Two Bishops' Trust

The Two Bishops Trust is an exciting and historic venture initiated by the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, the Samaritans Foundation and The Society of St Vincent de Paul. Established in 1998, the Trust aims to inspire and unite the whole community to find workable, just and creative solutions to unemployment in the Hunter region of NSW.

The Trust believes that every person is entitled to a life of dignity. By working collaboratively with other like-minded organisations and individuals, the Trust aims to relieve the distress of unemployed people and low fixed income earners by helping them to help themselves.

The Trustees include:

The Right Reverend Dr Brian Farran,  The Anglican Bishop of Newcastle
The Most Reverend Michael Malone, The Catholic Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle 

Local Committees and a management board are formed to provide support and resources for local projects and are made up of a cross section of community, corporate and government sectors.

Unemployment

Unemployment levels in the Hunter region are among the highest in our nation. In some areas unemployment and the resulting personal pressures, and strain on social and health services is becoming entrenched.

Practice has shown that Government programs alone cannot provide all the answers, nor can the programs that emphasise the importance of professional counselling people through their problems or providing emergency assistance or skills training. These programs are often not able to motivate people to become involved in lasting change for themselves or their community. Nor do they reflect the structural nature of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.

For lasting change to occur, people must be involved in the process of change in their own community. Allowing and encouraging them to play the primary role in the struggle, and act in partnership with other organisations to bring about change for the individual and their community, is the vision and purpose behind the Trust.

What We Do

The Trust aims to assist communities to establish long-term solutions for people who are unemployed or on a fixed low income within the Hunter region through the development of creative and enterprising employment opportunities.
A men’s shed project has been developed in Windale to encourage skill development and mentoring.

The CHIPS project (Cessnock Hospitality Industry Preparation Scheme)  has gained support from State Government departments and is an example of how communities can implement change. As a result of the project local young people are being trained and employed in the hospitality industry in the Pokolbin area. The key elements of the projects are training, work placement and mentor support.

The Two Bishop's Trust actively supports environmental issues and other such causes affecting the community. 

For more information about the work of the Two Bishops Trust email info@angdon.com.