CEO Message

I’m delighted to have commenced as State Schools’ Relief’s next CEO. Over the past 18 years, I have worked in a range of education sector-related roles and understand how targeted support can transform the day-to-day reality for students. Stepping into this role feels has been a really positive experience, and I look forward to opportunities to engage directly with school and community organisation leaders over the months and years ahead.

I wrote to school leaders four weeks ago advising of delays in the deliveries from our warehouse following extraordinary volumes of demand through the back-to-school period. I’m pleased to advise that these delays have been cleared and we’re back to normal dispatch times (2-3 days, with priority requests actioned same day wherever possible).

Throughout my first 8 weeks at State Schools’ Relief (SSR), I’ve been meeting the people whose energy drives SSR’s work. The dedication of our staff and volunteers is evident. In partnership with school-based staff, I’ve been inspired by how we collectively care about providing students with the basics they need to succeed. I am actively working on projects which will enable growth in our operations but also increased impact as per the direction of SSR’s strategy. I will be sharing more with you re this work in my next update scheduled for mid-Term 2.

The Victorian Department of Education is SSR’s primary funder but also acts as an engaged and positive collaborator with SSR, seeking to unlock additional support for students and families. SSR also has a range of non-government organisations it works with to expand its impact. The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is the charitable foundation associated with OPSM and has conducted eye tests and provided over 5,000 pairs of glasses at no cost to Victorian students through State Schools’ Relief since 2019. The retail value of this support through the OPSM network is well in excess of a million dollars. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue collaborating with SSR’s partners moving forward.

One of my key priorities is ensuring we continually assess and improve the performance and effectiveness of our programs. Gathering feedback and documenting our outcomes helps us understand where we’re succeeding and where there’s room to innovate or improve. By applying what we learn, we’ll keep our services relevant and effective for the students who rely on us. I’d love to connect with you personally if you have any ideas, insights, or experiences to share about SSR’s work. My email address is andrew.cameron@ssr.net.au

SSR has a proud 95-year history of making a difference. The SSR team is working diligently every day to maximise the opportunity we have to deliver meaningful and timely supports available to the schools, families and students we are here to support.

All the best for the remainder of Term 1, I’ll be in touch again in May.

Andrew Cameron, CEO.