World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness to be a threat to global health, finding that its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
This is why Australian Red Cross programs like TeleCROSS are essential.
TeleCROSS involves friendly volunteers making check-in calls, 365 days a year, to isolated older people. An extension of TeleCROSS, our TeleCHAT and TeleYARN programs focus on providing longer support calls, helping people feel socially included.
In 2022/23 alone, we’ve supported 5,364 people, with a total of 216,101 hours of support.
Red Cross services Telecross and Telechat are social connection services over the phone. If you have 1 hour a week spare you could volunteer in one of these programs and help people feel more connected to their community and make some new friendships.
Maltese Welfare NSW has Maltese speaking volunteers working with Australian Redcross in their TeleCHAT program. Contact them for Details https://brnw.ch/TeleCROSS_
The Maltese Welfare NSW Committee and friends held its Christmas Lunch last Saturday 2nd December at the Wenty Leagues Club
It is always a pleasure to meet in a social atmosphere, we are only a small committee that for 46 years has been of service to the Maltese community in NSW.
Follow us on Facebook to keep you informed of matters that are beneficial to you and your family.
L/R Frances Montesin, Marie Louise Muscat, Nathalie Gatt, Lawrence Gatt, Marlene Dimech, Lawrence Dimech, Sandra Grech and Stephen Micallef
The Maltese Welfare (NSW) started in October 1977 as a result of a workshop on social services held at Kellyville, Sydney. The original name was the Maltese Welfare Group but on incorporation, on 9th January 1995 the name was changed to Maltese Welfare (NSW) Inc.
Maltese Welfare (NSW) is made up of first and second-generation Maltese who work in welfare-related areas or who have the welfare of the Maltese community at heart. Maltese Welfare (NSW) acts as a resource backup to other service-providers, being either Maltese associations or Australian-based agencies, in providing information, advice and referrals with respect to the Maltese community.
The aims of the Maltese Welfare (NSW) include:
(a) Co-ordination and cohesiveness in welfare programs
(b) Programs for the Maltese community in NSW
(c) Research on welfare needs of the Maltese community
(d) Dissemination of information to the Maltese community in user-friendly and accessible form.
Maltese Welfare (NSW) holds regular information sessions on various issues considered of relevance and urgency to the Maltese community in general. It plays an active role in highlighting various community needs and supporting the promotion of remedial measures.
A great honour for the Maltese Community Council of NSW to receive His Excellency Dr. George Vella, the Honorable Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and his wife, Sylvana accompanied by the Malta High Commissioner to Australia, Mario Farrugia Borg and Consul General of Malta in NSW, Lawrence Buhagiar, at our Headquarters in Parramatta West.
George Vella
Infaħħar ix-xogħol li jwettaq il-Kunsill Malti ta’ New South Wales. Imwaqqfa fl-1967, din l-organizzazzjoni bla skop ta’ qligħ tipprovdi appoġġ soċjali, kulturali u rikreattiv u assistenza soċjali lill-komunità Maltija f’NSW.
I commend the work of the Maltese Community Council of NSW. Established in 1967, this non-profit organisation provides social, cultural, recreational, and welfare support to the Maltese community in New South Wales.
According to a new research by Finder, more than half of Australians do not have a valid will. Estate planning is something that should be thought about and planned, sooner rather than later. Have you ever had a crisis and suddenly had to pick up the affairs of a loved one, such as your partner, parents or children? Have you tried to figure out how their banking works, how the bills are paid and where their investments are?
There are 3 important areas to cover around Succession and Estate Planning:
Prepare a Family Protection Plan – review your existing Wills and Power of Attorney and your family situation to see if there is anything you can do to protect your children and their inheritances from things like divorce and bankruptcy.
Record the Information that Matters – that is, the important financial, legal and administrative details your family and advisers will need if something happens to you. For example, your super, investments, bank accounts, credit cards, bills to pay, important people & social groups in your life.
Prepare a Crisis Management Plan – to guide your family through the financial complexity of the first few months after crisis. This could be a checklist of priorities and questions for the family to work through for example, ‘Day 1 – call the accountant and ask these questions, Day 2 – call the solicitor’ etc.
The old concept of Estate Planning was, “The right money to the right people at the right time.”
We think a better approach is, “The right money; the right information; the right documents; and the right guidance to the right people at the right time.”
Once you have assembled this information, consider organising a family meeting and start the conversation, for example, with your adult children. Outline your 3-step crisis management plan to them. Your conversation might be along the lines of;
“OK, we’ve got these important legal documents – our Will, Enduring Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship etc.”
“We’ve captured the key information you need to know if something happens to us.”
“We’ve gone and done the preparation work already, to ease the burden on you.”
“We’ve built a customised crisis management plan to help you work through things when the time comes.”
To begin this process, you should seek qualified legal advice from a solicitor who ideally specialises in estate planning. Furthermore, talk to your financial planner about what process or service they could offer to assist you in building your plan – or reviewing and fine-tuning your existing one.
You don’t need to know when something will happen to know that it will. Be prepared.
To assist you on this journey, we have compiled an Estate Plan Document Checklist to help your family manage your estate when the time comes.
Need more information?
If you would like professional assistance with the preparation of your estate plan, speak with one of our expert financial adviser today.
Mrs Nathalie Gatt, President MW, Lawrence Gatt, Frances Montesin and Sandra Grech, Maltese Welfare NSW, together with Miss Miriam Friggieri, President MCC of NSW visited HE Ms Jennifer Cartmill, Australian High Commissioner of Australia in Malta, for a luncheon at her residence in Naxxar. It was a great pleasure to meet HE Jennifer Cartmill
Maltese Community Council of NSW
Australian High Commission, Malta et Ambassade d’Australie en Tunisie
L to R Sandra Grech, Nathalie Gatt, Jennifer Cartmill, Miriam Friggieri,
Imagine not being able to walk through a doorway, stopping in your tracks as your body freezes. Or being unable to walk as your toes claw in different directions. Or losing your ability to write and speak loud enough for people to hear you.
I commend the work of the 
