The Vodafone Foundation's World of Difference Program

Jo Dettman - Oz Harvest, NSW

Jo will be working with OzHarvest to launch Sydney's newest social enterprise 'eatery'.  OzHarvest rescues excess food which would otherwise be discarded. This excess food is distributed to charities supporting the vulnerable in Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Adelaide and Brisbane. Australia wide OzHarvest delivers 333,000 meals per month with a fleet of 17 vans.

Jo will take on the role as project manager for OzHarvest’s team, to secure cash and in-kind seed funding (estimated at $1 million) with the aim to launch this exciting ‘social enterprise food business in central Sydney by the end of 2012.

The long term aim will be to provide pathways to real employment via education and training in the hospitality industry with some of the OzHarvest chefs, for 20 or more marginalised youth, annually.  It will also create an exciting and unique eating out experience for Sydney consumers with a social and environmental conscience. Unlike other cafes and restaurants however, all proceeds from the 'eatery' will go straight back to educating and training initiatives designed to transform the lives of at risk youth.

For more information on the Oz Harvest please go to their website; http://www.ozharvest.org

Jodi Salmond � Reef Check Australia, Qld

Reef Check Australia is an innovative environmental charity dedicated to protecting Australia’s reefs and oceans by engaging the community in hands-on research and education. Their survey teams are part of a worldwide network of trained volunteers that regularly monitor and report on reef health using the standardised Reef Check survey method. Reef Check programs offer cost-effective solutions that empower communities to take an active role in understanding, managing and saving their local reef resources.

Jodi has three key goals that she wants to achieve during her World of Difference year;

1. To build on their existing volunteer reef monitoring program. She will establish five new reef monitoring locations on the Fraser Coast and launch five new sites on Lady Elliot Island before heading to the Ningaloo Coast to help implement the first Reef Check Australia program on the Western coast.
2. She also aims to launch Reef Check’s national REEFSearch program. This simplified version of Reef Check surveys allows any snorkeler or diver to identify and record important reef organisms and features, using the self-guided underwater slate. The program aims to increase the community's understanding of reefs and offer new opportunities to contribute to reef health observations.
3. And finally she will develop and pilot mobile Education kits to schools in Queensland that are filled with hands-on reef education materials that let students experience and understand our reefs and oceans no matter where they live.

For more information on Reef Check Australia please go to their website; www.reefcheckaustralia.org

Lauri Kilfoyle � Arts Health Institute, NSW

During Lauri’s World of Difference year, she will be promoting quality arts programs in aged care and implementing a new program called Play Up into as many as 150 aged care facilities across Australia.

A world first study that was completed in 2011 investigating the effects of humour therapy on people living with dementia in aged care facilities had results that showed a significant improvement to their wellbeing. Consequently there has been interest from hundreds of aged care facilities interested in rolling out this program, the ‘Play Up Program’ into their facility.

Lauri aims to create an accreditation system to ensure a quality framework rgR educate others to bring more humour into aged care facilities. She also plans to develop the role of the artist, increasing opportunities to work in health and aged care environments through various programs to attract new members and foster strong donor support.

For more information on Arts Health Institute please go to their website; www.artshealthinstitute.org.au

Bruce Uhlhorn � Radio Lollipop, Qld

Radio Lollipop believes in the healing power of play - providing smiles and laughter to children at a time when they need it most.
One in four children in Australia will be admitted to a hospital before reaching the age 14. Though some patients are short-stay, many have a recurring need for care and return repeatedly to hospital. Some who are terminally ill spend much of their short lives in hospital. Radio Lollipop gives young patients a voice and a choice during their stay. They can request their favourite songs, win prizes and hear their own voices on the radio. Those activities give youngsters a haven of normality in the hospital day which in other respects is strange, different and often scary.

Bruce’s goal for his World of Difference year is to ensure five Radio Lollipop Stations continue to exist - to do that he must raise $1 Million.

Five out of the eleven Radio Lollipop studios in Australia are moving to brand-new hospitals being built in Qld and W.A. He needs to ensure Radio Lollipops volunteers continue to deliver care, comfort, play and entertainment to the 500,000 children they currently reach in hospitals plus the extra 20% of children to be cared for in these new, expanded hospitals. As well as managing this broad base of stakeholders, Bruce’s key initiative is to run a ‘Radiothon’ in his home town of Brisbane and bring together local and national radio stations to show their support in rallying the community to fundraise for this important cause.

For more information on Radio Lollipop please go to their website; www.radiolollipop.org