In this issue of Member Matters:

  • A message from Director, David Cowan
  • Blue Light Victoria Gala Ball 
  • Victoria Police Rainbow Families Day
  • BankVic's Community Service: Planting Trees for a Sustainable Tomorrow
  • Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship (DEMNDS) 
  • BankSafe with BanKVic: Our new hub
  • We've made some changes to our Terms & Conditions
 

Dear Members,

As we move into the cooler months and shorter days, it's a timely opportunity to reflect on those who are serving the front-line of our community, bracing against the cold air and working into those long nights. I'm referring, of course, to the strength and resilience of our members, and your commitment to serving the community; which in turn, drives our commitment to go further for you. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the work you do, every day.

In this issue of Members Matters we look at a topic at the forefront of everyone's minds: the rise in scams and the need for banking safety. The digital age has brought with it new challenges and threats, and we are committed to equipping you with the knowledge and resources to protect yourselves and your finances. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, targeting unsuspecting individuals through various means such as phishing emails, fake websites, and phone calls. It is crucial that we all remain vigilant and proactive in safeguarding our personal and financial information.

This is why we have launched our BankSafe with BankVic hub, a fantastic resource for you to find up-to-date information on current scams, top tips for keeping your finances safe, and articles created with our partner Crime Stoppers Victoria that you can share with family and friends. We recently also joined IDCare, a non-for-profit agency that supports victims of scams, which is free for BankVic members.

This last quarter has also seen several notable events and partnerships celebrated at BankVic. We enjoyed fantastic events that included the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship Luncheon, celebrating 2023 scholarship recipient Kelly Light in her commitment to improving trauma-informed care in an Ambulatory setting at RCH, supported by BankVic. We also danced the night away at the Blue Light Victoria Gala Ball, supporting the tireless work the foundation does to bridge the gap between young people and law enforcement.

There really has been so much to celebrate.

Please enjoy the July issue.

David Cowan, BankVic Board Director

Blue Light Victoria Gala

Back to the Blue Light Disco Gala was a celebration of sequins and denim, with funds raised supporting the great work that Blue Light Victoria does to break down the barriers between Police and young people.

We were so proud to be Principal Sponsor of this event, with this year’s Gala highlighting Blue EDGE (Educate, Develop, Grow, Empower), which is an impactful fitness program designed to combine physical training, personal growth and life skills in partnership with Victoria Police. Blue EDGE is now being run in 14 schools across Victoria with 16 sessions at each school over 8 weeks.

Above (R-L) The photobooth, BankVic CEO Anthony De Fazio speaking on the importance of breaking down barriers between young people and police, and BankVic CEO Anthony De Fazio and Blue Light Victoria CEO Elissa Scott with year 8 Blue EDGE program participant Martin, and his family.


Rainbow Families Day

For Victoria Police’s second annual Rainbow Families Day, Victoria Police Pride families were treated to a special tour of the Victoria Mounted Branch Dog Squad facilities.

BankVic was proud to support the International Family Equality Day event by providing the delicious lunch from Round the Way. Initiatives like this make a positive impact on our members and their communities – working to build a more inclusive and accepting society and a stronger, sustainable future.

Left to right: Members of the Victoria Police Pride group and their families enjoyed a tour of Mounted Branch and Dog Squad facilities. Victoria Police Mounted Branch member holding the Rainbow flag of inclusion.

BankVic’s Community Service: Planting Trees for a Sustainable Tomorrow

This month, the tech wizards at BankVic had the opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause by participating in a tree planting event organised by TreeProject in Wandin North, Victoria. BankVic offers two days of paid community service leave to all staff, to encourage and support our people to get involved in their community.

"This experience was both meaningful and fun, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to volunteer alongside my team" shared Shefali, our Digital Optimisation Specialist. "We engaged in conversations, shared laughter, and appreciated the splendid weather."

By the end of the day, the team had successfully planted approximately 800 trees – making a positive impact on the environment while strengthening the bonds within the team.

TreeProject is a non-profit organisation committed to revegetating Victoria, one seedling at a time. They conduct multiple planting days from Autumn to Spring in various picturesque locations across  the countryside.

The BankVic IT team hard at work. Special thanks to Nam, our Enterprise Architect, for the fantastic photography.

Celebrating our nurses at the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship (DEMNDS) Luncheon 

Left to right (from top): Sue Hunt AM, CEO of RCH Foundation, Shannon Barnes, Chief Product and Marketing Officer (CPMO) at BankVic, Anthony De Fazio, CEO BankVic and Kelly Light, 2023 DEMNDS Recipient, BankVic team member, Rob Monahan, volunteering at the event to help raise funds, BankVic CEO Anthony De Fazio spoke to the event theme of Passion. Leadership. Innovation.

The 2023 Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship (DEMNDS) luncheon gave us the opportunity to recognise, celebrate and support the development of an incredibly passionate, dedicated and selfless group of professionals – our nurses. 

This year the winner of the scholarship is Kelly Light, Clinical Nurse Educator, who in 2021 began as the Royal Children’s Hospital’s first Ambulatory Clinical Nurse Educator. Light will use the scholarship to develop a trauma-informed care implementation plan that focuses on Ambulatory Care settings. 

“The word trauma in healthcare is most often associated with terrible physical injuries and life-or-death situations. However, in the context of trauma-informed care, the term ‘trauma’ means understanding that our patients and families have unique lived experiences, not only in terms of their health or abilities – but regarding adversities they have faced,” said Light.

"I am incredibly humbled and grateful to be awarded the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship. I can’t thank the scholarship committee enough for seeing my passion and drive and giving me the opportunity to bring about meaningful change in nursing practice. I want to thank the RCH Auxiliaries and BankVic for supporting this scholarship, which enables nursing development and the provision of excellent paediatric care."

In addition to supporting the scholarship, 8 of the BankVic team volunteered their time to raise funds for the DEMNDS raffle and auction.

BankSafe with BankVic

As scams and fraud continue to rise, it’s more important than ever to know how to protect yourself online.

At BankVic, we take online security seriously and so recently we launched the BankSafe with BankVic Hub –  a range of resources and information to help you keep your personal and financial information safe.

From our Online Safety Series with Crime Stoppers Victoria, to Top Tips to avoid scams and our recent membership with IDCare, this is a great resource to ensure you and your family are banking safely.

We've made some changes to our Terms & Conditions

We recommend you review our new Terms & Conditions document, which can be found
on our website at bankvic.com.au