

support young people in our community. A number of these have occurred during school and term time

and some have been holiday workshops. A sample of these include:

School Leaver Transition Program - Booklet / Follow Up program

DISCO ‘In School’ Training Awards

‘Your Region Your Eyes’ Photographic Competition and Calendar - 2015

(DISCO acknowledges the Toowoomba Regional Council, Toowoomba Youth Service and other

agencies as well and volunteer members of our community who provided support to allow many of these

initiatives to be undertaken)

Sale of products including:

Career Combat – The Parent’s Survival Guide

CAT’s Manual – Career & Transitions Resources Manual

DISCO’s Policies & Procedures

13


Marketing

To further promote the organisation and the various programs and services we offer to the community

and young people we are delighted this year to have delivered or supported the following activities.

Shopping Centre Promotions

We have continued to participate in shopping centre presentations

in Dalby and Toowoomba to promote our various programs and

services. By bringing our organisation more into the public view we

have promoted our services and directly received referrals from

parents and community stakeholders which have enabled us to

help more young people.

Toowoomba Chronicle Careers Expo / Chinchilla Careers

Expo / Dalby Careers Expo

We continue to participate in careers expos around the region. Attended by a large number of agencies,

as well as universities, group training companies and much more the events provide young people and

parents with the opportunity to meet with a large range of organisations to discuss options for the future.

DISCO (In School) Training Awards

For four years now DISCO in Toowoomba has coordinated

sponsorship with local businesses and organisations to help schools

recognise vocational excellence. With more than a dozen schools

and sponsors involved with these awards, (which are handed out in

conjunction with the schools speech night), these awards are now

embedded into the school communities and all sponsors are

committed to supporting the program well into the future.

‘Your Region Your Eyes’ Photographic Competition

The ‘Your Region Your Eyes’ Photographic Competition which is run

in partnership with the Toowoomba Regional Council gives young

people the opportunity to photograph our local community and

identify photos that give meaning to how they see the region they live

in. After judging the successful photos are placed in a calendar with

these being sold around the region with proceeds being used to

support regional youth events.

Outreach Initiatives

14


During the year DISCO supported a number of young people across a number of programs and with a

range of resources. This support was offered in Toowoomba and across South West Queensland.

Clients assisted with career, support and transition……………………………………….………..3211

Clients assisted with or into employment……………………………………………….………………72

Clients assisted with re-engagement services………………………………………………………..144

Clients assisted with school retention goals………………………………………….………………...78

Total clients supported in 2014/15 (Year to date)……………………………………..……….……3505

This is a decrease of 9% in direct client support over the previous year.

Our Clients

15


Income Generation

40%

45%

10%5%

Origin of FundingFederal

State

Self-Generated

Other

25%

55%

15%

2%3%

How Funding was SpentSchool Retention /Re-engagement

Training /Employment

Administration

Marketing

Other

16


Financial Support

The organisation has responded aggressively to the challenges with funding during the year to seek out

opportunities and has developed a number of submissions which have been directed at both the

corporate and government sectors.

This focussed and determined approach has been necessary as the organisation has been challenged

as a result of a reduction in income from government.

DISCO continues to seek out corporate support with significant success throughout the year being

achieved.

DISCO continues to sell some resources which contributes a small amount of income.

Government Support

Even though the year has been a challenging one with changes

in contracts and alterations in funding levels we need to

acknowledge both the State and Commonwealth governments for

their funding assistance and support.

We send a sincere thank you to both the Commonwealth Government

through the Department of Education and through the State

Government through the Department of Education &, Training (DET).

Corporate Support

Our financial connection to the corporate

sector has continued to be nurtured and we

need to acknowledge the support of our

corporate partners for their assistance in

providing funding to assist the work we do as

this has been critical to continue to support

young people across South West

Queensland.

I would like to sincerely thank all individuals

and corporate partners for their financial

support and I’m pleased to highlight these

partners by their respective logos to the left

and above in recognition of their financial

support for the 2014/15 year.

The organisation believes that the corporate

sector will play an even more significant role

in the future in helping the organisation to

maintain its support for youth.

Income Generation

17

http://education.gov.au/


To reach out to young people and recognise their achievements, promote the organisation to community

stakeholders and maximise our exposure DISCO uses a range of marketing tools to promote the work

we do.

Highlighted on this page are a collection of marketing items used throughout 2014/15.

Innovative Promotional Tools

18


During the year we have continued to work hard to promote the activities of the organisation and the

work undertaken at the various offices.

As the organisations budget for communication and marketing is limited, we have utilised the following

mediums to help communicate our message and highlight the work we undertake. The tools we have

used (as outlined below) have included:

DISCO Website

DISCO Facebook page

DISCO Newsletter – DISCO Beat!

DISCO / Toowoomba Regional Council Calendar

Direct e-mails and e-mail signature promotion

Free TV advertising

Media Releases

Our Annual Report

Advertising and promotion on corporate vehicles

Career Expo’s & Trade Shows

Our Key Promotional Tools

DISCO Website

The DISCO website continues to be a very effective tool to

communicate about all facets of the organisation and

provides information on programs and services, resources,

news, information of team members and much more.

It is clear from monitoring of the site that the site is accessed

regularly and current tracking identifies interest across pages

on the site of more than 70,000 hits and over 200 downloads

a week.

DISCO Beat Newsletter

The organisation continues to distribute three editions of a DISCO Beat! a year to schools, employers

and community partners. We e-mail these to all stakeholders and also place this resource on our website

and Facebook page.

These important newsletters help to market our current work and communicate key information to the

partners and supporters of the organisation.

Communication & Marketing

19


Communication & Marketing

DISCO Facebook Page

The Facebook page continues to provide instant information to

many of the stakeholders we work with, particularly youth. This

medium is an excellent vehicle for the placement of information

and resources and is used and updated by DISCO team

members.

Media Stories

We have issued numerous media releases and are grateful for the support received by the local media

which have included radio and television interviews, newspaper stories and promotional inserts. All of

this information has helped demonstrate to the community our commitment to young people and

highlighted our professionalism and passion for the work we do.

Schools we partner with in South West Queensland.

Bell State School Cecil Plains State School Centenary Heights State High School Charleville State High School Christian Outreach College Clifton State High School Concordia College Crow’s Nest State School Cunnamulla State High School Dalby Christian College Dalby State High School Darling Downs Christian School Downlands College Fairholme College Faith Lutheran College Flexi School Goondiwindi State High School Harristown State High School Jandowae State School Laidley State High School Lockyer District State High School

Our Partner Schools

Millmerran State School Oakey State High School Pittsworth State High School Quinalow State School Roma State College Stanthorpe State High School St George State High School St John’s School – Roma St Joseph’s College St Mary’s College (Dalby) St Mary’s College St Saviour’s College St Ursula’s College The Glennie School Toowoomba Christian College Toowoomba Grammar School Toowoomba State High School Toowoomba State High School –

Wilsonton Campus Warwick State High School Youth & Community Learning Centre

20


Funding & Finances

With reduced funding this year and an expectation that funding for the 2015/16 period to be similar, the

Management Committee will make decisions in the latter half of 2015 to review the budget for the 2016

operating year.

Labour costs remain the most significant expense. These costs have continued to grow and planning is

underway to determine the organisations staff requirements for the upcoming year.

The Management Committee and the CEO have continued to utilise reserves to continue the operation

of the organisation and this cannot continue into the future.

As at the writing of this report DISCO has secured two new Skilling Queenslanders for Work contracts

for delivery (Ready for Work from October 2015 and Get Set for Work from January 2016).

In 2016 the organisation expects to remain continually challenged and will again use funds from our

operating surplus to support the primary operating budget. Although we are confident of new funding, it

is expected to be at the lowest for some years with turnover struggling to reach $1M. It is possible that

new funding receipts will be found but these cannot be confirmed at this stage.

With known income and existing cash reserves the organisation can prepare an operating budget for

2016.

Opportunities

The DISCO Management Committee are CEO are confident that a range of known and pending

opportunities will improve business for the organisation in the coming months.

These potential new projects and opportunities include:

Currently proposed or lodged tenders

New and continuing funding opportunities with an NGO partner

New and continuing funding opportunities with multiple corporate partners

Sale of resources

Sale of intellectual property rights to government and corporate partners

The Future

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Following is an overview of the staff and contractors who have supported the organisation and those who

have moved on to begin new challenges.

To all our team members past and present we say thanks for your great support!

DISCO Team (Toowoomba)

Michael Paton – CEO – Ruthven St – Full Time

Michelle Carter – Finance Officer – Part Time

Taleah Campbell – Youth Support Officer / Office Assistant – Ruthven St – Full Time

Kymberley Baills – Office Manager / Program Manager – James St – Full Time

Carissa Kennedy – Community Learning Coordinator – James St – Full Time

Hannah Strachan – Business Administration Trainee – James St – Part Time

Emma Alexander – Youth Worker – James St – Part Time (Maternity Leave)

Contractors (Toowoomba)

Roger Klaassen – IT Support – Casual

DISCO Team (Dalby)

Le-Anne Callaghan – Office Manager / Program Manager – Full Time

Staff / Contractors who have departed through the Year

Leisa Finch – Operations Manager – Station St – Part Time

Andrew Taylor – Youth Worker – James St – Part Time

Jobella Bennett – Youth Worker – James St – Part Time

Brett Cotter – IT Support – Casual

Janah O’Shea – Youth Training Program Coordinator – Full Time

Emma Kaiteie – Youth Support Coordinator – Part Time

Mikayli Buckley – Youth Worker – Part Time

Tony Finch – Trade Trainer – Casual

Leisa Finch – Office Manager – Part Time

Toni Jeavons – Team Leader – Part Time

Debbie Murphy – PACE Coordinator – Part Time

Brittany Knox – Administration – James St – Full Time

DISCO Staff

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James Street Office

129 James Street, PO Box 1353

Toowoomba QLD 4350

Ph: 07 4632 9065

Fax: 07 4638 7602

Email: [email protected]

Mike

Paton

Kym

Baills

Le-Anne

Callaghan

Leisa

Finch

Toni

Jeavons

Contact Details

Toowoomba Office – Head Office

Suite 3 Level 1, 453 Ruthven Street,

PO Box 1353

Toowoomba QLD 4350

Ph: 07 4638 3088

Fax: 07 4638 7602


Dalby Office

169 Cunningham Street, PO Box 1247

Dalby QLD 4405

Ph: 07 4662 2147

Fax: 07 4638 7602


Roma Office (OFFICE CLOSED DECEMBER 2014)

Shop 4, School of Arts Hotel Building

Cnr McDowall & Hawthorne Sts,

PO Box 1393

Roma QLD 4455


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mailto:[email protected]





Financial Statements & Independent Auditors Report

Prepared by Hooper Accountants Pty Ltd

Downs Industry Schools Co-operation Inc (DISCO)

ABN: 39 841 878 209

The Executive of the Downs Industry Schools Co-operation Inc (DISCO) is pleased to present on behalf

of the members the financial statements of the organisation for the 2014/15 financial year.

The Executive Members of the organisation for the 2014/15 financial year were:

President - Mr Neil Davy

Vice President - Mr John Skerman

Treasurer - Ms Suzanne Browning

Principal Activities

The Executive Members supported by Ordinary Members are pleased to confirm below a summary of

the activities of the organisation for the 2014/15 financial year.

The principal activity of the organisation for the period involved support for young people who are

both in and out of the schooling system and to assist them to strive to reach their full potential.

The organisations short term objectives are:

- Continuing to seek out new funding to support youth

- Growing the business to provide services to more young people across Queensland

- Delivering services in line with our Our Objectives, Our Vision and our Our Mission

Statement

- Offering support consistently and to a high standard

The organisations long term objectives are:

- To expand our services across Australia

- To maintain and be recognised as a consistently high performing youth agency by the

community and government across the country

- To be recognised by the community and government as an organisation capable of initiating

ideas to improve outcomes for young people

Achievement of these objectives will be measured against the following outcomes:

- Open new offices and develop new partnerships to expand our reach

- Honest. responsive and reliable relationships with our key stakeholders

- The satisfaction ratings and feedback provided by our clients

- A focus on continued improvement and quality control

- Our values and the way we respond to feedback and change

- Following our Strategic Plan and the goals we set for ourselves

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