Liam Butler interviews RSA CEO David Moger

Liam Butler interviews RSA CEO David Moger

by Liam Butler
30 January 2014

Question One

David, you have stated that your focus is in the development and implementation of the RSA strategy, and to ensure that the RSA movement is relevant and thriving as we move into your second century of operation. What parts of RSA are working well for Older People that are not widely publicised in the media?

Having spent the last 6 years in the Nor-for-Profit sector, the RSA has, in my opinion, one of the best kept secrets in New Zealand and that is the tremendous support for veterans and their families that is offered across the country. Before joining the RSA, I had no idea that we provide 250 Support Advisers across the country that offer direct support across a range of health and financial issues. The vast majority of the people we support would be classed as "Older People. In addition we also have more than 500 volunteer hospital and home visitors who provide care, support and companionship when it is needed most. Secondly, our RSA Clubs around the country provide a wide variety of opportunities for socialising and thus reducing the isolationist nature of modern living. We stand for united communities and our RSA Clubs have become hubs for local communities. In addition, many people think you can only join an RSA if you have military service but this is not the case. In fact, around 65% of our membership across the country have no military background, so that lack of military service is no barrier to enjoying the warm hospitality of an RSA welcome.

www.rsa.org.nz/information-sheets has easy to understand information sheets in the area of War Disablement and Veteran's Pension and the Surviving Spouse Pension to give an independent view of those pensions and what you need to do to make appropriate applications.

Question Two

What are some of the main supports that Older People often do not know about?

Our easy to understand guides do provide a wealth of information on the benefits available for Older People and we also receive a large number of enquiries around entitlements for both Work & Income benefits and War Pensions. One of the most common misconceptions is the level of pension that veterans can be entitled to when their health situation changes. This can include diagnosis of serious illness or changes in health that impact on the quality of life. Local RSA Support Advisors can assist with the completion of application forms and if additional benefits are not approved, many people do not realise that we provide free support and representation during the appeal process. The first response that people receive to a War Disablement Pension application is not necessarily the final one.

Question Three

David the RSA Poppy Appeal is an institution in New Zealand. Where can people read the financial reports of the good work the RSA does with its income?

Each year we publish a national annual report that covers not only our financial performance but also the key areas of our work, which includes Support. Copies of the Annual Report are available from our website. This however, is only one part of the overall picture because the money collected as part of the Poppy Appeal stays in the area from which it is collected. This means that people know that local veterans and their families benefit from the donations that they make. It also means that we can meet the individual needs of local people rather than providing a "one size fits all" approach. Each local RSA which collects Poppy Appeal donations also produces an Annual Report which is available from the Registrar of Incorporated Societies and in addition, people are very welcome to contact their local RSA directly and speak to the Support Advisor or President on what has been done in their community.

About David Moger...
I am a husband and father of 2 boys and live on the Kapiti Coast where I am a member of the Paraparaumu RSA. We moved to New Zealand as a family in 2002 and have the privilege of now being NZ Citizens. My background is in Sales, Sales Management, General Management, Project Management and Organisational Development in a range of sectors including Financial Services, Telecommunications, Science & Technology, Recruitment and Not-for-Profit across Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Since arriving here I have been the Client Development Director for Industrial Research, run an Australian Medical Recruitment business, been the CEO for Habitat for Humanity in the Lower North Island and Regional Manager for World Vision. I joined the RSA in March 2013 as Business Development Manager and moved into the Chief Executive role in December.

For more articles like this Click Here
www.eldernet.co.nz | www.carepublications.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media