In 2016, WCS’ impact in the crisis accommodation sector doubled, with the incredible support of community, philanthropy and government. Our two new shelters, the Great Lakes Women’s Shelter and The Sanctuary – Hills Women’s Shelter, opened their doors and each has now completed a full year of operations, supporting 43 women and 74 children (Sanctuary) and 39 women and 53 children (GLWS) with accommodation and case-management. With four shelters operating, we’ve become an established, essential and innovative provider in the sector. Our partnership with the NSW State Government was secured in late 2016. This partnership will partially fund our existing shelter network, and expand our network by another 3–4 shelters over the next two years. We are now embarked on exciting shelter development activities in a number of communities. Starting in late 2016, we held community forums in South East Sydney, Penrith and Orange (regional NSW), explored opportunities for the Blacktown LGA in North-Western Sydney and began discussions with a diverse range of interested groups and individuals around the State. In reflecting on the year that has passed, several key themes stand out for me. Firstly, that our shelter network is maturing and along with it, the skill in our local communities. Our Shelter Boards and their sub-committees continue to attract and retain extraordinary and diverse talent at the local level. Over the next year, we want to say thank you to these committed volunteers through the provision of extra training and networking opportunities – embedding additional skills they can invest in other projects within their communities. A further theme has been a greater enlivening of the philanthropic sector towards issues of women’s homelessness and domestic and family violence. We welcome the additional support we’ve received from our corporate partners, private donors and family foundations. We’re aware of the importance of good governance and that dollars generously given need to have impact. As we grow, we’re conscious of remaining lean, agile and effective, drawing in community assets at a ratio of 3:1 for every dollar in cash given to WCS. With four shelters, growing to six and then eight in the next two years, I’m also conscious that we have a platform to roll out new and innovative programs at the local community level, including those around education of school students, better support for homeless women and children with a disability, and evidence-based programs to support kids who have experienced the trauma of domestic and family violence. We’re also seeking to grow our Outreach program for women and children who’ve left our shelters and are now in stable housing. Maintaining the supportive connections they’ve built with our shelter staff helps keep them on the path to a better and brighter future.