The Bulletin No. 6 - Apr 2011.

Thank you Peter Willans!.

Apr 2011

After dedicating the last 15 years to Colony 47’s Community Christmas Lunch, long standing Friend of Colony and Chairman of the Christmas Lunch Committee, Mr Peter Willans is stepping back this year to focus on family and unwind from the pressures of work and study.

Peter joined the Colony 47 Christmas Lunch team in 1997 when it was held at Wesley Hall and served around 100 guests. As numbers grew he supported the transition to the Masonic Hall who graciously hosted the event for over a decade, along with Chef Robert Olding.

This year’s Christmas Lunch required yet another change of venue to cope with increasing demand. Serving 400 meals on Christmas Day, the Hellenic Hall in North Hobart proved an excellent alternative to take the event into the future. A move Peter worked toward with ex-Premier and friend David Bartlett.

Peter’s roles have varied from kitchen duties to Day Co-ordinator but no matter what, Peter says there is always something very special that happens on the day to bring into focus what the lunch really means for the guests, and the many volunteers who give their time.

“There are special moments when all the planning, procedures and discussions pale into insignificance, when you see a smile on a person’s face; a smile saying they have been surprised by what they see or have received, that special moment makes the Colony 47 Christmas Lunch a day to remember,” he said.

Working for ten years with Housing Tasmania, and most recently in the Community Partners Unit of Housing Strategy, Peter’s role is to maintain operational linkages and sector interface with funded Specialist Homelessness Services.

These services include the accommodation and support services for homeless men, women and youths in Tasmania, a role that he says is challenging and very rewarding in terms of working collaboratively to drive positive changes in the sector.

Peter said, “There is a real appetite to work closely with the sector to effect change, consolidate and improve the responses to homelessness within the existing funded services.”

At the Australasian Housing Institute Awards in Melbourne recently Peter was awarded the Australasian Housing Institutes Professional Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Housing.

Colony 47 has been privileged to have the support and generosity Peter has offered over the last 15 years and though his skill and expertise will be sorely missed we wish him all the best with his PhD and a safe and relaxing festive season in 2011.

Thank you Peter Willans