Frontier Services staff gather in Adelaide in 2007.Frontier Services has welcomed the generous support of Uniting Financial Services for the Centenary celebrations marking 100 years of ministry and support for the people of remote Australia.

Uniting Financial Services has a longstanding relationship with Frontier Services, having provided valuable financial services to the organisation for 20 years.

This year Uniting Financial Services, which is the Treasury and Investment Services arm of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and the ACT, will make a special contribution to Frontier Services, providing sponsorship and materials (pens, notepads and bags) for the National Staff Conference to take place at Geelong in September.

The Conference will bring together about 300 Frontier Services staff travelling from city, rural and remote locations across Australia in a rare opportunity to gather in one place. It will be a significant meeting as this year Frontier Services celebrates 100 years at the heart of remote Australia.

Frontier Services is the successor in the Uniting Church to the Australian Inland Mission (AIM), developed by Rev John Flynn (the man on the $20 note). Flynn presented a proposal to the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church on 26 September 1912 which resulted in the establishment of the AIM.

Flynn’s vision for a “mantle of safety” for people living in the outback inspired a network of pastoral care and social services which continues today through the ongoing work of Frontier Services.

Importantly, the National Staff Conference will be an opportunity for Frontier Services staff to participate in mental health training, boosting their capacity to assist the people they support, particularly as they face mental health issues, a growing concern in remote areas.

Another component of the conference will be an open session which focuses on the future of remote Australia and considers the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead in continuing to ensure people in remote Australia have access to the services they need – when and where they need them.

“Frontier Services is extremely grateful to Uniting Financial Services for its support of the National Staff Conference in our centenary year,” said Frontier Services National Director Rosemary Young.

“It is a major task to bring together staff from all the corners of the country but it is an important investment in renewing and up skilling our staff and building on the strength of the national network of Frontier Services.”

Frontier Services makes a difference to more than 15,000 families by providing the essential services that they otherwise would not be able to access. These services include aged and community care, health, children and family services, patrol ministry and volunteer assistance.

The Conference will take place in the same week as more than 2000 people gather in Melbourne for the official 100-year celebration on 26 September.

Uniting Financial Services is run by a team of investment professionals who believe that strong returns and strongly held beliefs are mutually compatible. We support individual wealth creation in ways that build and enrich the communities we share. This unique approach has helped us grow our funds under management from just over $400 million ten years ago, to more than $1 billion today. Find out more at www.unitingfinancial.com.au