Children’s Rights Australia (CRA) is a registered not-for-profit charity with DGR status. Our mission is to help Queensland children and (generally) a parent or carer who are experiencing abusive and impoverished environments in its various forms (minds, bodies – including life threatening).
Family unit cohesion is ultimately our mission to eliminate abuse, disrespect, and destruction of our children’s minds, bodies and life.
Unsafe and abusive situations stem from stressful environments, including financial hardships from unemployment, floods, fires, mortgage stress, alcoholism, mental disabilities and the list goes on. Emergency situations/problems occur from these environments and generally people don’t know where to turn.
CRA’s mission is to alleviate this ignorance by enhancing awareness of available help, by connecting sponsors/volunteers/specialist organisations with people in need – in particular vulnerable children. As a Queensland based charity, we currently assist groups predominantly in South-east and South-western regions with future growth plans for regional Queensland.
Our current Project: (10 March 2024)
Project Outline:
It is imperative that the charity’s growth be planned and coordinated so as to have the greatest impact and therefore, funds will be allocated toward 2 main pathways –
1. Business advise / consultant to construct achievable business and project plans (including milestones and deliverable) and form a solid business model.
2. Establish a digital booking platform to connect CRA clients with multiple volunteers.
CRA currently has an OP shop at Mt Gravatt including an unutilised neighbouring consulting area. We also have a large variety of volunteers from a wide selection of industries, including legal, psychology, therapists, teachers, builders and many more.
The main problem is coordinating connectivity between volunteers and clients. Not only is it laborious, but also fragile when intermediaries become involved. Privacy and confidentiality are often paramount. Therefore, it is planned to use more technology savvy – digital – connectivity to allow a booking system to connect participants. (Not dissimilar to current medical booking systems for example, apps like ‘Easy Visit’).
Rather than reinventing the wheel, plans include ‘subscription’ to current booking systems which will reduce set-up costs and therefore allocate funds towards promoting (increasing volunteer numbers) and coordinating these services (setting up appointments and verification of participants). This will extend not only additional services, but also widen the reach to regional and remote communities instantly. Similarly, confidentiality and anonymity are key features to reach both children and parents in fragile situations.
Continued digital scope is to further streamline this connectivity system (outside of this project) in two growth areas (1) regular in-house workshops and (2) automate distribution functionality of donated goods to recipients, including coordinating deliveries, for example – distribute white goods and furniture etc., particularly following floods, fires and general requirements, (including eviction/homelessness, unemployment, divorce etc).
Project scope includes:
1. System/market research and feasibility studies for the best digital platform
2. Research for associated Customer/Client Relationship Management (CRM) integrated system for this booking platform
3. Subscription and connectivity of these systems
4. Consultant/business advisor(s) to outline and construct business and project plans to progress and foster CRA charity’s growth and continued financial and commercial sustainability.
5. Recruit/retention of volunteers (plus inhouse staff and founder’s time contribution) to progress project implementation.
6. Scope and commencement of increased marketing for these improved CRA connectivity services, including acknowledgement of Queensland Community Foundation’s (QCF) support.
Implementation:
It is envisioned from current and past experience, that the scope of the project can commence with 3 months upon receipt of QCR funding and be implemented within a 12-month period. This will include co-contribution of CRA funding of $15,000, plus anticipated further co-contribution donation funds and ‘in kind’ time and expertise from both in-house and volunteers’ contributions.
It is interesting to note, that during recent Queensland flood crises both previously in Brisbane and regional areas, thousands of phone calls from Queensland residents were received with offers of accommodation for displaced residents. Despite these offers being received by hundreds of volunteers taking phone calls, very few actual placements were implemented. The main reason being, coordination and the manual, human component.
This is where an automated process, not dissimilar to most accommodation booking systems from booking.com to Airbnb, could simplify, automate and speed up the process of connectivity between providers and clients.
The same concept underlies this project – to communicate and connect people. There are thousands of people who are willing to help with our current housing crisis and to assist in domestic violence emergency situations, however, they simply don’t know how and aren’t confident about how to progress.
This project intends to increase – recruit, retain and recognise volunteers – and create an opportunity to connect with people who are not only vulnerable…. but are in need. Generally, this is the ‘leg up’ to getting people back on their feet and able to take the next step, including self-esteem, self-confidence, safety and more importantly to self-sufficiency.
Once the electronic platform is established and with increased marketing exposure, and particularly through digital connectivity, this project will immediately impact thousands of vulnerable Queensland lives, as well as giving volunteers the opportunity to not only be recruited, but also receive recognition of their contribution!
Adding to this current Project: (10 April 2024)
We have added a Hairdressing shop where only the hairdressers receive a boost for the own hairdressing stores where many found it extremely difficult to survive during covid times. From here they can obtain customers for cuts and colours and show off their abilities as hairdressers and while they only receive $15 to help with fuel bills and basic needs it is bringing foot traffic into the Op Shop to support the community needs. It is a worthy cause helping business while helping us. We call them “our helping hands”.
Acknowledge the significant impacts people have with the current rental crisis and people going through family court proceedings, as evidenced by sobering statistics and real-life experiences. Understand the pressing need for community support in alleviating the burdens faced by those in crisis.
