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VISIT TO SEAFORD COMMUNITY CENTRE MEN’S BREAKFAST

Jake presents to a room full of engaged listeners at Men's Breakfast In response to an invitation from the organiser, Robert Shaw; Moose, LT Geoff Kay and LT Jake Sparrow attended the monthly meeting.

We were met by a group of 23 men and one female who were keen on hearing about the Trojan’s Trek Foundation.

The meeting was organised to meet over breakfast to which we were invited. And a fine breakfast was served.

It was the first time that Geoff and Jake had presented to a group such as this.

They were selected because of their personal experience with trauma while working for the CFS during the 2019 – 2020 fires on KI and their subsequent involvement with the Foundation as trek staff.

I listened to both the presentations with bated breath.

Their description of the close to death experience which they and the crew lived through on that day on 3 Jan 20 was spellbinding. As a gauge of the impact, one of the group spoke to me following the presentations.

In short, he said that the firsthand description of that event had him on the edge of his seat to the extent that he now understood how close were the deaths of the crew and one civilian that day.

He said he understood; it was so close, saved only by determination and training.

On leaving, another two of the audience sought me out to thrust folding money in my hand in appreciation.

A good day which, although not financially rewarding, provided the opportunity for the Foundation to explain the personal damage which results from trauma and told by two first responders who have lived the hell.

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VISIT TO SUPACAT HQ PORT MELBOURNE

As previously reported, Supacat, an international player in the defence industry, has selected the Trojan’s Trek Foundation as the organisation which will be supported by them during 2019. 

As a follow-on from Moose’s visit to Sydney to attend and speak to their annual dinner in 2018, Mick Halloran, the Managing Director requested that his Melbourne based staff were also acquainted with the philosophy and operations of the foundation. As a result, Moose visited the company’s base in Victoria on 8 Feb to carry out that task. 

Mick when opening the session outlined the reasons why he had selected the Foundation above many other worthy calls. To summarise his words, he was informed of our existence during a function in Canberra by a person who was aware and felt strongly about the excellent outcomes which were being achieved. Mick also spoke at length about the significance of the independent evaluation protocols which the foundation rigorously follows. 

Approximately 30 staff attended the briefing, a good number of whom were ex-military prompting some very good questions and observations. Moose reported that the range of work which he observed ranged from hi-tech
R & D to the development of, and improvements to a range of transport methods used by the military. 

From the photograph, it is also apparent that the role of youth in the engineering processes is present.

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SOUTH COAST VETERANS (SCV) SUPPORT

As previously reported the SCV, a group of primarily ex-military individuals and their partners have this year indicated that their fundraising efforts will be directed to support the Trojan’s Trek Foundation. 

The group conducts a whole range of activities designed to raise money for organisations which support veterans. Functions such as quiz nights, dinner dances and even a stall at the local show are in the broad mix of fundraisers. 

Companion dogs provided through the Royal Society for the Blind have been a recent beneficiary of their efforts and a couple of these animals were present on 19 Jan when Moose was presented with a cheque for the Foundation by Reg Bichel the President.

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TROJANS TREK RECEPTION AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE ADELAIDE

In response to an offer from the Governor of SA, His Excellency The Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, 62 supporters of the Foundation attended a reception at Government House on the evening of 13 Nov.

The ballroom provided a fitting backdrop to the gathering, many of whom had not met face to face with the Board or each other.  The support which had been provided over 10 years of operation was acknowledged by His Excellency in a stirring speech.

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RSL CARE SA CONTRIBUTES


Following a successful Trojan’s Trek Board workshop held in Adelaide on 31 Aug, the board of Trojan’s Trek met with the board of RSL Care SA to share information and as social interaction.

The meeting received an update from Ben Challinor, the manager of the Andrew Russell Veteran Living (ARVL) centre which provides accommodation for homeless veterans.

Through ARVL, RSL Care SA seeks to provide veterans with accommodation support to assist them get back on their feet. The meeting was also updated on Trojan’s Trek operations in SA and QLD.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Loretta Byers, the chair of the RSL Care Board presented a $10,000 cheque to the Chair of Trojan’s Trek, Moose Dunlop OAM, as a contribution to the continuation of the good work of the program.

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SA Government to Assist Trojan’s Trek

The SA government has just announced that it will contribute $25,000 to assist the Trojan’s Trek Foundation to continue their work in SA.  The decision was made by the Minister for Veterans,  The Hon Stephen Marshall MP, Premier of SA. 

The Chairman of the Board Moose Dunlop OAM, said he was extremely pleased with the news which will ensure the conduct of the SA trek during 2018 will go ahead, enabling another 25 to 30 veterans and first responders to experience the trek; gaining the tools to positively manage their condition and become better family and community members.     

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WELCOME SUPPORT

 

On 11 May a joint meeting between the boards of RSL Care and Trojan’s trek was held at the War Veterans’ Home (WVH) at Myrtle Bank.  The objective of the gathering was to share information related to the aspirations and operation of both organisations. After a period of discussion, it became apparent that both shared a common aim; to assist contemporary veterans. Readers would be aware of the work of Trojan’s Trek but few may be familiar with a new WVH initiative called the Andrew Russell Veteran Living (ARVL), which is designed for contemporary veterans who are in need of urgent transit accommodation which is an emerging issue in the veteran community.

At the conclusion of the meeting a cheque for $10,000 was presented to the Trojan’s Trek Foundation by Loretta Byers, the chair of WVH.

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Moose and James speak at Brownhill Creek Rotary

Report from the Brownhill Creek Weekly, the newsletter of the Brownhill Creek branch of Rotary International,

This week our speakers, Moose Dunlop and James Paterson, shared with us the work being done by Trojan’s Treks in meeting the challenges faced by those suffering from a service-induced stress illness. This illness can ruin the life of the sufferer and the lives of his or her family. It is often managed by a regime of counselling and medication which is an expensive approach.

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The Trojans Trek Foundation is a 100% not-for- profit organisation run by veterans and wholly devoted to the support of Australian’s veterans and their families.

Treks are run in SA and Qld with different programs for men and women. The treks are six day 4WD wilderness based experiences that use a combination peer support and structured discussions to help participants understand how thoughts and feelings influence behaviour and develop strategies to bring about changes in their lives and listening to James the results are very positive for the participants.

From the website http://www.trojanstrek.com/
The aim of Trojan’s Trek is to provide a setting and conditions under which participants experience a lasting positive shift in personal values and interpersonal relationships.

The objectives of the trek are to assist the participants, through group and individual challenge, achieve the following:

  1. an understanding of how thoughts and feelings influence behaviour,
  2. exposure to various strategies which will bring about positive change,
  3. individual responses which are effective in achieving goals,
  4. improving interpersonal relationships, and
  5. enhance self-esteem.
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