Bunbury financial counsellor for Anglicare WA, Wendy Black, calls time on career of helping others

A Bunbury financial counsellor is calling time on a career that has seen her help many South West families stay afloat during tough times for more than two decades.

Anglicare WA financial counselling specialist, Wendy Black, is turning off her calculator and retiring, but her impact has been so great the organisation plans to name a room after her in its new headquarters.

Ms Black joined Anglicare WA in 1997 as a financial counsellor in Bunbury and has spent the 25 years since supporting people experiencing financial stress, first in the South West, and more recently across the State.

“I loved the work, and I still do,” Ms Black said.

Since her first day in the job, she said she could not believe she got paid to help people move towards financial stability.

“I love seeing people grow, both clients and colleagues, and I’m very proud of the support I’ve been able to give.”

Anglicare WA is a not for profit community service organisation that supports people, families and communities by helping them through relationship issues, housing difficulties and financial problems.

When the organisation’s Bunbury office relocates to Stirling Street in the near future, a conference room will be named in honour of Ms Black.

Anglicare WA CEO Mark Glasson believes this is one way to recognise a person who has made such a difference to so many peoples’ lives.

“I want to acknowledge the significant contribution Wendy has made to Anglicare WA, our Financial Inclusion and Financial Counselling teams, and the wider sector,” Mr Glasson said.

“Wendy is known as a leader in this work right across the country and has been an advocate for the community and for improving service delivery.”

This leadership has seen Ms Black mentor countless staff members in her mission to help South West people who are down on their luck and struggling to make ends meet.

The experience she gained in the region propelled Ms Black to lead the Statewide financial counselling, emergency relief and microfinance services arms of Anglicare WA as the practice consultant for financial services and housing support.

This professional experience carries right through to her core values, driving Ms Black to join the Board of the Financial Counselling Association WA, becoming the association’s treasurer and then chair.

More recently, she has helped establish the Diploma of Financial Counselling as a traineeship.

Seeing the different challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, she worked to develop culturally-appropriate programs designed to help Indigenous people build financial skills and knowledge.

Through this varied and rewarding career spanning a quarter of a decade, Ms Black said technology had been the most significant change in the way she worked.

“We didn’t have mobile phones or computers, so we used a pencil and paper for our client’s income and expenses, and a typewriter when we wrote to creditors,” she said.

“Technology has changed the way we deliver services to clients and helped us get them to wherever they want to be.”

The platform may change, but her drive for social justice has remained constant.

“One thing that has never changed is the rogue financial products that need to be continually held to account,” Ms Black said.

“Even though I’m retiring, the passion and advocacy of my amazing colleagues will continue to stand for less fortunate and marginalised groups in our communities.”