Annual Report and Financial Statements

1 January 2007-31 December 2007

Mission

The mission of the Australian Health Promotion Association is to provide knowledge, resources and perspectives needed to improve health promotion research and practice.

Objectives

• To provide opportunities for the professional development of members, including the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and information.

• To provide opportunities for the exchange of knowledge in the field of health promotion through the annual national health promotion conference, and the publication of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia and other contemporary media.

• To develop and comment upon existing and proposed health promotion policy and programs in the wider community and to advocate for contemporary directions.

• To support members in their endeavours to increase public awareness of the concept of health.

• To make recommendations with respect to the standards and practice of health promotion as well as the training of health promotion practitioners.

• To represent the interests of Australian health promotion practice when liaising with other organisations.

National Management Committee

Executive
President                                 Ian White
Vice President                         Jenni Judd                             
Treasurer                                Madonna Kennedy
Secretary                                Catherine Viney (Jan-May) Alisha Jackson (June-Dec)

Branch Presidents

QLD                                        Madonna Kennedy
NSW                                       Suzanne Gleeson
ACT                                         Dion Klein
VIC                                          Jane Sims (Jan-Mar) Emma Bruce (Apr-Dec)
TAS                                         Miriam Herzfeld (Jan-Mar) Jacquie Maginnis (Apr-Dec)
SA                                           James Smith
WA                                          Laura Emery (Jan-Feb) Meagan Shand (Mar-Dec)
NT                                           Jenni Judd (Jan- Mar) Natasha Clements (Apr-Dec)

General Committee

Michael Sparks
Ronis Chapman (Jan-Apr) Micaela Drieberg (May-Dec)
Elizabeth Parker

Presidents Report AHPA, Annual General Meeting, 3 May 2007

The year since our last AGM has seen a surge of planned activity within the National Management Committee, which I am delighted to see has resulted in some real achievements.  These achievements include:

• The establishment of a working group to progress the inaugural Population Health Congress to be held in Brisbane 7-9 July 2008. The Congress will for the first time in Australia bring together the four main public health Associations - the Australian Health Promotion Association, the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australasian Epidemiological Association and the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine.  The idea behind the Congress is to demonstrate partnerships and solidarity within public health in Australia.  The Congress theme is ‘A Global World – Practical action for health and wellbeing’

• The development of a National AHPA scholarship award to each Branch for an early bird registration to the inaugural Population Health Congress.

• Establishment of a formal set of policies based on the Public Health Association of Australia’s policies.  

• The introduction at the 17th National Conference of AHPA in Adelaide 2007 of the inaugural health promotion conference awards.  These awards in 2007 focus on student participation within the conference including best paper and poster presentations.

• The revamping of an AHPA advocacy committee with representation from all Branches.  The Advocacy committee aims to build up AHPA’s advocacy role including its capacity to lobby and influence health policy at all levels of government.

• AHPA is building on the work begun by a Western Australia group to produce a set of Health Promotion competencies.  The national Management Committee has established a working group to look at the Western Australia work and other competency based standards including those produced by the Commonwealth – Public Health Education and Research Program.  The outcome will be the establishment of a set of national AHPA competencies that defines the role of a generalist beginner practitioner in health promotion.

• A Strategic planning working group has been established to progress the development of AHPA’s next strategic plan for the years 2008-2012.  This plan will see AHPA as the peak body for health promotion in Australia, providing leadership in areas of advocacy and workforce development while strengthening its role in providing membership services and support for national and Branch based projects.

These achievements are collectively no mean feat for a volunteer National Management Committee and I would like to thank each member of the Committee for the work they have put into the Association at a national level.  I am proud to be a part of such a hard working team and look forward to outcomes emerging from all the above activities over the next year. 

Of course most of these achievements would not have been possible if it was not for the hard work of the Association’s secretariat.  On behalf of the National Management Committee I would like to thank June Redman and June Davis who provide an efficient support base to the National Management Committee and who keep the Association business flowing smoothly.  I would especially like to thank June Redman for her professional support, competency and accessibility to me, as President, and to keeping an objective eye and ear on the many and varied demands made on the Association in general.  My appreciation on behalf of the National Management Committee extends beyond the secretariat to the University of the Sunshine Coast who continue to provide support to the Association.

On behalf of the national Management Committee I would like to thank James Smith, President of the South Australian Branch of AHPA and to Carmel Williams, convener of this years conference for the outstanding work they have done in providing the 17th national Australian Health Promotion Association conference. It is no easy task putting together a national conference and this year’s conference is a credit to the South Australian Branch.  I have said in the past that our conferences get better every year and this conference is no exception.

Finally, a word of appreciation to the editorial staff of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.  The journal continues to grow in quality and credibility.  This has been due in no small measure to the outstanding efforts of the editorial committee.  A special thanks on behalf of the National Management Committee goes to Chris Rissel, Jan Ritchie and Adrian Bauman for their commitment and professionalism to the production of a world class refereed journal. 

AHPA members can be proud of the Association’s achievements to date and can look forward to more in the coming year.

Dr Ian White
President
AHPA
3 May 2007

Australian Health Promotion Association – 2007 AGM
National Treasurers Report for 2006

The Australian Health Promotion Association’s financial year reported at this AGM covers the period from 1st January to 31st December 2006.

Financial Picture of the Association:
I am pleased to submit the audited financial statements for the year 2006. As you are aware the Association continues to be run almost entirely by volunteers at both a branch and national level. The Association receives no funding from external bodies. Membership benefits, for example the Health Promotion Journal of Australia, the Australian Health Promotion Update national newsletter and branch newsletters, the website and national and branch listservs, are paid for from the income derived from membership subscriptions. This money is also used to run the Association’s National Secretariat which is staffed by June Redman, the full-time National Executive Officer, and June Davis the part-time Administration Assistant (18 hours/week). Budgeting of the Association is always tight because of the absence of other sources of funding so income from events like this National Conferences is important.
As in previous years the Business Activity Statements (BAS) of the Association continue to be undertaken by an accountant.
To address previous problems related to the Association’s BAS and Audit a ‘mini-Audit’ was undertaken at the end of the June quarter. Thank you to Branch Treasurers for the extra effort that went into undertaking this task and to their continued effort through the year. Maintaining the financial reporting requirements of branches is often an onerous task and so I would just like to acknowledge those who voluntarily give their time to ensure all requirements are undertaken.

Auditors Report for 2006:
I would like to publicly thank Melissa Williamson of Accounting Management Strategies for, once again, providing all the extra support to the branch treasurers of the Association.
Overall the financial picture of the Association at both a national and branch level is very strong.
Major impacts on the national Association finance during the 2006-year included:

• Return of the $20,000 seed funding from the NT Branch after the successful hosting of the 2006 16th National Conference in Alice Springs. The Association also received approximately $31 000 profit from this conference with the same amount remaining with the NT branch which will ensure their viability in the coming years and allow members to benefit from initiatives provided from tis sound financial grounding
• $20 000 was provided to the SA Branch as seed funding for this conference
• Income from membership fees for 2006 remained steady
• There have been continued savings from the decisions made regarding the production of the 2 Association publications; the Health Promotion Journal of Australia and the Australian Health Promotion Update
• Income from copyright has also continued and it is anticipated that this will continue as the Journal’s profile increases. The HPJA report will provide more information about this.
• As Ian’s President’s report has already stated significant savings continue to be made from the generosity of the University of the Sunshine Coast as they continue to host the Association’s Secretariat on a cost recovery only basis.

Auditors Report for 2006:
I would like to publicly thank Melissa Williamson of Accounting Management Strategies for, once again, providing extra support to the branch treasurers of the Association. A copy of the Audited Financial Statements is available from the Registered Office upon request
Final Comments:
Once again the Association is in a strong financial position however as always expenditure needs to be carefully monitored as the Association’s only constant income is still membership subscriptions, which are used to provide the benefits and infrastructure of the Association.

Financial Reports:
@ March 2007

Opening Balance (Operating Account)                                                             124,230.13
Add Deposits                                                                                          29,966.21
Sub Total                                                                                             154,196.34
Less Expenditure                                                                                    19,650.49

Total Operating Account                                                                   134,545.85

Maxi Direct Account                                                                               51,024.81
Add Interest                                                                                                 230.65
Total Maxi Direct Account                                                                      51,255.46

Term Deposit                                                                                      118,718.96

Total Interest Bearing Accounts                                                      169,974.42

Branch holdings at April ‘07

Australian Health Promotion Association 17th National Conference: Grass Roots to Global Action: Health Promotion in Challenging Environments. Hosted by the South Australian Branch

6th Eberhard Memorial Oration: Presented by Professor Fran Baum

Number of meetings attended by Management Committee members in 2007