Providers merge and become Meli

TWO leading non-profit organisations with a long history of serving the Geelong and the wider community have merged into a new entity with a new name.

Barwon Child, Youth & Family and the Bethany Group are now known as Meli, and together form one of the region’s largest employers with a combined workforce of more than 750 staff.

Meli is the Barwon region’s largest provider of kindergartens and vital community support services including foster and kinship care, family services, family violence services for women, men and children, school engagement, youth justice, mental health, drug and alcohol services, homelessness support, family and relationship counselling, financial counselling, Gambler’s Help, emergency relief and NDIS services.

Meli chief executive officer Grant Boyd said the merger brought together two like-minded organisations to consolidate their expertise and be better placed to respond to changing needs in the community.

He said the organisation’s new name was inspired by the word “meliorism”: the belief that the world can be made better through human effort.

“At Meli we are meliorists at heart – we believe in social justice, equality, and doing the right thing.

“These beliefs, combined with our insights built on over 300 years of combined experience mean we are well placed to fulfill our purpose of supporting people and strengthening communities

“Our experience shows us that the best way to support community wellbeing is by being proactive, providing compassionate support and taking a preventative and early engagement approach.”

While the name has changed, Mr Boyd said it would be business as usual at the new organisation’s offices and kindergartens in Greater Geelong, the Bellarine, Surf Coast, Winchelsea, Colac, Bannockburn, Warrnambool and Horsham.

“Meli will continue to provide its current community services to children, young people families and individuals including our network of 29 kindergartens, with plans to grow our services to meet the changing needs of our communities.”