Uniting Holds Annual Public Meeting

Our Board Chair Peter Fitzpatrick AO provided an overview of UCW’s achievements over the past 12 months, before introducing our guest speaker, former WA Chief Justice Wayne Martin AC QC. Recently retired, Mr Martin delivered a passionate talk on the impact our justice system and mental health issues are having on the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

Our CEO Amanda Hunt continued the theme, talking about the work UCW is doing in collaboration with other community sector partners to end homelessness in WA. This includes the ‘Transform Tranby’ project, which will see our homelessness day centre become a multi-purpose engagement hub, better connecting people to programs and services to help them exit homelessness.

Amanda also talked about the importance of UCW’s new central office being co-located with the Tranby Centre, as part of our commitment to be present in the lives of those experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage in our community every day.

We received a lot of interest in Mr Martin’s address, and although it does not exist in written form, he has shared with us the source documents for his talk, links to which can be found below from The Supreme Court of WA website:

At the crossroads of criminal justice and mental illness: where to from here?

Homelessness not Hopelessness: Youth Disadvantage in the Criminal Justice System

The Cost of Homelessness – A Legal Perspective