Brotherhood of St Laurence

The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is an Australian not-for-profit anti-poverty organisation. BSL has its headquarters in Melbourne but provides services and programs across Australia. It undertakes research, delivers services and advocates for anyone who faces, or is at risk of, disadvantage and poverty.

BSL pursues systemic change and finds new ways to address disadvantage so that people can fully participate in economic, social and civic life and create and share prosperity with dignity and respect.

Solving poverty in Australia

BSL recognises that reaching its vision of an Australia free of poverty requires long term, systemic change.

Programs and Services

The Brotherhood's broad portfolio of programs and services create lasting change in the community. Initiatives support disadvantaged people of all ages to build better lives for themselves. It develops innovative place-based services that are often then scaled up and adopted by other community organisations and local, state and federal governments.

Programs and services focus on

• children and families – in the early years, both at home and in school
• young people – moving through secondary school and into work or further education
• adults – seeking employment and training
• older people – facing the challenges of retirement and ageing.
• people living with disability

Within this broad framework, the Brotherhood pays particular attention to issues relating to refugees and settlement, financial inclusion and social inclusion.

History and beginnings

BSL was founded on 8 December 1930 in the Anglican parish church of St Stephen in Adamstown, Newcastle in New South Wales. Its founder, Father Gerard Kennedy Tucker, dreamed of building a dedicated group of like-minded people who would serve the church and the community. BSL was established as a religious order of the Anglican Church and members included priests and lay brothers.

In 1933, BSL accepted the invitation of Canon Maynard of St Peter's, Eastern Hill, Melbourne (with the approval of the Archbishop of Melbourne) and moved to St Mary's Mission in Fitzroy to help people living in poverty in that neighbourhood. Young men who wished to serve others in the name of Christ came together as a community at St Mary's and attended lectures at St Peter's. They lived simply, studied, prayed, and helped with social welfare activities.

At the height of the Great Depression, when some 30% of the workforce was jobless, BSL became more actively involved in helping unemployed people and their families. After the 1939–45 War, there was little interest in expanding BSL as a religious order. However, the welfare work of BSL continued and expanded under Father Tucker's leadership. He believed that the role of the organisation was to provide a 'fence at the top of the cliff rather than ambulances at the bottom,’ and he deployed a range of clever tactics to achieve social change including producing films, public campaigns, letters to newspapers and other advocacy. BSL's tradition of exploring new ways to address disadvantage through innovation, research, partnerships, and advocacy continues to this day.

Social policy and research

The reearch team conducts timely research on the causes, consequences and measurement of poverty, inequality and socioeconomic disadvantage. BSL's research standing is strengthened through a longstanding partnership with the University of Melbourne. It also houses a library and collaborates with other researchers, government agencies and community organisations.

Research areas include:

• poverty and social exclusion
• inclusive education
• work and economic security
• inclusive ageing
• energy, equity, and climate change

Disability services

BSL’s approach to working with people with disability focuses on building a sense of wellbeing and autonomy. It recognises the importance of family, friends, carers and community and its early childhood services support children younger than nine years with a disability or a developmental delay.  

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

BSL has partnered with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to deliver Local Area Coordination (LAC) and early childhood services for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) across the North East Melbourne, Hume Merri-bek, Brimbank Melton, Western Melbourne and Bayside Peninsula areas.

This service includes supporting those living with disability to access community and mainstream services and resources and supporting people who meet the NDIS access requirements to navigate and engage effectively with the NDIS.

Social enterprises

The Brotherhood has 24 community stores (also known as op-shops) across greater Melbourne and Geelong where it sells donated furniture, clothing and other household items. As well as selling low-cost goods to families and bargain hunters, the organisation offers volunteer opportunities and a place for community connection. Among BSL's community stores, are two Hunter Gatherer shops specialising in selling hand-picked vintage clothing, accessories and bric-a-brac.

Brotherhood Books is Australia's only online charity second-hand bookstore stocking a wide range of popular books, rare and collectable titles and children's books.

Staff and Volunteers

In 2024, BSL employs over 1500 staff and around 1250 volunteers across the organisation.

Governance

BSL is an income tax-exempt charity, has deductible gift recipient status and is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Partnerships and Corporate support

The Brotherhood provides corporate volunteering and donation opportunities and has a range of partnerships with charities as well as businesses (e.g. ANZ bank) and councils (e.g. Yarra City Council).

External links

• Brotherhood of St Laurence website