A pathway to positive change

Following is an excerpt from a story recently published in the RMIT news.

A $100,000 gift to RMIT from soft facility services company GJK Facility Services will help disadvantaged students overcome the barriers they face to higher education.

The generous gift will fund the GJK Facility Services Scholarship, worth up to $10,000 a year for three years. 

The scholarship is aimed at students who face challenges in accessing higher education, particularly those identifying as women, from rural or financially disadvantaged backgrounds, or pursuing science, technology, engineering or mathematics disciplines. “The hope is that the funding will help recipients achieve their educational and career aspirations and, ultimately, bring about positive change in the community. 

Continue reading on the RMIT website >>

Ask RUOK?

In recognition of R U OK? Day this month, GJK Facility Services arranged afternoon tea for our teams across the country, which also featured actor and comedian Danyal Diallo as the guest speaker of one of our client sites to offer support, advice and inspiration to our teams.

Danyal Diallo is a 21 year old TEDx speaker, actor, and comedian based in Melbourne. He stands for social reform and youth excellence and has been demonstrating that through the way he steps out into the world to inspire his audience.

We believe that R U OK? Day is more than just a day: it’s a movement that empowers us to identify the signs that someone might not be OK, and offers guidance on how to both listen and help.

A safer adulthood

It is a sad fact that half of all young people who enter our corrections system come straight from the state care system. Transitioning from childhood to adulthood is difficult for all of us, but imagine doing so without the support of any parents or close family-members. The care and support that vulnerable young people - such as those in the foster and out-of-home-care systems - are able to access stops on the day they turn 18, as they enter adulthood.

For many, this milestone birthday means an abrupt end to all of their support and networks. They must leave their “home” without any means of supporting themselves: no networks, no financial support, nothing. Most cannot even open a bank account because they don’t have the identification required, which in turn prevents them from accessing vital welfare support, including Medicare, Centrelink and the ATO.

Sadly, this significantly increases the risk of the young people experiencing homelessness, mental health struggles, criminal offences, early parenthood, and drug- and alcohol-problems, an outcome that is borne out in fact that they make up half of all young people in the corrections system. And of these vulnerable young people, young women are most at risk.

Our team at GJK Facility Services was deeply moved to learn about these issues from the Bridge of Hope Foundation, and we were determined to do something positive to help them. Bridge of Hope is a not-for-profit organisation that collaborates with vulnerable young women - and their care teams - to develop personalised support plans that help them transition safely from out-of-home care to independent living. The support these women receive includes both the practical, social and financial skills and resources needed for independent living, and the emotional skills that help them build resilience as they navigate adult life.

For example, the program ensures every young woman leaving care has a copy of their birth certificate, a bank account and debit card, and introduction to Centrelink, a MyKi cards and MyGov accounts. They are given driving lessons and help earning a driver’s license, and help developing a professional resume and developing interview skills, as well as free legal advice and representation if they need it.

In addition, the young women receive access to specialised mental and general health programs, and the program is currently negotiating with one of Victoria’s major hospitals to provide health assessment and advice, and to facilitate necessary surgical procedures.

I am proud to serve on the Board of Bridge of Hope, and prouder-still of the GJK team, who recently donated $20,000 to the foundation’s “Bridging the Gap” initiative as the next step in its goal to foster social change and offer help to those in need.

Helping homeless children

I am proud to share the following story from GJK Facility Services, and the support the team was able to give to the Lighthouse Foundation, an important charity that provides children and young people who are homeless - or at risk of homelessness - with the care and support they need to heal and thrive.

“In a heartwarming collaboration, our esteemed charity partner, Lighthouse Foundation, sought our support to revitalise one of their residences for young people. Without hesitation, our dedicated team sprang into action. Today, we are proud to announce that thanks to our joint efforts, this particular home in Melbourne has undergone a thorough transformation.

“GJK Facility Services are deeply honoured to be a part of this endeavour and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact the rejuvenated home has on the lives of these remarkable young individuals. Together, we are sowing the seeds of self-sufficiency, responsibility, and a clean, nurturing home environment that will endure for years to come.”

Understanding endometriosis

I recently had the privilege of attending the Women’s Health Lunch, hosted by Epworth Medical Foundation.

We were privileged to hear from Dr Kate Tyson, who shed light on endometriosis, a painful condition that affects many women. And Julia Argyrou shared her personal journey of battling the disease, and the events that motivated her to start the Julia Argyrou Endometriosis Centre at Epworth HealthCare.

GJK Facility Services was proud to be part of this event, and to support such an important cause.

Gratitude & resilience

We all have the power to change someone’s life for the better, and it may start with something as simple as a heartfelt question: “Are you ok?”

GJK Facility Services joined hands with the RUOK movement last month, taking the time to remind each of us that opening up an “Are you ok?” conversation - and approaching it with an open heart and mind - can make a significant impact on the lives of those we care about.

We all have an opportunity to create a world that is more supportive, connected and compassionate.

In the lead-up to RUOK day, GJK Facility Services encouraged its staff-members to post messages of gratitude on our Gratitude Walls, and welcomed Mark “Squiz” Squirrell, OAM (Green Beret Commando and Mount Everest Summiteer) to speak to the team about his journey and the importance of resilience.

For Our Elders

Every year, the beginning of NAIDOC Week in Victoria is marked by the official Flag Raising Ceremony, honouring the continued connection to culture, country and language of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

NAIDOC Week is a significant occasion that holds tremendous meaning for all Australians. This year’s theme, “For Our Elders,” is an important reminder that our Elders are the keepers of both culture and lore, and are the most important aspect of healing our people.

GJK Facility Services was pleased to send Nerida Robertson and Loyal Johaan as our representatives at the Ceremony, which involves a Smoking Ceremony, Welcome to Country, and a one-minute silence in honour of Aboriginal Elders who had passed to the Dreaming in the past year, and for all ancestors who had fought for the survival of Aboriginal peoples and cultures.

They said:

“Elders have the enormous task of maintaining and passing on traditional knowledge, values and customary practices, while helping us find balance as we navigate between different worlds. They have laid the foundations for us to be successful across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics, and everything in between.”

Supporting our nurses

If COVID taught our nation anything about the healthcare environment in Australia, it was to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary and tireless work performed by armies of nurses across our nation.

Finding, supporting and retaining qualified nurses has proven to be a major challenge for many hospitals and healthcare organisations Australia-wide, especially since so many of our talented and dedicated nurses reached the point of burnout during the first two years of the pandemic.

In response to this crisis, Epworth HealthCare has come up with an outstanding initiative to support our nurses, and foster true excellence through advanced training. The Brookes Academy of Nursing and Midwifery at Epworth HealthCare recently launched to forge innovative learning pathways for nurses and midwives at all levels in clinical, leadership, education and research fields.

The result is a new cohort of nurses who are supported and developed in their careers at every stage, and an even higher standard of patient care at Epworth, as they benefit from the skills and education of the Academy graduates.

What is even more extraordinary about this Academy is that is is funded entirely by donations. What a legacy of generosity and foresight made by individuals and businesses in Melbourne! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to support this initiative earlier this year, by donating $250,000 towards the development of the Brookes Academy of Nursing and Midwifery. I truly believe this Academy will fundamentally change the face and lift the standards of nursing training across Victoria and indeed Australia.

Officially carbon neutral

My company GJK Facility Services has received certification as a carbon neutral organisation by the government-backed Climate Active program, and I am thrilled at this achievement by everyone involved. This is a significant milestone in our ongoing journey to achieve net zero.

Businesses play a vital role in positively impacting change in society and the environment, and one way we are doing this at GJK is to continue reducing our emissions by implementing sustainable practices and environmental solutions into our business, operations and supply chains.

Reconciliation pathways

What an honour it was in February to receive formal endorsement by Reconciliation Australia for our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) at GJK Facility Services.

This action plan is the next logical step in our journey to contribute to a reconciled, just and equitable Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

With this endorsement, we are joining a network of more than 2200 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have made formal commitments to reconciliation through Reconciliation Australia’s RAP program.

GJK’s plan is available to download and read here.

About the artwork

The beautiful RAP artwork in our plan, shared above, is called “GJK Pathways to Reconciliation” and was created by Lani Balzan , a proud Aboriginal woman from the Wiradjuri people of the three-river tribe.

Lani created the piece to represent GJK and its connection with staff, families, friends, and community, coming together to learn and grow and close the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people by taking the journey together for a better understanding of Aboriginal culture.

The large gathering symbol represents GJK, with the people symbols representing employees, family, friends, and the community. The gold pathway represents our reconciliation journey, the paths are taken to build a better connection to Aboriginal culture across the land, and the work we have done with Aboriginal people over the years.

The Yarra River represented through the artwork, symbolizes the important land feature where GJK’s head office is located, with the six circle elements representing our offices in other states.

The eagle symbol represents strength and courage, and is also Lani’s totem and holds significant importance to Aboriginal culture. The eagle watches over and protects from above.

The three larger people symbols in golden colours represent GJK’s values.

A proud Australian

What an extraordinary honour it was to receive an Order of Australia this year in recognition of my personal contribution to philanthropic events in the business and community. It is deeply humbling to be recognised for something I believe in so passionately. Business cannot thrive without community, and fostering community is every bit as much about giving and participating as it is about belonging.

I am a proud Australian, and was never more proud than on the day I stood at Governor House to receive this award from Governor General Linda Dessau.

But while I am deeply honoured to have been recognised in this way, I do not act alone, and there are many in my family and business who I would call the “unsung heroes” who have directly contributed to the good I have been able to achieve in the community, and who are therefore also deserving of this award.

I wish to thank firstly my wife Jaqui Maree, who gives abundantly of her time, talents and resources to support numerous charitable organisations, and who inspires and empowers many others to do the same. In addition, I’d like to highlight the actions of the leadership cohort and entire team at GJK Facility Services, who have demonstrated time and again through the GJK Giving Back program - via volunteering work, corporate giving, their commitment to sustainability and advocacy for those in need - what it truly means to “give back.”

Carbon footprint

Earlier this month, my company GJK Facility Services invited sustainability experts from the building and property industry to provide guidance and insights on how we can reduce our carbon emissions in the built environment sector.

After all, the property industry is one of the planet’s worst climate offenders, being responsible for 39 percent of all global carbon emissions, and more than 50 percent of global material use.

As such, we believe it is up to us to lead the way in actioning climate change.

But to be honest, our ambitions are higher than simply “reducing” our carbon footprint: our goal is to achieve a Net Zero impact by 2050.

And as climate science continues to evolve rapidly, it is vital that we, too, evolve and pivot in order to achieve our goal of Net Zero by 2050. We asked our three panelists to provide practical guidance and insights aimed at helping us walk the right path to achieve this goal.

• Jamie Wallis (Senior Manager – Market Engagement at Green Building Council of Australia) highlighted the recent drivers of NetZero change, and discussed the importance of building- owners understanding the expectations on them, and addressing their carbon footprint

• Alexandra Lawlor (National Leader Urban Futures & Resilience at Architectus) discussed the critical role of design and the developer’s role concerning NetZero. She spoke about the importance of working with clients and stakeholders in the planning stage to create a design that would encourage sustainable behaviours

• Rebecca Jinks (Head of Sustainability & ESG at Cushman & Wakefield, Asia Pacific) shared methods and ways to pursue decarbonization in real estate, and discussed how property was vulnerable to physical and transitional risks associated with climate change, and the actions we need to consider

Click here to watch the webinar back in your own time.

Indigenous suppliers

I firmly believe that Australian businesses can and should provide greater opportunities for Indigenous suppliers to participate in the economy. By procuring both goods and services from Indigenous suppliers, we can help to create sustainable employment and strengthen Indigenous entrepreneurship, thereby improving overall economic and social outcomes for Indigenous communities.

And, while both public and private sectors have made significant inroads into driving Indigenous procurement programs, there is so much more that we can do.

At a webinar hosted by GJK Facility Services, a small panel of experts provided powerful insights into the journey of the Indigenous economy, and the benefits, challenges and future strides that Australian businesses can take to work productively with the Indigenous business sector.

• Glenn Johnston (Director of Procurement & Business Support for Infrastructure NSW) discussed a way forward for Australian businesses to lead Indigenous engagement through Reconciliation Action Plans, which give procurement the framework to support Ingenious suppliers

• Tim Moggridge (co-owner of NPM Indigenous) provided insights into his company’s growth, and how imperative business partners are to its success. Tim’s personal experience from the Indigenous supplier side revealed how critical social procurement practices were for Indigenous businesses and communities

• Madeline Taylor (Head of Strategic Client Management in JLL’s Sourcing and Procurement Team) discussed JLL’s supplier diversity strategy, and their mature social procurement framework approach, which delivered an ethical, sustainable and inclusive supply chain.

To watch back a recording of this webinar, click here.

Giving Back

I’m proud to announce that GJK Facility Services has launched a new social impact program, called “GJK Giving Back.” We’ve partnered with the Lighthouse Foundation, a charitable organisation that provides homes and therapeutic care programs for children and young people who are impacted by long-term neglect, abuse, and homelessness.

The Foundation relies on donations and corporate partners - like GJK - to help them continue to create caring communities where children can feel safe, forge meaningful relationships, and begin to heal from their traumatic pasts.

A key component of the new GJK Giving Back program is that it also empowers GJK employees to get involved, if they choose to.

“Working with charities, not-for-profits and organisations we already support, like the Lighthouse Foundation, the GJK Giving Back program will build on these relationships to create shared value partnerships,” said CEO Elias Stamas. “Giving back and doing good has always been part of GJK’s DNA… and this program just takes this to the next level, enabling our employees to participate and give back too.”

A visit to Epworth

Recently I was invited by Epworth Medical Foundation, alongside one of my fellow Directors, Cathi Biddick AM, to be present at the arrival and installation of state-of-the-art new medical equipment at Epworth Richmond.

This equipment, which had been entirely funded by donations, included an endoscopic ultrasound, SPY-PHI, and observation machines. It was a privilege and an honour to be able to meet with the medical staff at Epworth, and see first-hand their genuine excitement and gratitude for the generous gifts that had made this equipment possible.

Epworth HealthCare has a vision to provide patients at Epworth with the best possible treatment and care, and ensuring that our surgeons and nurses have the best equipment in hand is critical to this.

Killara wows judges

I am enormously proud to announce that Killara Services, formerly known as GJK Indigenous Solutions, was once again a finalist in the Defence Connect Australian Defence Industry Awards “Indigenous Business of the Year” for 2021.

This is the second year in a row in which Killara earned the praise of the judges: in 2020, the group won first prize.

The Indigenous Business of the Year is a prestigious award and the competition is steep. The award aims to highlight and celebrate Indigenous businesses that effectively capitalise on market opportunities, demonstrating business growth while strengthening Australia’s national security and defence capabilities.

Having been beside Killara from its very beginnings, and as a founding investor and company partner, I could not be more proud of Killara’s outstanding business operations, and each and every employee is thoroughly deserving of this recognition.

Diversity and inclusion

I believe it is essential that as business owners, we create and foster workplaces that promote, celebrate and actively support a diverse and inclusive environment.

This is why I am so proud of GJK Facility Service’s collaboration with its sister company, KILLARA Services. KILLARA Services is a leading Aboriginal-owned and operated cleaning company, offering soft service solutions to Commercial and Government clients, across Australia.

Earlier this month, we were thrilled and humbled to receive the Property Council of Australia Award for Diversity, in recognition of this collaboration.

Of course, we still have a long way to go. But we were thrilled to receive this award as recognition of our shared commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, and our shared passion to transform lives.

Healthy air & hands

It seems we’re not out of the woods yet with this pandemic, and it remains essential that we practice good social distancing and hygiene practices. 

The GJK Facility Services blog recently published some excellent advice on air quality and hand washing, that I thought would be worth sharing here. 

Improving air quality: 

• Minimise fragrances 

• Minimise VOCs (volatile organic compounds, found in many paints and cleaning products)

• Remove dust and mould safely (so it won’t be released back into the air) via damp dusting, HEPA filters, deep cleaning and extraction, and HVAC maintenance

Improving hand hygiene: 

• Wash your hands often, with soap and water 

• If you can’t access soap and water, use alcohol-based hand-sanitisers 

• In the workplace, ask for hands-free soap dispensers and paper hand-towels

• Bring personal mini sanitiser bottles and sanitising wipes for your desk 

More than a word

Today marks the beginning of Reconciliation Week, which will run from 27 May until 3 June. This year the focus is on moving from awareness to action, in the understanding that we each have an important role to play when it comes to true reconciliation. With this in mind, the official theme for the week is “More than a word: reconciliation takes action.”

GJK Facility Services and GJK Indigenous Solutions has a proud history of providing meaningful job opportunities to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and building positive relationships with local communities. We believe we all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and stand by these words, from Reconciliation Australia:

For reconciliation to be effective, it must involve truth-telling, and actively address issues of inequality, systemic racism and instances where the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are ignored, denied or reduced.

While we see greater support for reconciliation from the Australian people than ever before, we must be more determined than ever if we are to achieve the goals of the movement — a just, equitable, reconciled Australia.

As history tells us, this will only happen through continued and concerted action from those who are already part of the reconciliation movement to those who are yet to join.

The Property Congress

I’m delighted to announce that GJK Facility Services recently became an Associate Sponsor - in partnership with the Property Council of Australia - for the Young Indigenous Professionals Program at The Property Congress in Tasmania in October this year.

The Program offers five Indigenous property students or interns with the opportunity to attend The Property Congress as guests. They will be invited to meet and greet with the keynote speakers (who this year include The Hon John Howard OM AC, Former Australian Prime Minister; Jessica Christiansen-Franks, Co-Founder & CEO, Neighbourlytics; Richard Florida, Professor, Author and Urbanist; and Holly Ransom, Founder and CEO of Emergent), as well as industry leaders throughout the conference.

We look forward to meeting with the five young professionals in the program, and the team at GJK will support them throughout The Property Congress.

I have long believed that business can - and arguably should - be a vehicle that can affect lasting positive change not only in the lives of individuals, but in society as a whole. This is why GJK Facility Services has actively and deliberately sought to recruit and develop people from a diverse range of nationalities and cultures. And in particular, it is the driving force behind our ongoing work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, and our partnership with GJK Indigenous Services.

In addition to sponsoring the Young Indigenous Professionals Program, GJK Facility Services is also the Congress WiFi sponsor for The Property Congress. The discussion will be around “post-Covid,” and I look forward to bringing you news from this event in the future.