Hundreds gather to celebrate our Charter Day 2025
Wesley Mission Queensland (WMQ) celebrated its 6th Charter Day on Tuesday 25 March 2025. Charter Day is a celebration of our staff and their achievements and reminds us of the values that connect us.
With more than 400 team members in attendance from across the organisation, Charter Day 2025 was one of our biggest and brightest yet, since its inception in 2016. From the very first coffee of the morning to the lines waiting for the photobooth, it was clear to see the bonds across the organisation.
A powerful start grounded in culture and community impact
The day started with a meaningful Welcome to Country from Derek Oram Sandy, who incorporated the didgeridoo and traditional local elements, setting the scene for a wonderful day of reflection and recognition.
Group activities and presentations from employees and customers across WMQ’s services including Beenleigh Family Centre, Mental Health, The ORCA Project, Eagleby Community Centre and our Leisure and Lifestyle Coordinators and Activities Officers from our residential aged care facilities brought home the importance of the work WMQ does.
Hearing these stories of lived experience was a powerful way to see the real impact of the work we do, and we greatly appreciate the courage shown by those who shared their insights.
Recognising outstanding contributions
Throughout the day, we also announced the nominees and winners of our Charter Awards. These awards are peer-nominated and recognise staff for their commitment to WMQ’s charter values of hope, respect, compassion, empowerment, innovation, justice and integrity.
With 229 nominations, it was fantastic to see colleagues acknowledging and celebrating each other. Congratulations to all our winners.
The day finished with a special thank you and speech from Chair of the Board Elaine Rae whose term with WMQ finishes in June, after 10 years’ service as a board member.
Living our values every day
Charter Day is about celebrating what it means to work at Wesley Mission Queensland, the work we do, the values we strive for, the challenges and the triumphs, the people we serve, the friendships we make and the connections we form. It was inspiring to be reminded of how our team lives WMQ’s values in their work every day.
As CEO Jude Emmer commented in her opening speech:
From my experience there are many companies looking or hoping to see their values in the work they do, there are many not-for-profits who SAY they are values based but Wesley Mission Queensland is one of the few who honestly lives out their values every day.
