Silent auction
The silent auction at our Women Leading Change event featured a number of "money can't buy" experiences and items.
Signed Collingwood guernsey
Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service has been based in the Collingwood area for almost 150 years, supporting local women and girls to rise above disadvantage and hardship.
Therefore forming links with another local institution - the Collingwood Football Club - makes a great deal of sense. The football club generously donated this signed guernsey because the club believes strongly in supporting our work with women.
And we at Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service thank the Collingwood Football Club for their wonderful generosity.
Personalised truffle hunt
In the past decade or so the Victorian truffle industry has come along in leaps and bounds. Where only a handful of small scale producers used to operate, now there are more than thirty, many of whom garner significant economic benefits from their crop.
Daryl Neilson from Aureus Park Truffles is a Victorian truffle importer and distributor, and if something's happening in the local truffle industry, Daryl knows about it. He has contacts throughout the industry, and offered to organise a "money can't buy" truffle hunt on behalf of the lucky winning bidder for this sensational auction item.
Daryl made himself available to personalise the hunt so it matched the location and schedule of the winning bidder perfectly. In organising the outing took into account where the bidder lived, when she was available, and - most importantly - where the truffles were being found.
http://www.aureusparktruffles.com.au/
MoVida experience
MoVida in Melbourne's CBD has been considered one of this state's pre-eminent dining venues for several years. Frank Camorra's sophisticated provincial Spanish food has won rave critical reviews and popular acclaim, and combined with its buzzing vibe the restaurant ensures a wonderful night out.
Frank kindly donated a dining experience at MoVida worth $120 to our Women Leading Change event. He also added a copy of his book (written in collaboration with Richard Cornish) titled "MoVida: Spanish Culinary Adventures", to add a little Spanish spice to proceedings.
We thank Frank and his team at MoVida, along with author Richard Cornish, for their generous support of Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service.
Sailing trip on the bay
Master the winds of Port Phillip Bay aboard 35-foot Allegresse, out of the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, skippered by none other than Kathryn De Garis.
Kathryn recently won the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta conducted at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, and she is one of the finest trainers of crew members on the Bay.
The winning bidder for this item and a friend were granted the opportunity to learn the ropes (literally) and even had a turn at the helm. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend several hours learning sailing from the very best.
The sailing trip was followed by refreshments including some well-earned bubbly at the Club afterwards.
A night in Kyneton
This luxury accommodation venue generously donated an overnight stay in one of their boutique apartments, located in the heart of Kyneton and only minutes away from Kyneton's renowned entertainment district, featuring fine dining venues like Annie Smither's restaurant and the Royal George Hotel.
http://www.mollisons.net.au/site/
Hand-crafted earthernware pot
The Trading Circle is an organisation run under the Good Shepherd banner which is dedicated to assisting women all over the world to trade their way out of poverty.
This delightful hand-crafted pot was made in Thailand, and would be perfect for dried flower displays, for storing umbrellas, or just for standing alone in your house as a distinctive objet d'art!
The Trading Circle donated this piece in the spirit of this blessing:
"That you will cherish this carefully crafted item and think of the woman who made it;
That you will take pleasure in knowing that your purchase assists a woman and her community, through dignified work, to feed her family and send her children to school;
That you honour her with a blessing because she has blessed you and all those who will receive her work."
Affirm Press book pack
Affirm Press is a Melbourne-based publishing company committed to publishing books that have a positive impact on the community and that influence by delight.
The publisher is Martin Hughes who used to ‘work' for Lonely Planet as a writer, editor and photographer. He's had various other jobs in media and publishing, including a three-year stint as the editor of The Big Issue magazine. He started Affirm Press in 2007 along with his boss, mentor and friend Graeme Wise.
Enclosed in this collection of engrossing stories were the following titles:
1001 Australian Nights, DAVE GRANEY - a memoir of legendary rock showman Dave Graney that Grinderman Nick Cave describes as "Funny, wise, narcissistic, deluded and anarchic. Pure genius".
Slow Guide to Melbourne (2nd edition) - The Slow Guide to Melbourne is a lifestyle guide for Melburnians who want to slow down and live it up. The book celebrates all that is local, natural, traditional, sensory and most gratifying about living in this corner of the world.
Rock and Hard Places, ANDREW MUELLER - Part memoir, musical odyssey and correspondence from afar, Rock and Hard Places is described by the Sydney Morning Herald as a "wonderful, exuberant and eccentric collection" of stories with humour, unpredictability and stinging insight.
Having Cried Wolf, GRETCHEN SHIRM - "You are in the hands of a born storyteller," says Cate Kennedy. The book and its author, Gretchen Shirm, have won the Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist of the Year and have been Shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Award for New Writing. Enough said, really.
Known Unknowns, EMMETT STINSON - A series of engrossing stories that tap into the zeitgeist of disconnection, isolation and the loss of meaningful identity after the world-changing events of September 11. According to Tony Birch, Emmett is "the writer of our time."
Peace of Wall, CHRIS PARKINSON - Wildly contradictory, emotionally charged, instantly engaging and consistently dramatic Peace of Wall is East Timor narrated through street art. The West Australian suggests that "everyone should read it." Well, now you can.
This collection of stories surely left a lasting impression.
http://www.affirmpress.com.au/home
A day on the fairways
Cheltenham Golf Club kindly donated an 18 hole round for four to Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service's Women Leading Change event.
Cheltenham golf club is located in Victoria's wonderful sandbelt golf region, just thirty minutes from the CBD. A pocket of nature in an urban environment, the course is a haven for local birdlife - and its wonderful hills, fairways and greens are enjoyed by all.
Tee off from the 13th (the highest point in the locality) on one of those special days and you can see right over the bay.
The course is designed to challenge the average golfer, while offering a full morning or afternoon of golfing pleasure on well-kept fairways and undulating greens.
The course is usually only available to members of the general public before or after member's competitions. So this is a very special auction item!
Please note: like most other private golf clubs, a dress code applies on the course and in the clubhouse.
Ita Buttrose book
'Good manners give a person increased self-confidence and the ability to be at ease in most situations. Good manners mean being kind and thoughtful to others, making allowances for their shortcomings, and being considerate about their feelings.' - Ita Buttrose, A Guide to Australian Etiquette
Ita Buttrose has set a wonderful example to generations of Australian women. This of course is why we invited her to address our Women Leading Change event.
As she has achieved success on a number of levels she has noticed how important etiquette is in every aspect of life, from the personal to the professional. Having a sound knowledge of correct etiquette not only ensures that a meal will be enjoyable or a wedding will run smoothly, it can also be the difference in achieving vocational success.
Ms Buttrose's book, which she kindly donated to our event and signed for the winning bidder, covers everything from weddings to funerals, from 'trolley rage' at the supermarket to getting in and out of a lift without causing offence, from attending dinner parties to visiting a mosque.