Published on 3 Nov 2025

Windana: Board support and meeting management

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Allen + Clarke provides Board secretariat services to Windana - a Victorian organisation providing services for adults and young people experience alcohol and other drug harms, family violence, mental health challenges and social disadvantage.

Our work enables board members more time for strategic thinking, stabilised operations during a transitional phase, and helped Windana continue delivering essential services to Victorian communities.

Key takeaways:

  • Our combined secretariat and governance expertise provided stability during significant leadership and organisational change.

  • Board members gained more capacity for strategic thinking as we managed day-to-day administrative tasks.

  • Improved governance systems positioned Windana to better serve vulnerable communities while strengthening their organisational foundations.
Our work with Windana shows how effective governance and secretariat support can do more than just improve administration. By providing both practical help and strategic guidance, we've support Windana through a period of change while enhancing their ability to deliver vital services to vulnerable Victorian communities.

Providing a practical secretariat and guidance on best practice

Windana provides important services across Victoria for adults and young people experiencing alcohol and other drug harms, family violence, mental health challenges, and social disadvantage. In early 2025, they approached Allen + Clarke following their 2023 merger with another AOD provider, seeking help to refine their developing governance processes.

The timing was critical. With changes at Board Secretary, Chair and CEO level, Windana needed support to maintain consistent governance during these changes to ensure they could continue serving their communities without disruption.

 

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Our Approach

Our team understood that Windana needed both practical secretariat support and guidance on governance best practice. They required a partner who could manage immediate Board operations while helping strengthen their organisational foundations for the future.

We developed an approach that combined day-to-day secretariat services with strategic governance support:

  • Board meeting management - we support all Board meetings with agenda development, preparation of meeting materials, and creation of clear, actionable minutes.

  • Subcommittee support - we provide secretariat services to three subcommittees. 

  • Governance improvement - we reviewed and updated key governance documents and facilitated a Board self-evaluation process.

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Building relationships to deliver high quality support

Our small team quickly built strong relationships by delivering reliable, high-quality support across all Board activities. We provide both practical assistance and governance expertise, helping Windana navigate a complex period while maintaining operational stability.

Windana identified our ability to provide both secretariat and governance support as a key strength of our partnership. By addressing both immediate operational needs and longer-term governance requirements, we helped them manage significant change while building stronger foundations. This work delivered three main benefits:

  • Greater strategic focus - with reliable secretariat support handling administrative tasks, board members could focus on providing strategic guidance and direction.

  • Better governance systems - updated documents and processes helped Windana operate more effectively and with greater confidence in their internal structures.

  • Stability during change - consistent board support maintained organisational stability through leadership transitions, helping ensure service delivery continued without interruption.

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Interconnected coloured pathways forming abstract network diagram