Brotherhood of St Laurence

This weeks ACOSS Australian Council of Social Service 'Poverty in Australia 2025' report developed in partnership with UNSW revealed that 1 in 7 Australians live in poverty – the highest level since 2001. But how should we measure it? Nearly 160 countries have an official poverty measure – monetary or multidimensional. Best practice is to have both. Australia has neither. Hear from lived experience expert Tamara Rhodes, BSL Executive Director Travers McLeod, and Melek Cigdem-Bayram, PhD from Melbourne Social Equity Institute on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) about why this matters and the impact it could have. Anti-Poverty Week

Marathon? ✅ Complete💪 Our BSL crew absolutely smashed it at the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday. Every stride, every kilometre, every moment of pushing through — you showed up and showed out. 🏃♀️🏃♂️ From the starting line energy to crossing that finish, we couldn’t be prouder of this team. Thank you to the BSL team, the supporters and families who cheered them on. 💙 #MelbourneMarathon #melbmara

BSL welcomes the federal government's reforms to make superannuation taxation fairer.    People earning up to $45,000 a year paying less tax on their super contributions, will allow them to save more for retirement.   Increasing the low income super tax offset will also help Australians on low incomes – many of them women and young people – to retire with more. Now, that's good news.

This National Carers Week 12-18 October, we're sharing voices from our Wyndham Wellbeing Peer Support Group. One carer reflects, "It took a bit to step through the door, but I am glad I did. It is good to meet and talk to people who 'get it'. You can let your guard down, feel a bit more like my old self." "It is so nice to hear I am not alone. It can get lonely, you get stuck in your own bubble and bogged down in the day to day." "I don't get much time for just me and it is important I do. Not many people ask about your needs – it is always about the person you support." Peer support groups provide safe spaces where carers can connect, share experiences, and focus on their own wellbeing. Learn more about how our Disability Services team is creating safe spaces for carers: https://lnkd.in/gzmpig4P

Join us for our Anti-Poverty Week edition of BSL Talks today at 12:00pm AEDT! Just click here: https://lnkd.in/gtrHVYM2 Facilitated by BSL’s Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Zeah Behrend, join our latest BSL Talks discussion with Dr Nicole Bieske (BSL’s Director of Research, Policy and Advocacy), Dr Melek Cigdem-Bayram, PhD (Ronald Henderson Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute and BSL) and two experts with lived experience, Jo and Tamara, as we explore what having official poverty measures would mean for Australia.

BSL Executive Director Travers McLeod spoke with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) marking Anti-Poverty Week and how poverty is about more than income sharing that, "It's also about a lack of access or affordability of essential services like health, housing, education and employment". Core to this is how we measure poverty. Official poverty measures are vital to how we understand the ‘real cost’ of poverty and why people are poor, to then decide what can be done to ensure people can live the lives they aspire to. And importantly, mark and celebrate progress. A multidimensional measure, like the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), developed by researchers Sabina Alkire and James Foster in 2011, measures the incidence and intensity of poverty across housing, employment, health, education, and social connection. Nearly 160 countries have official poverty measures – a monetary measure, a multidimensional measure, or both. Australia has neither. The results speak for themselves. Canada reduced poverty by 32% in seven years. New Zealand reduced child poverty by 23% in five years. Both backed by official measures and dedicated strategies. 50 years since the Henderson Review into poverty is the perfect moment for Australia to consider how we can become a leader in poverty measurement once more. Read the full story and hear from experts Tamara Rhodes, Melek Cigdem-Bayram, PhD Ronald Henderson Senior Fellow, BSL and Melbourne Institute, and Professor Sabina Alkire, Oxford Department of International Development.

BSL Talks is back this Wednesday! Don’t forget to register for this free Anti-Poverty Week edition facilitated by BSL’s Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Zeah Behrend and featuring Dr Nicole Bieske (BSL’s Director of Research, Policy and Advocacy), Dr Melek Cigdem-Bayram, PhD (Ronald Henderson Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute and BSL) and two experts with lived experience, Jo and Tamara. Join us as we explore what having official poverty measures would mean for Australia and more. Register here: BSL Talks - Measuring poverty in Australia - Henderson’s Legacy and the Path Ahead

1 in 7 Australians – including 1 in 6 children – are living in poverty.   To mark #antipoverty week, a new report from ACOSS Australian Council of Social Service and UNSW reveals poverty rates climbed to 14.2% in 2022-23, with rising housing costs being a key driver.   At BSL, we see first-hand the impact of poverty on individuals and families across our communities.   Learn more about the report and its findings: https://lnkd.in/gn7MQj-t.

Last night we were proud to host the 2025 Sambell Oration, with Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General to the Commonwealth of Australia, delivering a powerful address on Belonging in Australia. Thank you to all who joined us to reflect on what it means to create a society where everyone can feel connected, valued and respected. We also extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors, ANZ, Interactive and HESTA, whose support helps make this important conversation possible. Together, we can advance the work of creating an Australia free of poverty. #Sambell