HE’S been the face of business enterprise for the past 25 years, but now Bruce Buchanan has channelled his energy into a different form of help.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Buchanan started as executive officer of St Vincent de Paul’s Bathurst Central Council region on April 3 after saying goodbye to Central NSW Business HQ, formerly known at the Central West Business Enterprise Centre.
He said it was hard to leave the venture he dedicated 25 years to, 20 of them as executive officer.
“I truly believe that everyone has a shelf life in any job or business,” he said.
“But one of the great things about working for a not-for-profit is you get to meet amazing people who give back to the community and assist people to better their lives.”
Mr Buchanan spoke particularly fondly of the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme, the government-funded program supporting more than 1300 people across the region.
“It helped a lot of people go from unemployment to full-time employment and, in many cases, employing other people,” he said.
But he also said the best advice sometimes meant not proceeding.
“Clients would get to D-Day, they’d done their research and gotten approval for their loan and we would ask are you prepared to give up the security of a fortnightly cheque?” he said.
“The romance, the excitement and the Aussie ‘give it a go spirit’ is fantastic, but it’s not for everyone.”
At Vinnies, Mr Buchanan will oversee crisis support services including the Vinnies van, accommodation and vouchers, but also its counselling service and 17 stores between Lithgow and Coonabarabran.
“Counselling advice is to assist people so they don’t have to keep coming back, to become self-sufficient.”