Community and not-for-profit organisations play a crucial role in supporting and advocating for those in need. The success of these organisations is based on the outreach they provide and the administrative work that keeps their operations running. For youth and disability services provider Allambi Care (Allambi), smooth office management is essential to every aspect of their organisation, and with good supplier relationships can help maintain this. We sat down with Simon Walsh, Allambi Care CEO and Peter Voght, IT Manager to learn more about Allambi’s initiatives, why local partnerships matter and the benefits of streamlining print technology with Sharp Office.
Committed to care
Allambi Care began as a crisis youth refuge run by a committed group of staff who wanted to follow the needs of the children they were serving. For Simon, “if there was something we couldn’t yet help with, we would build it to accommodate that”, ensuring that the children in their care weren’t missing out on what they needed so they could move towards a positive future. Throughout their more than 40 year history, Allambi has evolved to offer a range of services, training and outreach programs to support those vulnerable in our community. These include education centres like Learning Without Walls and North Academy School for year 9/10 in West Wallsend, as well as free events like Cinema Under the Stars at Speers Point which promotes a “fund and affordable activity anyone in the community can enjoy”. Events like these are also beneficial to raising awareness about foster caring, which is one critical service the organisation provides. Becoming a foster carer is a kindness more members of our community could get involved with, said Simon. Allambi provides training, financial aid and assistance to the young person entering foster care to aid in the transition.
Likeminded locals
For any local organisation or business, working with local suppliers can be mutually beneficial. Alongside supporting other local operators, you can access supplies quicker and gain expert advice, which Office Products Account Manager Michael Capriotti provides for the admin team at Allambi. In addition to the main office, office supplies are also supplied for students and staff at the North Academy School.
For Simon, working with Sharp Office isn’t only about supplies, it’s about a shared local focus and strengthening community links to see everyone thrive. “Sharp Office support local people and the community” which was important to Simon alongside the solutions available for Allambi.
Excelling service
As an entirely government-funded organisation, it’s important for Allambi to invest in equipment that allows the team to excel and nurture their clients, which new technology can assist with. With guidance from Senior Print Account Manager Nick Ashford and Director Joel Anderson on new print technology, Simon and Peter have streamlined the print fleet and gained dependable managed print services for peace of mind. With several Sharp BP70C45 and BP70C31 photocopiers throughout the head office and at education sites, plus multiple Sharp MXB427PW desktop printers to assist finance staff, every print and copy need is covered.
Managing a large print fleet across different locations can be challenging to do internally, which is why a managed print service is relieving. A managed print service offers you an insight into how much printing occurs in your business so you can optimise printing, as well as fast toner supply thanks to automatic notifications when supply is low. For Peter, the Sharp Office managed print service “helped curve the surplus toner around the building and is more efficient for staff who own printers around the office to easily get what they need when it’s needed”, he said.
Technology is an essential tool for Allambi staff and working with Nick and Joel helps reduce administrative hassles and handle important documents with ease, allowing them to “invest more time into caring for children,” said Simon. A relationship with local print experts like Nick and Joel is key to gaining the most value from their print equipment, which Peter explained as being “a good relationship where I can call them when I need them and they’re responsive” he said.
Is it time to review your current print environment in your community or NFP organisation? Our local print experts can help you review current technology and identify the best solutions to streamline your business. Contact us today.
Want to read more about how Nick Ashford has helped Allambi Care? Here’s how we helped to digitise thousands of hardcopy documents.
