Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO and 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year Violet Roumeliotis on May 28 launched a scholarship program through which four women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds will receive a 12-month package of business start-up support.

Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO and 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year Violet Roumeliotis on Monday, May 28, 2018, will host key women of excellence for a 90-minute mentoring session with aspiring young women of refugee backgrounds.

Welcome to ’Sam’s Space’, my space, where in each edition of SSI’s Community News Armidale, I’ll be keeping you briefed on the latest projects, events, discussions and services led and supported by SSI, in the Armidale community.

Four Brave Women is open for business! Developed as a joint initiative between The Trading Circle, a division of the charity Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, and SSI, Four Brave Women is a café and community space where refugees have the opportunity to create a sustainable income for themselves using their culinary skills. It is a creative and inclusive space that celebrates different cultures through food and art.

More than 200 delegates and 50 speakers were part of SSI’s DiverseAbility NDIS Inclusion Conference on April 19.

With more than 200 delegates and 50 speakers, the first-of-its-kind conference in NSW put the emphasis on discussing issues and challenges specific to people with disability from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.

Settlement Services International has been acknowledged as an inclusive recruiter organisation by the Australian Network on Disability (AND) after completing AND’s Disability Confident Recruiter (DCR) program. 

At SSI we excel in providing essential services to new arrivals in Australia, but to achieve the best outcomes for our newcomers we must take our role a step further: we want to drive conversations about settlement and migration, and use our knowledge and expertise to lead discussions that will inform policy and help millions of people all over the world.

Forty-one people from a refugee background, needing financial assistance for their education or attaining local recognition for their qualifications, will get the support they need as part of the Settlement Services International (SSI) and Allianz Australia 2018 Refugee Scholarships.

Theatre is one of the most ancient forms of art. The word theatre itself means a place for viewing, but theatre is more than that. Theatre is telling stories; it is turning a group of people into an audience and bringing them together to enjoy an experience.

Harmony Day, March 21, has become a significant day of the year when Australians are encouraged to celebrate the cultural diversity of our country.

No-one knows more about the barriers people with disability face every day than someone with a lifetime of first-hand experience. But what can apparently be a drawback has been used by Yagoona resident Quang Nyugen as a drive to establish his own business, while also finding a way to help the community.

Learning English, connecting with the community, and finding employment and housing will be the key priorities for refugee families arriving in Armidale in the coming months, according to a leading settlement expert. Yamamah Agha, the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) Manager for community organisation and social business Settlement Services International (SSI), said in the 16 years she had been working with refugees, those areas consistently rated among new arrivals’ top goals for life in Australia.

Six projects supporting refugee communities in south-west Sydney have today received a boost from not-for-profit Settlement Services International’s $50,000 Community Innovation Fund. SSI announced today the first six recipients of grants from the ground-breaking fund, which honours the unsung heroes who contribute to Australian society by offering grassroots support to newly arrived members of the community.

SSI observed the 2017 International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) by celebrating community organisations, local governments, businesses and community members working towards disability inclusion.

Violet Roumeliotis has been recognised as the 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.

The 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year has urged corporate Australia to partner with their entrepreneurial peers in the not-for-profit sector to address commercial and social challenges. As the CEO of not-for-profit organisation Settlement Services International (SSI), Violet Roumeliotis has overseen innovative diversification leading to more than 1,100 per cent revenue growth to $113 million over five years.

Seven staff from Deutsche Bank who volunteered at SSI’s Armenian-themed Community Kitchen on November 15 were so excited by the experience they have vowed to return with more of their colleagues.

Refugees and people seeking asylum could soon benefit from a smartphone app that navigates health care for those challenged by language and the healthcare system.