The Collingwood Football Club has twice been honoured at the 2015 BRW Most Innovative Companies awards.

Collingwood was placed among the top 50 most innovative companies in Australia and won the Best Service Innovation award for its ground breaking Magpie Nest program.

Collingwood was ranked the 31st most innovative company from a field of 500 and was the only sports organisation to figure among a list that featured many of the biggest names in corporate Australia.

The awards were presented at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney on Monday evening. A list of the top 50 innovative companies for 2015 can be found at the following address: http://www.brw.com.au/p/lists/50-most-innovative-companies/2015/most_innovative_companies_vJ7VfOJMfHEZ6mnlboUVdN


The Magpie Nest program was established to tackle homelessness in Melbourne with a holistic approach capable of delivering a network of services and long-term, safe, affordable accommodation and case management support.

The project targets the most vulnerable people in our community - people sleeping rough on the streets or living in unsafe rooming houses.

In partnership with the Salvation Army, Slater and Gordon lawyers and The Pratt Foundation, the Magpie Nest program is currently operating 26 houses in Melbourne that provide homes for 73 people. The goal for the program is to operate 50 houses.

Magpie Nest also provides wrap-around case management support and links to mental health, drug and alcohol addiction and legal services along with employment and training assistance.

Further, the program supports The Magpie Nest at Hamodava Cafe in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which provides free meals, a safe haven and a vital point of contact and link to services for people experiencing homelessness in Melbourne.

Over the past two years Magpie Nest has provided homes for over 100 people and helped 30% of tenants establish independent living arrangements. Three Magpie Nest houses are exclusively for women.

Collingwood chief executive, Gary Pert, said the program was created out of an understanding that many causes fed into the homelessness problem.

“It is not a simple issue, with a simple solution, so to make any sort of difference understanding and an innovative approach are required,” Pert said.

“Compassion and a creative, progressive outlook are qualities we foster at Collingwood and it was rewarding to see those things recognised on Monday night. Innovation is something we drive hard across our entire club.

“There is still a lot to be done with Magpie Nest, with more homes to be acquired and the program’s services to be strengthened, but we are committed to making a difference and committed to finding the best ways to do that.”