Guy Hatfield

This information is included to explain my 'semi-retirement', 'long-service leave', 'sabbatical' or 'very long holiday' from active work in the Community Sector.

In 2002 Lylah and I returned to Australia so that our first son Ryokan could begin his schooling in English and for me to begin a new position within the Save the Children organisation.

With our expanding family we soon felt at home in the inner-west. Like all parents, we settled down, made new friends and networks and got involved in those cycles of enrolments and accessing all those necessary services available in the local community.

In 2005, we were made an offer that we couldn't refuse.

With Lylah's cooking skills and restaurant management experience and my own history in hospitality, we could not let slip by the rare chance to open the first Thai restaurant in Yarraville village.

Though initially a small venture, we had somehow managed to get in just before the boom which saw the area become a highly sought after suburb for trendy singles and especially for young families coming over the Westgate. If even by accident- "location, location, location" still holds true.

With Lylah employed by our company as Chef and General Manager, I continued in my professional work but was obviously involved in the business and it's expansion when able.

By 2010 the business had expanded to several venues and clearly I needed to be fully involved to keep things stable. It would also be unfair to the community organisation to continue should that take precedence.

It was also more than time to have a real break from social work, to have more family time with the kids and remove a lot of stress around drop-off and pick-up times.

And here we are in 2025...

Responsible for:

- Establishing the Victorian branch and all associated tasks of this NSW based community organisation

Responsible for establishing the management and staff implemenation of programs:

1. Mentoring for Children with an incarcerated parent

2. In prison visiting areas: a weekend and special occasion fun and participatory activity program for children, their incarcerated family member and other visitors.

Programs:

- Indigenous Justice Worker Program

- Victorian Aboriginal Organisation Projects

1. Managing the government roll-out and implementation as the program funder with 15 ethnic, indigenous, local and otherwise targeted community organisations.

The Mentoring Program was a state-wide mentoring program targeting vulnerable and at-risk young people statewide community organisation

2. Taking over the department's monitoring and oversight of the FreezerCentral program in partnership with the implementing community organisation.

Asia Program Manager:

Australia based coordinator for the Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam programs.

Country Program Directors report directly to the APM. The APM is responsible for SCA's relationship (with regards the in country offices), the global SC organisation, the Australian government and other key partners and international funding and development bodies.

The APM has oversight for larger Asia program issues and through advocacy, submission writing and reporting, supports the financial stability of the program.

Then, Australia Project Director:

Established a new Kimberley based program funded by the Australian government. Worked closely with local Indigenous community partners in all aspects of project set-up and was responsible for overarching program management tasks.

Technical Advisor for the establishment of the

'Vientiane Youth Centre for Health and Development' - a component project among a number of often complementary initiatives focused on six underdeveloped countries across the region.

As a UNFPA initiative funded in collaboration with other stakeholders, the umbrella goal was to affect sustainable change in the exceptionally high and, community wide risk taking behaviours of adolescents and young people with regards their reproductive and sexual health as well as other health and safety concerns.

Undertaken as a partnership arrangement between Save the Children UK and the Communist Party government of the Lao PDR, the role was to advise directly and mentor senior bureaucrats of the Vientiane Municipal Women's Union members in all aspects of this complex initiative and build a multi-service youth centre and health clinic which would engage young people through participation and ownership.

Responsible for:

- Managing AusAID's Small Grants Scheme to support non-government community based organisations across Thailand.

-Oversight of several limited AusAID community programs funded in refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Sacred Heart Hospice, Darlinghurst.

ACON (AIDS Council of NSW), Surrey Hills.

BARNARDOS Residential half-way house for newly arrived Vietnamese youth with high-risk, acting-out behaviours.