Studio 1: Ian Finlayson, GM Fundraising and Marketing, Vision Australia.

Looking for a way to feel good, get active and make a meaningful difference? Vision Australia’s 100K Your Way is back this April, offering the perfect opportunity to move your body and raise important funds to help support people living with blindness, low vision or print disability.

In this highlight, Sam and Lizzie (Studio 1) speak to Ian Finlayson, GM Fundraising and Marketing, Vision Australia to understand the need for such a fundraiser and who stands to benefit from a successful 100K Your Way campaign.

Join a Vision Australia Radio team here: Get moving for a cause: Vision Australia’s 100K Your Way returns this April! | Vision Australia Radio

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:04):
We are joined by Ian Finlayson, who is the general
manager for fundraising and marketing. How are you today? I'm very,
very well, I understand. It's been a busy day.

S2 (00:14):
It is always a busy day at Vision Australia. Sam,
we have high ambitions and lots to achieve.

S1 (00:21):
So this 100 K your way? How long has this
been running for? How many years?

S2 (00:27):
You know, around about its third or fourth year. And
it is a it's a wonderful, wonderful activity that we
encourage the community to participate in, whether you're blind or
have low vision or you've been a supporter of Vision
Australia's for a long time, it's a wonderful activity. Obviously,
it practices great physical fitness. The challenge, as the word says,

(00:50):
the event name says it's 100 K your way through
the month of April each year. So we're, uh, actively
recruiting participants right now, uh, who will basically take on
that challenge. And they can walk, run, swim, jog, roll
if they need 100 k's. Your way is the event

(01:10):
name so aptly says.

S1 (01:12):
Is there a general idea behind this? I mean, how
does this relate to, say, Vision Australia clients?

S2 (01:16):
Certainly. Well, Vision Australia is a is a not for
profit organisation and we rely on about 40% of our
annual turnover is through the generosity of the Australian public.
So there's many ways to support an organisation, whether that's
a donation to an appeal, whether that's participating in our

(01:37):
community events and or supporting our philanthropy efforts or through
corporate sponsorship, etc.. So this is just one of the
various ways that people can show their support of Vision Australia,
raising vital funds. We we need to raise, probably in
the vicinity of about $45 million every year to support

(01:59):
the services that we provide to about 40,000 people across Australia,
many of whom are not eligible for either, say, the
likes of the NDIS or covered by the Commonwealth Home
Support Program. Our desire is to get services and products
in people to people in need, regardless of their funding.

S1 (02:20):
So are you taking part in it?

S2 (02:22):
I am, I am, I'm an avid golfer, so I
believe that golf actually qualifies. So I'll be putting my
I'll be putting my sort of steps in on the
golf course. But I'll also do some, uh, rather rather
interesting nature walks during the month of April. My days
as a runner, Sam, are long gone.

S1 (02:42):
I don't join a club. Um, what I did last
year was, well, it didn't really change my routine at
all and still managed to get up to 100. Um,
consisted of simply walking to and from work, as it were.
I mean, so, I mean, the life of a blind
person tends to mean that you do a lot of
walking anyway. But have you heard any interesting stories of yourself?

(03:02):
I mean, we've already spoken to Dale and we've spoken
to Jess, who are approaching things from extremely different angles.
But have you heard anything of any other interesting ways
that people are going to their 100 KS?

S2 (03:13):
Oh, I think there's, uh, we we actually were trying
to encourage in our first couple of years as people
taking different pathways each, each and every year or indeed,
you know, not doing the same walk every day, putting
a little bit of variety into it. So, you know,
I travel reasonably extensively for work, uh, through our vision

(03:35):
Australia being a national organisation. So you might find me
on the Burleigh Heads headland walking, walking, walking a nature walk.
Not today, of course, with uh, with obviously Cyclone Alfred. But,
you know, I might I might sneak a walk in
there or I might be down on the Mornington Peninsula
doing my walking or playing playing golf on the Melbourne Sandbelt.

(03:57):
So there's many ways that you can walk 100 K.

S1 (04:00):
Well, if anyone is listening and wants to either take
part or donate. Is there any way they can go
to either on the internet or wherever else?

S2 (04:09):
Yeah, certainly. So our website where all the information is
present is 100 k your way.org. Indeed, that's the best
place for you to go and find that. Find the information.
What we're looking to do is to raise vital funds
that can support Australians of all ages, and support our

(04:29):
services to those people in need, raising vital funds. Last
year we had close to 1000 people participate, so we'd
love to be able to meet and exceed that level
of participation. And you can do it in many ways.
You can do it as an individual or as part
of a team. And indeed, we've had a number of

(04:50):
people within Vision Australia. In fact, Vision Australia radio over
in Perth had put a team together and were one
of our most prolific fund raisers last year. So, you know,
our shout out is to businesses, also individuals or teammates
and sporting clubs or indeed work colleagues across Australia getting

(05:12):
together and taking the challenge on together. And and as
I said uh, often uh teams doing this this together
will encourage each other to, to go that extra mile
or should I say kilometre.

S1 (05:27):
Indeed. Now the fundraising has started already, but the aim
is to make this a major thing for April, I believe.

S2 (05:36):
Correct. So the actual physical challenge itself. Uh, well, it
starts to tick over on the 1st of April. So
the challenge is 100 K's, uh, your way in the
month of April, many people meet and exceed that target.

S1 (05:51):
Ian Finlayson, thank you so much for joining us. And, uh,
good walking.

S3 (05:55):
Thank you. Sam.