Social Inclusion Week

Have you ever been somewhere and you got the impression that people were talking about you in the corner ... that perhaps there was something going on that you weren't being told about?

Exclusion of any sort can be difficult, but it is particularly difficult if you have been excluded because of your race, your social status, your culture or religion, your health or something else that you feel that you have little or no control over.

This week is Social Inclusion Week and the theme is Collaborate, Connect and Celebrate.

Social Inclusion Week is about encouraging communities to reconnect and to be inclusive. This year there is a special focus on mental health and engaging older Australians.

This week take the opportunity to establish new relationships, build on your existing relationships and do your bit to address isolation and exclusion by supporting people who may be unable to help themselves.

Celebrating 40 years

It was a privilege last week to work with talented artist Meryl Custers at Baptistcare's 40th anniversary celebration and commissioning service. Meryl drew as I spoke, providing a multi-sensory approach to communicating one of the stories of Jesus.

The Baptistcare press release about the event stated:

The evening honoured the commitment and the transformation that has occurred over the years in the lives of thousands of people and their families who have benefitted from Baptistcare’s services.


Baptistcare CEO Dr Lucy Morris said “the people who were in the Baptist Church 40 years ago displayed great wisdom and foresight as they planned and created an organisation that was designed initially to provide residential aged care for the people of WA. We have also seen the growth of services for elderly Australians in the community and more recently, Baptistcare has been providing services for people struggling with mental health illnesses and people living with disabilities and their families.

“The last 40 years are a reflection of the warm relationship that we hold with the Baptist Churches of WA which gave birth to this organisation, and a reflection of the commitment that we have to the partnership that is held with honour by Baptistcare and we wanted to give thanks for that relationship. We look forward to working with the Baptist Churches of WA into the future.”