The Benevolent Society is an independent, non-religious, non-profit organisation. Australia’s first charity, for nearly 200 years they have worked with people and communities to help them out of disadvantage, advocating to make Australia a fairer, safer place for all where everyone feels they belong.
Since 2001, The Benevolent Society and The First Five Years Committee, has hosted a prestigious Art Dinner at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Committee, through the Art Dinner Series, raises money to support new, innovative programs including, Kids Create Tomorrow, where children and mothers are assisted in their recovery after domestic violence.
For the 2011 Art Dinner, The First Five Years Committee commissioned Liverpool Street Gallery’s artists to create heart-shaped artworks in response to the theme “Art & Soul“.
The artworks exude a positive, warm sense of self, soul and well-being.
These unique artworks illustrated below will be part of an exclusive silent art auction held at the Art Dinner on 30 April 2011 @ Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Benevolent Society‘s goal is to help people to overcome the barriers preventing them from participating fully in society. By helping to build healthy, inclusive communities they try to improve quality of life for all Australians.
Who they help
Every year they touch the lives of thousands of Australians, of all ages and backgrounds. They also work in partnership with disadvantaged communities to address the systemic challenges they face. In the past year they have provided care and support to more than 31,000 people. More than 700 people and 200 organisations participated in their community development projects. A further 500 people from business, government and non-profit organisations took part in one of their Social Leadership Australia programs.
What they do
They meet the specific needs of individual people through their direct support services. They also work with whole communities, connecting people across gender, age and cultural divides to create a renewed sense of optimism and belonging. They believe everyone in Australia should be able to enjoy a decent quality of life, no matter what their background or where they live. Their work is broadly grouped under five core areas of expertise: – Children and families (including domestic violence) / Ageing / Community development / Mental health care / Social leadership
Our approach
The Benevolent Society has advocated for positive social change and progressive social policy since our earliest days. They have a strong track record of pioneering social welfare reform over the past 200 years, and this legacy informs our work today.
They understand that genuine change happens by working with people over the long term to deal with the underlying problems, not the symptoms. Their advocacy work aims to bring about change in social policy to create a fairer Australia. All parts of their work is supported by quality research, evaluation and a desire to pioneer innovative services.
Where they work
The Benevolent Society has offices in 56 locations across three States, which staff and volunteers use as a base for their work in the community. They work at a national level through their advocacy and research activities and their social leadership work.
