IN a bid to be more “self sustainable”, Lifeline Canberra has launched a coffee-van concept called Bean Talkin’ – the first of a series of commercial enterprises to be run by volunteers.

Lifeline Canberra CEO Mike Zissler said to keep up with the demand on Lifeline’s 24-hour counselling hotline, the organisation needed to train more counsellors using a more consistent revenue stream above their twice-yearly Lifeline Bookfairs.

“The Bookfairs generate about $950,000 a year, so they are really good income,” Mr Zissler said.

“But Government grants – they only give us about a third of our budget – are actually contracting over time, and are no longer reliable for money, that’s the nature of the business.

“So we are very keen to make ourselves self sustainable over time.

“Because of our volunteer base, we are very successful in generating revenue and we think these are good opportunities.”

The project, which has been developing for about 12 months, is being managed by commercial enterprises manager, Karen Bustamante.

Volunteer baristas working in the Bean Talkin’ vans will complete a two-day course with Lifeline Canberra’s catering sponsors U.8.one.2 and will also take part in a sponsored safe food handling course at CIT. They will also be mentored and supported by Gus’ Cafe.

The van and its baristas will be available for public events.

“It allows us, of course, to generate good income as well, but also very importantly, it’s about getting the message out to the community that the business we’re in, is about talking to each other, listening to each other, making the community stronger, more resilient and safer,” Mr Zissler said.

Depending on the success of the concept, Mr Zissler hopes that Bean Talkin’ could eventually be a way of getting young people who are unemployed or people with a disability into the workforce.

“We’ll get them onto the barista training, the safe food handling training and they’ll be mentored then by one of our volunteers. After they put enough hours in, we’ll write them a reference saying they are a good barista, they are reliable, confident and skilled,” he said.

Lifeline Canberra also expects to open a retail shop in July, once again run by volunteers.

“It will not be an opshop, we are not going down the lines of the Salvation Army or St Vincent de Paul – who do a great job,” he said.

“This will very much be a shop with a very specific marketplace that will target young fashionable people who will come and buy things from us and, of course, make a profit for Lifeline.

“Once again, it will be staffed by predominantly volunteers and it’s another training opportunity for people to get back into the workforce.”

It will also have three facets; a shop in Civic, a “pop-up” shop and an online shop.

The third concept will be a Christmas event.

Mr Zissler said currently 70 people are being trained as volunteer counsellors for Lifeline, with the hope of training another 70 in the next six months.

He hopes with the help of the new ventures, Lifeline Canberra will double its volunteer counsellors from 200 to 400 and double the calls answered from 20,000 a year to 50,000.

Bean Talkin’ will be stationed at the Albert Hall during the Canberra International Music Festival from May 11 to 20. For more information visit www.act.lifeline.org.au

PHOTO: Lifeline Canberra project manager Karen Bustamante with the new Bean Talkin’ van… volunteer baristas serve coffee at public events.