2022 Allevia Annual Report

A New Vision
As David Whyte, the poet suggests,
After the COVID outbreaks early in 2022,
the team was feeling exhausted. Based on the
wholeheartedness premise, the Executive
Team spent time looking for ‘the antidote to
our exhaustion’ – something we could all get
behind and be wholehearted about. After
milling around several ideas, we all reached a
consensus that what we needed was Daniel’s
suggestion of a Big Hairy Audacious Goal
(BHAG)!
Our BHAG needed to be inspiring,
audacious, somewhat daunting, and not
necessarily easily achievable. It needed
to be worthy of our attention, focus, and
effort. In May 2022 we went to the Allevia
team, including the Board of Directors with
our BHAG proposal.
“No person with a disability
living in crisis by 2030.”
This goal emerged from our discussions
on what was Allevia’s purpose. We
acknowledged crisis is inevitable at
some point in our lives. As we have all
experienced over the past few years,
crisis is not only personal, it can also be
something we experience at the same time,
like the catastrophic bush fires, floods, a
pandemic, and the current housing crisis.
The new vision came with underpinning
important statements that give specific
focus to our intentions:
“The unexpected support needs of a child
are never a career-ending experience for a
parent.”
“Diversity and difference are not a
disability.”
“The impact of accidents and illness does
not mean family life is materially changed
forever.”
“Family relationships survive crisis and
complexity with invisible support that
doesn’t dominate or impose.”
“Our community embraces all people
regardless of ability, valuing their
contribution, respecting their rights, and
extending a hand of friendship.”
(David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity, 132)
BHAGs are meant to excite and energize people.
The test of a true BHAG is how it answers questions like:
• does it stimulate forward progress
• does it create momentum
• does it get people going
• does it get people’s juices flowing
• do they find it stimulating and exciting or adventurous &
• are they willing to throw their creative talents and human
energies into it?
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