NOTES FROM THE CHAIR - MERYL GROSS

There have been a number of events since my last report, the most significant being the untimely death of our friend an colleague, Billy Thorpe, who had just been elected to the SAL Board. Billy had marvelous dreams of the future for this organisation and wanted to fund raise on a grand scale. The Board now plans to set up a Billy Thorpe Foundation within SAL to work towards realizing his dreams.

At the same time Billy joined the Board, Brian Cadd was appointed to head up the Victorian Chapter following the departure of Bobby Valentine. Brian has put together a terrific team who are keen to establish a firm platform for SAL in Victoria and continue the work of our band of dedicated volunteers in that state.

We were delighted to receive a cheque for $50,000 from the organizers of the Bon Scott Celebration Concert in Perth. Buzz Bidstrup and Marcus Ahearn nominated Support Act as the recipient for any money raised in excess of the cost of the Bon Scott statue. They have our sincere thanks for this generous donation which will be put to good use.

A date has now been set for this year's Music In The House luncheon at NSW Parliament House hosted by Virginia Judge MP. Please put September 27th in your diaries and make an effort to attend. Last year's function was a wonderful success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

I should also make special mention here of a terrific initiative by Jands Pty. Ltd. This company holds a regular BBQ lunch for their staff and each lunch raises money for charity. A staff member recently nominated SAL as a charity and we received a cheque for $546.50 as a result. What a fantastic idea and I'd like to commend Jands for their community spirit.

Another cheque arrived in the mail as a result of a group of Western Australian musicians staging "The Battle of the Old Rockers" held at the Civic Hotel. The night was a great success (details on our website) and we'd like to thank the organisers for the $3,500 raised for SAL as a result. These donations mean a great deal to us and the people our organisation helps.

We are currently seeking volunteers to assist with collecting money at the upcoming Countdown concerts nationally. Michael Gudinski has again given us permission to have volunteers collect money for Support Act in the foyers of each venue after the show.

Meryl Gross

A Word About Lindy - Support Act's National Coordinator

Lindy Morrison is known to some as the drummer girl from the Go Betweens, or the PPCA copyright battler, or just a damn fun lady to hit the town with! But she is also a qualified welfare worker, and usually the first point of call for potential SAL clients. Under Lindy's empathetic care and supervision, the most needy members of the music industry are lead safely to a place where their greatest needs can be met. The services funded include: