May 2023 Newsletter
Updated: Apr 29
WELCOME TO THE MAY 2023 EDITION OF THE BOOTSTRAPS NEWSLETTER.
HERE WE DISCUSS EVERYTHING GOING ON, UPCOMING EVENTS, WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS AND CELEBRATING OUR LOVE AND PASSION FOR EVERYTHING LEATHER!
FROM THE CEO:
Welcome one and all!
Welcome back to our latest installment of the News Leather. March and April have seen us take huge steps towards our formal teaching in 2024 goal.
There is so much happening in the background with a lot of key stakeholders and moving parts, but this endeavour is well on its way to being finalised by mid-year.
We have also been running our Anzac Day fund raiser raffle that was drawn on the 24th of April; we had a luncheon that day at our centre to draw the raffle and thank the organisations who donated the fantastic prizes.
Unfortunately, we had to cancel the Welfare Hub project as we couldn’t reach the required funds. We are still very keen to make this happen, but we will have to concentrate on higher priorities at this stage.
The centre is still working well with plenty of walk-in participants, organised courses, repairs, and custom project orders; if you would like to come in and learn the art of leatherwork, we would love to see you at our centre.
BOOTSTRAPS, in partnership with TAFE QLD, is on track to begin teaching in schools within our region in 2024. This endeavour promises to be a great way to bring the leatherwork craft back to our community.
We are also in the planning stage of having our inaugural black tie gala ball in October of this year – so look out for more information as it becomes available.
Once again, my thanks to all our staff and supporters for your amazing work so far. Please keep it up and let’s keep achieving our goals.
Thank you all once again for being a part of the BOOTSTRAPS journey. Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
- Sam Kavanagh, CEO Bootstraps
EVENTS
RSL QLD CLASS:
We kicked off March with a RSL QLD-sponsored 1-day leatherwork class for 10 members and staff from the RSL QLD Active Lifestyles team. This gave the participants the opportunity to learn a new skill and make some amazing one-of-a-kind leather items; they were really happy with what they managed to achieve in just one day.
ANZAC DAY RAFFLE:
The Anzac Day Raffle was a huge success, selling over a thousand tickets, with the proceeds supporting the work Bootstraps does to help veterans in our community. The team had worked hard during March and April to sell as many tickets as possible; we thank Riverlink Ipswich for allowing us to set up a stand for a week, it really went a long way to generating ticket sales. The day of the draw saw us host our prize donors and our Mayor, Cr Tanya Milligan, for a luncheon at our centre in Gatton; the winning tickets were drawn electronically, all live-streamed on Facebook.
Here are just some of our lucky winners from the ANZAC Day raffle
You'll find a complete list of the winners on social media and our website,
so be sure to like and follow us on socials.
BOOTSTRAPS HQ:
Our centre of operations, located in Gatton, Queensland, is open to all current and ex military personnel,
and the local community to drop in.
The centre is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00am - 4:00pm.
"Feel free to drop by and say hello or introduce yourself!"
STAFF:
We are always welcoming new faces to volunteer their time, experience and skills. Without the tireless support of our volunteers keeping Bootstraps going would be impossible. Regardless of your background or skillsets, every one of us can help to play a part. It doesn't need to be huge, it could be only a few hours a week through to a few days a week - really every little bit helps.
If you're in a position to offer some voluntary assistance to our organisation, then please reach out to us today by contacting us by phone or email to admin@bootstraps.org.au
Also if you are in a position to assist us through monetary donations of any value, please visit our website and follow the link to: https://www.bootstraps.org.au/donations