Since 1916, the RSL has been a beacon of hope for thousands of ex-servicepeople. It has provided platforms for camaraderie and connection; it has kept the spirit of commemoration alive and worked tirelessly to honour the fallen and be a source of assistance to the vulnerable.

Regardless of how the environment in which we work has changed since we began, these core functions have not changed. Yet, to continue this work in the most impactful way, our journey forward will need to begin with some bold steps.

We believe the Strategic Plan 2023-2028 approved in July 2023 charts a course for decisive action to ensure the relevance and continuity of RSL Victoria’s work and its mission.

It recognises the need for a new strategy to be bold and ambitious about the future. It recognises that to increase support for ex-servicepeople and their families, we need to work together as a network – collectively sharing talents and resources, advocating for greater recognition of service impact and ensuring our organisation is structured and funded to fulfill its mission. It also holds us all accountable for achieving our goals.

We intend to extend our role as the voice of the Victorian veteran community while being a welcoming and inclusive organisation for the diversity of membership that will come from the modern defence force. Our core values – of Empathy, Tradition, Integrity, Mateship, Transparency, Compassion and Respect – hold true always and will be the foundation for how we accomplish our mission to provide the best support and services to all generations of ex-servicepeople and their families.

The first steps in the delivery of the Strategic Plan have been to identify the projects that will be the building blocks for the future. These have included enabling technology, mapping out the key priorities for 2024 and undertaking an assessment of our current landscape.

The State Branch and the Sub-Branch network will be responsible for securing funding for the Strategic Plan and its initiatives. The plan will need to be phased so it can prioritise the work as funding becomes available. The State Branch will look to external stakeholders to help support the strategic initiatives and keep the RSL in Victoria as the voice of the Victorian veteran community.

Our end goal is for the RSL in Victoria to be a financially viable, unified organisation leading the Victorian Ex-Service Community, providing high-quality support and services to veterans and their families, and enabling Sub-Branches to be a place of welcome for all members and the broader community.