"We describe Change Day Australia as a people led, accessible and energetic social movement for better health outcomes"
We have a really unique model for Change Day in Australia. We exist as a not for profit company with a Board of Directors, so we don't sit within any organization.
Our initial income was raised through crowd funding and we rely on an enormous amount of goodwill and volunteer effort to maintain the work we do. We have a small but dynamic National Action Team that meet regularly by teleconference and drive the movement forward.
In our first year we gathered more than 15,000 pledges from all over Australia and this year we are hoping for many more. But it's not the number of pledges that keeps our commitment and enthusiasm so high. We have seen first hand the incredible results that arise when just one person is willing to take an action to improve outcomes. The ripple effect of small change can be powerful.
We often get asked if all these pledges actually make a difference. So we made a short video where we went back and asked four people who made a pledge to tell us about what happened. We hope you find our video inspiring.
Our message to health and social care professionals all over the world is "don't underestimate how powerful you are! " You have a unique and important opportunity to shape health and social care, take that opportunity in both hands and do something really amazing with it.
Change Day Australia is taking place on Wednesday 11 March 2015. Find out more and pledge at changeday.com.au.