TRY has two committees, a General Committee and a DGR subcommittee. We’ve partnered with state, federal and local government, as well as community, philanthropic and business organisations.
Our General Committee has 17 people and oversees projects and the general operation of TRY. The DGR Subcomittee has 4 people and oversees the operation of the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status and the Public Fund to which donations are made. The executive positions and all committee members are unpaid positions.
TRY’s Annual General Meeting is usually held in September or October each year, where the year is reviewed and executive positions are declared open for nominations. At the 2023 AGM the following executive committee members were elected:
| Position | Office holders 2023-24 |
|---|---|
| President | Matthew Charles-Jones |
| Vice President | Juliette Milbank |
| Secretary/Public Officer | Kim McConchie |
| Treasurer | Bernard Wilson |
Clare Bishop is currently the part-time TRY Projects Coordinator until December 2023. One other non-executive position is the Communications Coordinator, currently held by Juliette Milbank.
We encourage people who wish to contribute to TRY’s efforts to come along to one of our monthly general committee meetings and find out what we do. Contact us for details. We occasionally call out for volunteers to help at events, but the bulk of the work we do is project related. Skills in any of the following areas are always valued:
- Fundraising
- Research
- Grant applications
- Financial management
- Governance & Compliance
- Community engagement
- Volunteer Coordination
- Communications
- Partnerships
- Project Management
- or other areas – tell us your skills!
Partnerships
TRY’s mission and goals sometimes align with other like-minded organisations and we may collaborate to bring about outcomes for a shared purpose. Where this occurs regularly, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is drawn up to clarify the relationship. Please contact us if you are interested in further details.
Indigo Power is the community energy retailer that TRY helped to found and with whom we have collaborated on a number of projects. An energy retailer is a core part of TRY’s 5-stage road map to reach 100% renewables. This is because in Australia electricity can only be traded or shared via an energy retailer. So in order to retain the benefits of locally-generated renewable energy for residents and businesses in Yackandandah, a community energy retailer is required.
Upon establishment Indigo Power became a separate entity to TRY and operates not just in Yackandandah but across north-east Victoria and further afield. It is a registered company, with its own board, management, and paid staff and operates completely independently of TRY. Indigo Power is also a social enterprise, community owned via shareholders, and returns 50% of any profits it makes back to community energy projects within the communities it serves.
TRY is an incorporated association run by volunteers with a mission that is focused on Yackandandah and an approximate 11 km radius from the town.
The easy way to remember the difference between TRY and Indigo Power is that TRY is a community group that raises funds and runs projects that contribute to the 100% renewables goal in Yackandandah, while Indigo Power is a registered company that sells electricity throughout north-east Victoria with a goal to transition the region to 100% renewables.
TRY has also collaborated with the Victorian government, federal government and many other organisations, including the Reichstein Foundation, Into Our Hands Foundation, FRRR, Australian Ethical Foundation, Australian Community Foundation, YCDCo, YCC, Indigo Shire Council, Mondo, AusNet, Solar Integrity, Indigo Power, ReClaim Energy, Hallidays Solicitors and Australia Post.
