Excellence at work, leadership in sport: Stephanie named Woman of the Year finalist

We are incredibly proud of Anglicare NT staff member Stephanie Stone, a finalist in the NT News Woman of the Year Awards, Champions of Sport category. Stephanie is the matriarch of the Arrernte Community Boxing Academy. Through her coaching and leadership, Stephanie has helped create a safe, supportive community while challenging stigma around a sport she has been involved in since childhood.

Stephanie’s day job at Anglicare NT

Every weekday, before heading to the Academy, Stephanie works tirelessly as part of Anglicare NT’s financial inclusion team in Alice Springs. Earlier this year, her dedication was formally recognised when she was awarded Excellence in NILS Client Service at the annual Good Shepherd Financial Wellbeing Conference. The conference brought together people from across the country working with the No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS). Stephanie believes she was nominated for her high rate of approved NILS loans, which she attributes to the flexibility and accessibility of her work style.

NILs helps people on low incomes by providing safe, fair and affordable credit for essential goods and services, without charging any interest or fees. The program is designed to support people to make essential purchases, including white goods, electronics, medical expenses and even car repairs.

NILs loans are in high demand, and Steph is often fully booked for appointments up to three weeks in advance.

“NILs is a great program – many of my clients can’t afford essential items like a washing machine. They find it hard to get by day-to-day, let alone on a fortnightly basis. They feel special when their loan is approved and they can shop for the item they need.”

“I meet with people, find out what they need, and check that they can repay the loan. Sometimes these checks identify someone who is doing a lot of online gambling, which can exclude them from getting a loan. In those cases, I can refer them to our financial counsellor, or suggest they stop gambling and pay closer attention to their spending so they can become eligible after a few months.”

“I think my high loan approval rate is partly due to my flexibility and openness with clients. As well as appointments, I get a lot of walk-ins. People can see everything I’m entering into the application, so they understand the process. It also helps that Alice is a small place – if someone doesn’t have all their paperwork, it’s usually easy to go to the bank or a shop to get quotes. I do my best to support people to access their online banking, which can be tricky with forgotten passwords or login issues.”

After work, Steph heads to the boxing academy

After a busy day at Anglicare NT, Stephanie picks up her children and heads to the Arrernte Community Boxing Academy. Each weekday, she runs the 5.30pm exercise class for up to 25 people. Several other classes run at the same time, including boxing sessions.

The academy originally trained on the street, before moving into a shed space in 2019.

“I’ve been around boxing forever. I grew up around the Batchelor Boxing Club, so it’s always been part of my life. The academy in Alice is open to everybody, it’s not just for Aboriginal people or those who want to be champion boxers. We charge $5 per session and don’t plan on putting the price up anytime soon. We welcome people of all nationalities. We’re like one big family, and that’s how we like it.”

Good luck on the NT News awards finalist night Stephanie. Anglicare NT is backing you!