Circular – 5 May 2020
ANZAC House Operation Changes
Dear Honorary Secretary,
Following on from Friday’s Board Communiqué B04/20, I wanted to provide more detail about the changes to ANZAC House operating hours which take effect from this week.
As was mentioned in the communiqué, these changes are being implemented to ensure the continued viability of ANZAC House amid the difficulties posed by COVID-19 and the impact they have had on revenue derived from the Hyde Park Inn.
As of this week, most teams within ANZAC House will be moving to a three-day work week. This includes:
- Member services (support unit, events and membership) – including the State Secretary
- Commercial & strategy (marketing & communications, fundraising, projects and IT)
- Veteran Sport Australia
Please note, with the change to working hours, this means that calls and emails to the support unit will only be actioned during business hours, Monday to Wednesday.
The treasury manager and property manager will be going to four-days a week.
Teams continuing to work five-days a week are:
- RSL DefenceCare
- Legal
- Finance
- Hyde Park Inn
These changes will obviously have a significant impact on how we manage the workload within ANZAC House as reduced hours mean less can be achieved. We are committed to providing quality service to all our members, so I would be grateful for your understanding and patience during this time. The ANZAC House team has adapted quickly to the requirements of working from home and I am sure they will adapt to this change in the same timely and professional manner, but there will be an impact in responsiveness and timeliness..
The decision to keep RSL DefenceCare team members on five-days a week means that our most critical service, supporting veterans and their families, can continue even in these uncertain times.
The timeline for these changes to remain in place is based on financial modelling of where RSL NSW is now, and where it is likely to be in the future, depending on factors such as the government mandated lockdown and alternative sources of revenue such as JobKeeper that are included in the modelling. Current forecasts see these new operating hours continuing until the end of September; however, the situation is being reviewed weekly, and we will keep you informed as we know more.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sub-Branches who have made large financial contributions to help maintain the viability of ANZAC House during this difficult period. The following sub-Branches have made generous contributions:
- Maroubra RSL sub-Branch
- City of Bankstown RSL sub-Branch
- Cumberland RSL sub-Branch
- Five Dock RSL sub-Branch
These contributions are greatly appreciated and are helping to maintain the continued operations of ANZAC House in support of our members and the broader veteran community through these very difficult times.
Membership Cards
As you are aware, we are implementing the new membership management system. While we have had to postpone the training for District representatives on the member’s portal (‘Train the Trainer’ so they can train identified sub-Branch officers) because of the restrictions, ANZAC House still intends to mail out the membership cards. These will be delivered to sub-Branch postal addresses as soon as possible.
Regards,
Jeff O’Brien
GM Member Services & State Secretary
