As we reflect on the past year, we are proud of the continued growth and resilience of Meridian—an organisation deeply rooted in community, lived experience and the pursuit of health equity for our communities.
The 2024–25 financial year was a period of transition and renewal at Meridian, with developments across the organisation setting us up for future growth.
Leadership
Following an extensive recruitment process, Joshua Anlezark was appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Joshua’s appointment was confirmed in October 2024, having been Interim CEO from July. Joshua brings a wealth of experience in HIV, sexual health and community services, and his leadership has already begun to shape a bold and inclusive future for Meridian. His deep understanding of our communities and commitment to peer-led, community-controlled health, wellbeing and community services ensures that Meridian remains a trusted and responsive organisation.
Strategic planning
A significant focus this year has been the development of our new Strategy 2025–30. To ensure the Strategy is effective in meeting our vision, organisational requirements and community demand, we engaged Adjunct Professor Darryl O’Donnell from Praxis Insights to support its development. The new Strategy centres the ongoing importance of HIV in our work, combined with our continued evolution to respond to the health, wellbeing and social needs of our communities.
Our directions and priorities for 2025–30 are future-focused while still reflecting the rich history and strong legacy of this important organisation. They affirm our purpose and position us strongly to achieve our vision: A future where our communities thrive: healthy and well, free from stigma,
empowered by peer connection and supported by a just and inclusive society.
We are excited to start delivery and implementation of our new Strategy and to see its impacts over the coming year.
Operational highlights
Meridian is proud to continue supporting our communities through a wide range of programs and services that respond to needs.
Over the 2024–25 financial year, we supported over 872 people through nine programs across the areas of STI prevention and treatment, support for people living with or impacted by HIV, inclusion and community building, and empowering our communities.
We started a data quality improvement project, due for completion in March 2026, to understand our current and future needs and ensure we capture the data required to efficiently deliver services in a timely manner, using secured and integrated
systems. Once completed, program-level dashboards will support staff to monitor program performance, client needs and staff resources, while organisation-wide dashboards will provide overviews of real-time performance and progress to support decision-making across the organisation.
During the financial year, we successfully achieved re-accreditation for the National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS) and our mid-point review for the Quality Improvement Council (QIC) Health and Community Service Standards.
Financial landscape
Meridian, like many not-for-profit organisations, is navigating an increasingly complex financial landscape marked by rising operational costs, uncertain funding streams and growing community demand. Inflationary pressures have led to increased costs across staffing, service delivery, utilities, insurance and compliance, placing strain on already limited budgets.
While long-term funding agreements (such as the seven-year commitment from the ACT Government for HIV and sexual health programs) provide welcome stability, many other critical services remain vulnerable to short-term or project-based funding. This creates challenges in planning, workforce retention and program continuity.
This concern is not unique to Meridian, with the broader community sector experiencing similar pressures. Many organisations are reporting difficulty in sustaining programs, investing in innovation and responding flexibly to emerging needs.
For Meridian, financial sustainability is more than balancing budgets; it is about ensuring that our peer-led services and programs remain accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of community. In response to these challenges, we continue to broaden our funding base, foster collaborative partnerships and champion long-term, equitable investment in the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Financial sustainability remains a strategic priority, underpinning our ability to deliver high-impact services and support the communities we serve. However, we also know that sustainability requires investment, in capability and in community.
With thanks
To our board, staff, volunteers, members, partners and community members, we give our deepest thanks. Your passion and dedication fuel everything we do. Together, we continue to build a future where health, dignity and inclusion are not just ideals, but realities. Your support allows us to be more for our communities.
Despite the challenges we may face, we are proud that Meridian continues to deliver for our communities. We hope you enjoy reading about the incredible achievements of our staff and volunteers in this annual report.