James Frizelle Charitable Foundation Grants 2021 - 2022
Round 2, 2021
Animal Therapies - Animal-Assisted Mental Health Support
The rate of mental illness is growing and while room-based treatment options exist, low rates of treatment adherence, tolerability and acceptability hinder clinician’s ability to reduce the devastating impacts mental health conditions have. To individuals with complex mental health profiles, such as those who have experienced traumatic events, traditional talking therapy can be intolerable or distressing. This project provided fully funded one-on-one sessions for 16 participants (referred and unable to access funding via NDIS or DVA) with an animal-assisted service delivered by the appropriate qualified practitioner nearest to where the successful applicant lives on the Gold Coast. Our Foundation Grant of $25,000.00 was provided to ensure that through the delivery of Animal-Assisted Services we can help with the prevention and management of mental illness, disease, disability and suffering for people of all ages here on the Gold Coast.
Australian Aphasia Association Ltd - Aphasia Camp
A little-known condition, Aphasia is a chronic impairment of language (talking, understanding, reading, writing) caused by stroke, brain injury, or brain tumour. Although it does not impact intelligence, its devastating effects significantly interferes with everyday life, including maintaining friendships, returning to work, participating in leisure activities, ordering meals, paying bills, leading to social isolation. It is estimated that 1500 people live with aphasia after stroke on the Gold Coast and currently there are only two small aphasia support groups. Speech pathologists are the key professionals who provide guidance and therapy. The Foundation grant of $26,016.00 p/a (year 1 of 3 year grant) will provide 30 Gold Coast Aphasia suffers and their partner each year to participate in the 3 day national Aphaia camp held on the Gold Coast. Led by Emeritus Professor Linda Worrall (qualified speech pathologist) therapy activities delivered by volunteer speech pathology students include:- computer-based group speech therapy sessions; conversation groups, communication training for partners, mental health and access of local support services workshops; Aphasia-friendly leisure activities and a showcase event demonstrating the achievements of participants.
Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation - Early Intervention for Young People in Gold Coast LGA impacted by Familial Mental Illness
Australian Kookaburra Kids is dedicated solely to supporting kids from families impacted by mental illness. In Queensland they provide an in-community pre-early intervention mental health program for Young People aged 8-18, at-risk of mental illness. The activities-based program combines physical exercise and mental health literacy for kids in fun venues/activities, to make friendships, build emotional competence and increase help-seeking behaviours. Our Foundation Grant of $20,000.00 was provided to enable 14 Gold Coast families (emphasis on Southport and Coomera) at no cost to them, to participate in online ‘Connect’ chat sessions and personally attend an Activity Day on the Gold Coast. The activity day at a fun venue is a five-hour activity, timetabled around recreational physical/arts/crafts activities, and includes a Kookaburra Kids Resilience psycho-ed module (e.g Mental Health Myth Busting”). Meals, snacks, participant kit, all transport and costs are included.
Childhood Dementia Iniative - Addressing gaps in healthcare and social care for children with dementia
Approximately 2300 Australian children are living with dementia. Most of these children have a life expectancy of less than 18, some will die in infancy and this year 90 Australian children will die, numbers similar to paediatric cancer aged 0-14. The focus has been on the more than 70 rare genetic causes of a child’s dementia, rather than the dementia and the common way in which they all present. This has led to fragmentation in care, isolated focus in research, and a lack of understanding of these children’s needs. Children with dementia and their families feel immense isolation upon their diagnosis, including having to fight for diagnosis. Our Foundation Grant of $21,780.00 will deliver face to face engagement at Gold Coast University Hospital, Tweed Hospital, Lismore Base Hospital, to firstly raise awareness that childhood dementia exists, then to deliver information modules to health professionals so that they can adjust their services to better meet the needs of children with dementia and their families. Visits will also be made to key support organisations in these LGA’s eg: Our Kids, Ronald McDonald House and key disability and palliative care services. By informing health and social care providers, and providing educational resources developed with the consumer voice, the lived experience of children with dementia and their families, from diagnosis to bereavement, we can dramatically improve the quality of care they receive.
Delta Society Australia Ltd - Therapy Dogs - Reducing Social Isolation
Delta Therapy Dogs programs help animals bring joy to people by creating a social connection in local communities through evidence-based animal assisted intervention model. Dedicated local volunteers and their companion pets visit to hospitals, aged care facilities, mental health clinics, dementia facilities/wards and palliative care facilities on the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers interacting with residents/patients, staff and families on regular visit days. Our 1 year Foundation Grant of $5,000.00 has been provided to assist with the cost of volunteer team recruitment, training, and uniforms.
Dementia Australia - Blokes in a Caring Role – supporting male dementia carers on the Gold Coast
Dementia is Australia’s greatest single contributor to burden of all disease due to disability. It affects the brain, thinking, behaviour and daily-task-ability for 459,000 Australians. The long-term physical, mental, intellectual and sensory impairments seriously hinder quality-of-life. Dementia can start at 20 years, is terminal and is a crushing diagnosis. An estimated 11,378 people living on the Gold Coast currently live with a terminal dementia diagnosis. 61% of these are women, there is a resulting increased reliance on male carers in their home. Our 1 year Foundation Grant of $66,870 has been provided (for a 2nd year) to the Mudgeeraba based Dementia Australia specialist to deliver eight programs, each consisting of 4-weekly, three-hour group session, plus additional individual support for 64 male carer’s, to better support the people they care for living-with-dementia, and their families on the Gold Coast.
Eat Up Australia - Feeding Hungry Gold Coast School Kids
Food-insecurity is a pervasive but hidden problem in Australian schools. 1:8 children arrive at school hungry every-day. Eat Up’s mission is to provide lunch to the most vulnerable children in our community, to help them take advantage of learning opportunities, succeed in education, and break the poverty cycle. Eat Up QLD program supports disadvantaged school-children aged 5-18 years from low-income, socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Volunteers attend sessions to prepare sandwiches which are transported & delivered along with fresh fruit/snacks to schools. Schools discreetly distribute lunches to students who arrive at-school without food, free of Eat-Up branding to prevent embarrassment or stigmatisation. Our 1 year Foundation Grant of $5,000.00 will deliver a reliable supply-chain of lunchtime meals, to 7 primary/secondary Schools within the Gold Coast LGA.
Friends With Dignity - The Sanctuary Program
The Sanctuary Program helps Men, Women and Children affected by DV to rebuild their lives once they leave shelter, refuge or directly from an abusive relationship. Through donations of used and new household items, Friends With Dignity outfits the rental property they enter with all of the basic essentials needed to start afresh. This reduces the financial and emotional burden allowing them to heal and move forward. Our Foundation grant of $37,550.00 p/a (year 1 of 3 year grant) will provide an upgrade to the storage capacity of Friends With Dignity warehouse and purchase brand new white goods and flat pack furniture etc. (of the correct size) that will fit in the very small rental properties. Household items to assist at least 15 families per annum will be provided to help them to build a better life and to break the cycle of returning to the abusive relationship.
Give Them A Chance - Relocatable cabin home at Treehouse Farm
7.7% of children and young people living in the Northern Rivers region are at risk of significant harm, and 15.1 in every 1,000 are in foster care. These rates are nearly 50% higher than the rest of NSW and it is common for young people in foster care to be in more than 4 placements by the time they are a teenager, with many teenagers then finding themselves experiencing homelessness or living in residential group care. “Treehouse Farm” is set on 25 acres and currently provides a foster care home for 9 teenagers aged between 11-19 yrs where they are linked into mental health care, go to school regularly, and are supported to build their self esteem. They each volunteer regularly at the Lismore soup kitchen for the homeless and also for local elderly farmers. Our Foundation grant of $50,000.00 will provide a Gypsy Cabin Tiny Home to be located on the property to enable the transition of fostered teenagers out of the main home and into their own accommodation still within the safety net and support of the family environment.
Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence - Getting you where you need to go - safer transport for Gold Coast victim/survivors of domestic and sexual violence
A safe reliable car is essential in rebuilding lives after domestic and sexual violence and is a key factor in finding and sustaining employment, in caring for children, in maintaining social and support networks and in achieving independence. Victim/survivors frequently have cars that are unsafe or unreliable, so they are not fully utilised. Sometimes the offender has damaged the car or slashed the tyres, but mostly it’s the insurmountable costs associated with rectifying a range of issues, because after accommodation, food and basic living costs they simply can’t afford car parts, repairs, appropriate child safety seats or new tyres, let alone registration, insurance and roadside assist. Our Foundation grant of $36,000.00 will provide Gold Coast victims access to vehicle maintence, registration/licence/insurance fees etc. at no cost.
Gold Coast Youth Service - Youth Access and Support Service
This initiative is an early intervention response to young people aged 12 -21 years of age who present with at-risk factors including disengagement from family or community/support networks, education /employment, homelessness and harm (including self harm) by providing case management and practical on the ground support to navigate and overcome complex issues will assist in meeting the unmet demand from the community. The aim is to strengthen young peoples engagement and relationships with their family and community to enable successful transitions into adulthood and prevent entry into statutory systems. Our Foundation Grant of $50,000.00 (year 1 of 3 year grant) will partially fund an additional full-time Youth Support and Advocacy worker to provide case management and practical on the ground support to navigate and overcome complex issues will assist in meeting the unmet demand from the community.
Guide Dogs Queensland - Vehicle for vision impaired over 65's
Guide Dogs Queensland occupational therapists, psychologists, orientation and mobility and assisted technology specialists currently support 187 vision impaired Queenslanders on the Gold Coast – 85 of whom are 65+. Older clients, especially those who are 65+ and not eligible for NDIS funding, are also one of the most vulnerable and at serious risk of social isolation if they do not receive early intervention. Our Foundation Grant of $78,000.00 over 3 years allows Guide Dogs Queensland to purchase a designated fit-for-purpose vehicle to ensure more of our elderly vision impaired community are reached, provided with transport of both patients and guide dogs when required to reach medical appointments etc., thus ensuring that and their quality of life is improved. Years 2 and 3 of the Grant will go towards the annual running costs ($10,000.00 p/a ) of this additional vehicle
Human Nature Adventure Therapy - Technology solutions to support a sustainable future for Human Nature
Human Nature’s primary focus is to empower young people to navigate life’s challenges – transforming trauma and disadvantage into healing and growth through innovative, accessible professional mental health outreach. Often young people most in need of mental health support don’t receive it due to lack of access to services, transportation and stigma. As part of building a sustainable future, therapeutic staff need to use reliable technology in the field, delivering seamless transition from working in the office to outside in nature. This project will also enhance technology solutions for participants to access essential digital equipment, as they navigate online processes such as job applications or training. Our Foundation’s grant of $20,000.00 will be utilised to purchase Laptops & Desktop Equipment, Workstations, Field Equipment (high-quality cameras and video capabilities to support visual storytelling, as a key component to communicate their impact and increase stakeholder engagement).
Little Wings- Little Wings Flight & Medical Wings programs Northern NSW
Little Wings is a non-profit organization (not government funded) that provides free, professional and safe flight and ground transport services for sick children in rural and regional NSW, striving to ease the journey and help sick children access specialised medical services and treatments that are only available in major cities or towns. The service is delivered by a team of highly experienced volunteer pilots with a commercial pilots licence, instrument rating, and a minimum of 1,000 hours total flying time and drivers all hold a full drivers licence and exemplary driving record. Our Foundation Grant of $50,000.00 (year 1 of 3 year grant) will fund 20 hospital flights per annum transporting 6 individual families (one of whom is flying weekly for chemotherapy) from the Northern Rivers with FREE air and ground transport as required to access life-saving medical treatment at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. These children are diagnosed with cancer/genetic disorders/burns, all of which require long term support and intervention. Further, the Grant will assist in delivering 13 MEDICAL WINGS flights per annum whereby a range of medical specialists and their teams are transported across northern NSW seeing an estimated 240 children. Additionally, up to 10 local healthcare workers will also receive direct face-to-face training as part of this program, seeing them aid in the continued delivery of intervention and support for families in between clinics.
LJ's Mama's Helping Mama's- Purchase of Primary Support vehicle and Operation costs for 2 years
After 26 yrs volunteering as foster carers in the mainstream and indigenous foster care sectors, the founders of LJ’s Mama’s Helping Mama’s decided to form a much needed support network dedicated to children in care. Many of these babies and children through no fault of their own, are unfortunately not given the best start in life. A not-for-profit, volunteer organisation, supporting “Children in Crisis”, removed from their families, and placed in State Care allowing a smooth the transition from “family trauma to care” by providing the much needed essentials – whether it be by supplying nappies and wipes through to clothing, cots, prams and other essentials all with the aim to help them feel loved, cared for and needed whilst putting a smile on their faces. Our Foundation grant of $58,211.00 (Year 1 of 2 year grant) will fund the purchase and annual running costs of this “Mama’s Van” stocked with essentials from their storage compound for quick easy access (year 2 $1,789.00 running costs).
Lung Foundation Australia- Vaping Awareness Schools campaign: Gold Coast & Tweed Heads
Young Australians aged 12–24 are vulnerable to both short/long-term health implications of vaping (use of flavoured e-cigarettes), the project aims to address the rapid rise in the recreational use of flavoured e-cigarettes by school students and the accompanying issues for school Principals/Educators and parents. Currently, flavoured e-cigarettes/vapes are legally sold as a consumer product in Australia to anyone 18 years or over. A significant challenge is the ease of online access to these products with little regulation or age verification, and subsequent proliferation of use within school communities. Evidence shows that vapes contain chemicals known to cause cancer, heart disease and other conditions, with usage linked to slow brain development; memory/concentration issues; behavioural/mood changes; coughing, fatigue, shortness of breath – even hospitalisations and death. With the objective of reducing the use of e-cigarettes by young people within the Gold Coast & Tweed Heads secondary education system via uptake of resources providing awareness, information and advice designed to drive informed decision-making and positive actions/behaviours. Our Foundation grant of $6,600.00 will be utilised to develop and deliver the project.
Northern NSW Rescue Helicopter Service - Night Vision Goggles – Lismore base
Medical emergencies are not confined to daylight hours, so Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service is ready to respond around the clock. When tasked with a mission between 6 pm-6 am, the helicopter must be airborne within 20 minutes. The pilots and aircrew launch rapidly into the night sky and fly to the person who needs potentially lifesaving critical care at speeds up to 310 km an hour. They can do so safely thanks to state-of-the-art Night Vision Goggles (‘NVGs’) that enable them to see in the dark. This highly specialised technology amplifies available light by up to 1,000 times and allows the crew to see the ground and hazards at night, which would not be possible with the naked eye, requires regular servicing to maintain its peak performance and safety, which must be undertaken in the US by the manufacturer. Our Foundation grant of $19,960.00 will be utilised to purchase an additional set of NVG’s.
Northern Rivers Community Cancer Foundation - Our House - Our House for Premi Mums
Our House is a purpose-built accommodation for patients, carers, and their families who are receiving treatment at Lismore Base Hospital. Our Foundation Grant of $19,000.00 (year 1 of 3 year grant) in support of The Premi Mums program will provide accommodation for regional families to stay close to their premature baby whilst a patient in the Lismore Base Hospital Special Care Nursery – at no cost to the family. Not only will the program ease the financial strain for the family (having no out-of-pocket accommodation costs) whilst away from home, it will promote mum and baby bonding, remove the need for daily travel to breastfeed (no potential loss of milk) and enable the family to function in a more relaxed environment during their hospital journey.
OrangeSky Australia - Gold Coast & Nth Rivers Laundry & Shower Service
OrangeSky’s two hybrid laundry and shower vehicles on the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers currently provide free laundry, warm showers and non-judgemental conversation to people experiencing disadvantage throughout the region. The Gold Coast service is operated by 85 rostered volunteers, operating 12 weekly shifts across the city and since January 2016, has facilitated 12,971 loads of laundry, 113 hot showers and enabled 19,545 hours of genuine and non-judgemental conversations. The relatively new Northern Rivers service is currently operated by 36 rostered volunteers, operating 5 weekly shifts across the region and since commencing in February 2020, has facilitated 251 loads of laundry, 98 hot showers and enabled 644 hours of genuine and non-judgemental conversations. The Foundation Grant of $100,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will provide funding for ongoing vehicle operating costs, recruitment and training of additional volunteers to increase the number and location of shifts across both regions.
OzHarvest Limited- Gold Coast & Tweed Heads
Established in 2013, OzHarvest is a not for profit charity that addresses food insecurity by supplying over 65 Gold Coast/Tweed Heads charities with free, nutritious meals and fresh produce for the vulnerable people in their care including the homeless, single parent families, and socially isolated pensioners (who are at statistically higher risk of poor health and wellbeing outcomes). Three OzHarvest Gold Coast vans operate “food rescue” and “drop-off” activities at least six days per week, including outside of business hours and on weekends. The Foundation grant of $75,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will ensure continuation of this service to our local community through OzHarvest.
Raise Foundation- Gold Coast Youth Mentoring program
Our Foundation’s grant of $30,000.00 will provide Benowa High School for a second year with 350+ hours of in-person mentoring to support 15+ at-risk youth. Community mentors from the Gold Coast area will provide individual support, over 22 weeks, to boys and girls (ages 14-16) to improve their resilience, self-confidence, relationships at home and school and hope for the future which in turn allows them to re-engage socially and educationally and achieve their full potential.
Riding for the Disabled Ballina- Horse Float
Riding for the Disabled Ballina provides therapeutic equine assisted activities and learning for people in the Northern Rivers living with physical, intellectual disabilities and mental illness. A Foundation grant of $25,000.00 was provided to purchase a horse float enabling participants at Riding for the Disabled and their regular riding horses to participate in community sports which would otherwise be unaffordable for them. As the Northern Rivers has an active equine sport community including dressage groups, regular training clinics and competitions at local showgrounds, forest trail and beach riding, participating in these events builds stronger community connection and inclusion opportunities. The float will also be used in case of emergency evacuations (e.g. fire, flood events etc.) or emergency vet hospitalization.
Royal Flying Doctor Service- Vital equipment & pilot training for outback Qld
Queensland’s Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) delivers preventative, curative and emergency health services to those living, working and travelling across rural, remote and regional Queensland, flying 12,319 patients in emergency or specialist care in 2020-2021. Many people in outback Queensland struggle to access the kind of health services taken for granted in the city. To ensure optimal service delivery, RFDS aeromedical crews require the best life saving equipment – all of which is provided by donor support. Charleville (2020/21:- 852 flights) and Mount Isa Bases (2020/21:- 1007 flights) required new, upgraded replacement of much of their ageing equipment along with mandatory annual pilot simulation training (RFDS operates with solo pilots in bad weather, at night and on the most remote dirt airstrips). The Foundation Grant of $52,143.00 (year 1 of 3 year Grant) will ensure the provision of equipment upgrades and pilot simulation training of Charleville and Mount Isa Bases.
Safe Haven Community - Safe Hub
The Safe Hub’s purpose is to is have a centrally located Head Office offering women support services when attending the Southport Domestic Violence (DV) courthouse. Assistance is provided to complete forms, collate history and evidence documentation, financial literacy education, access to computer resources, raise awareness of available crisis accommodation service if needed and where required a support volunteer will accompany victims to and/or from the courthouse. The Foundation Grant of $25,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant, to assist with ongoing costs, engage specialist counselling, life coaching, well being programs and professional support.
Smartpups - Puppy Program
Smart Pups Assistance Dogs help families and children with special needs lead a life of greater independence without barriers. A Foundation Grant of $5,000 will assist in providing a local 13 year old housebound girl suffering ASD, SD, Agoraphobia, PTSD (Domestic Violence), a service dog to help with her to daily tasks – hygiene, diet, study; provide her with the confidence to leave the house and ultimately in the future, attend school and be more active in the outside world functioning without anxiety/panic attacks and the fear of being alone.
St John's Crisis Centre- Theory of Change, Domestic Violence Assistance
A not-for-profit, volunteer based charity which offers a welcoming place for those seeking refuge from domestic violence, homelessness, or in need of emergency crisis assistance. Changes in demographics in St John’s service area has seen a large shift and increase in domestic violence issues from individuals, families, homeless and the elderly. A Foundation grant of $82,900.00 was provided towards costs of the Theory of Change project which seeks to aid victims of domestic violence with immediate & emergency support through rental costs, storage costs, school item support and technology assistance in conjunction with the main priority being that of providing the outreach services of a qualified Nurse and Social Welfare Worker, who will make in-home visits to clients who cannot physically attend St John’s. (This will be especially important for older people and those who are incapacitated).
Technical Aid to the Disabled - Solving Challenges & Reaching Goals in Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore
A Not -For-Profit charity, TAD changes the lives of people living with a disability by providing personalised technology, equipment and services. TAD’s core workforce consists of over 80 skilled volunteers who donate thousands of hours to designing, building and modifying hundreds of diverse items every year to help people of any age and any disability achieve their goals. The Solving Challenges & Reaching Goals project will connect eligible clients of the Northern Rivers with a TAD volunteer, who will carry out an assessment of their needs and design a piece of assistive equipment with input from the client, their support network and the TAD Occupational Therapist (OT). Assessments take place regionally and for those who cannot attend face-to-face can avail of TAD’s telehealth assessment. 2021-2022 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Foundation grant of $10,000.00 per annum, which will allow approximately 10 people from the Northern Rivers community lead more independent lives and allow them to achieve their functional goals.
The 4 Aussie Heroes Foundation - Camp Courage
A not-for-profit Charity developing and delivering the program to enhance quality of life for those military (ADF) and first responder (AFP, QPS, QFES, QAS) personnel, past and present with PTSD and related mental health issues, as a result of serving our great Nation and our Communities. Camp Courage will be a rural retreat specialising in live-in rehabilitation programs for military and first responder personnel, past and present, who are suffering and struggling as a result of their service to our Nation and our Communities. Our Foundation grant of $300,000.00 p/annum (for 2 years) will provide much needed “Camp Courage” construction funding, as well as contribute towards the cost of 2x 11 day live-in, rehabilitation Programs p/ annum (for 2 years). The “Triumph Over Trauma” rehabilitation program caters for 10 participants (plus spouse/support persons attending part of the program) at no cost to participants, includes approximately 100 sessions of educational and activity based therapy, with a 3 day “Refresh” Program conducted 3 months after the main Program for the same Participants. Both group and individual sessions include:- Equine Assisted Therapy (ground work), Canine Support, Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Healthy Eating, Benefits of Humour and Laughter, Improving Sleep, Shared Stories, Bush Walks, Benefits of Creativity, Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Relaxation Techniques, Values and Strength, About Peer Support, Alcohol and Substance Use.
The Carers Foundation - WHO CARES? for Carers Project
The Carers Foundation is a not-for-profit, volunteer run organisation that works to prevent health crisis breakdown in unpaid family carers by providing wellness programs to support their physical, emotional and mental-health. Our Foundation’s 2nd $50,000.00 grant will provide 1 and 3 day FREE comprehensive wellness-programs for 50 Gold Coast/Tweed/Northern Rivers carers from as young as 12yo in the WHO Cares? project. Participants receive Accommodation/transport to venue (facilitated in a safe, tranquil, healing environment around the Gold-Coast-Hinterland); healthy nutritious meals onsite; professional-counselling; unique stress-management and mental-health resilience workshops; healing natural-therapies; educational workshops on self-care, nutrition, time management, mindfulness and develop a range of skills and strategies to all them to cope with carer responsibilities; creative and fun activities to allow them to relax and enjoy themselves -especially young-carers; inspirational-speakers to empower and give hope for their future; individual mental-health and wellness-care-plans, utilised when returning home and follow-up care online post-program.
Whiskey's Wish - Training Co-ordination Gold Coast Region
Veteran Scott Jackman served with 8/9 RAR, deployed to both East Timor & Afghanistan & was medically discharged suffering major depression and PTSD after falling down a cliff in Afghanistan and suffering back/neck/shoulder injuries. When Scott’s dear friend, loyal companion, true mate and Assistance dog Whiskey, passed away from inoperable cancer in October 2014 leaving Scott devastated Whiskey’s Wish was created in his honour, to help other veterans; first responders & correctional officers who suffer from PTSD & service related injuries train their own dog to become a task trained Service Dog to assist in their rehabilitation. 18-24 months training of both handler and their dog is required to obtain certification allowing the dog to accompany their person in public places as an accommodation for the person’s disability. 2021-2022 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Foundation grant of $11,500.00 per annum, which will provide weekly training for 40 weeks a year for recipients of the Gold Coast/Tweed/Northern Rivers to come together on the Gold Coast for group training and certification of their own Service Dog.
White Cloud Foundation - STRATUS Rural & Remote Tele-Mental Health
A not-for-profit organisation, the WCF mission is to provide practical support, easy access to treatment, and early intervention programs for people living with or at risk of developing depression and anxiety in its many forms. The lack of suitable mental health treatment options for people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia – home to some of the most vulnerable in our country, suicide rates in these communities are 50% higher than in metropolitan areas due to high levels of stress and low levels of services. Rural residents endure other stressors such as drought, flood, bushfires, and a lack of control of their economic security. Farmers face an additional set of unique stressors; for many, farming is all they’ve ever known so it’s an intrinsic part of their identity. Not only is the farm their workplace, but their home as well and have often belonged to the same family for generations, which adds to the pressure to make the business work. 2021-2022 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Foundation grant of $50,000.00 per annum, which will provide Free, tele-mental health help via the STRATUS Integrated Practice Unit (IPU) in Brisbane, servicing rural and remote Queensland via video conferencing or telephone. Patients will not need a GP mental health plan to access the service and can be anonymous if they wish, whilst talking with multidisciplinary practitioners including psychologists, social workers and dietitians who can provide clinical care at the early stages of depression and/or anxiety. The IPU team would then develop individualised treatment plans, monitor and manage their progress.
White Cloud Foundation - Meals & More for Mums
White Cloud’s Meals & More for Mums service provides practical support for women at risk of or experiencing perinatal depression. It is designed to complement the clinical care given by the mother’s health care provider. The service provides practical support and social connection through the delivery of 14 nutritious meals to the mother’s home and phone contact with our program coordinator. This is an extension of the existing Meals for Mums service that WCF has been running since 2016. Meals & More for Mums will not only provide Meals but other practical support such as house cleaning, gardening, self care and other services that will help mothers and their families through a difficult time. 2021-2022 is the first year of our 3 year grant totalling $10,000.00 per annum which will facilitate the roll out of this program across regional Queensland. Referrals to the program have to be received from medical professionals, allied healthcare professionals, social workers or counsellors.
Gold Coast Community Fund
Established in early 2000, the not-for-profit, volunteer based Gold Coast Community Fund (GCCF) aims to relieve financial hardship which is determined on a case by case assessment of an individual beneficiary’s or charities genuine financial need. Relief of financial hardship may include assistance for people who are suffering from the effects of homelessness, sickness or from a disability, where, in each case, there is also financial need within the Statistical Area only of the Gold Coast. 2021-2022 is the 3rd year of our 3 year Foundation $100,000 per annum grant which is distributed amongst the GCCF Disadvantaged, Domestic Violence, Homelessness and Housing programs.
St John's Crisis Centre
A not-for-profit, volunteer based charity, offering a welcoming place for those seeking refuge be it from domestic violence, homelessness, or in need of emergency crisis assistance. The Drop in Centre provides a hot meal, shower, laundry or bathroom facilities and the company of others in a warm and friendly surroundings. Offering a safe and dignified environment, the St John’s Welfare Office assists people in emergency or crisis situations, including families with young children. Hayley’s Cupboard has free non-perishable food items for those struggling to feed their families or themselves as well as household supplies, towels, linen and blankets, men’s, women’s and babies clothing, shoes and beanies. In some cases due to extreme hardship, grocery/fuel /phone/public transport cards/chemist cheques/emergency accommodation/limited contribution towards school costs may be provided. On site access to various organisations for help including the HHOT Team (Homeless Health Outreach Team), Centrelink, Gold Coast Youth Service, Orange Sky, Uniting Care Community – Psychologist, Family Services Australia, Hair Dressers, Podiatrist, Dental Appointments and Narcotics Anonymous who meet twice a week on the premises. 2021-2022 is the 3rd year of our 3 year Foundation grant of $50,000.00 per annum to assist in ongoing service provision.
Wounded Heroes - Horses 4 Heroes
A not-for-profit, volunteer based charity, the Horses 4 Heroes program was initially designed in 2017 for the Gallipoli Barracks Soldier Recovery Centre Brisbane to assist referred current members of the Australian Army, Navy, & Airforce, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/anxiety/depression and unable to return to work in the Australian Defence Force. 2020 saw the program expanded to include veterans and their spouse, operational 30-36 weeks a year and provided free of charge to all participants. The program draws together concepts of peer-support and equine therapy. Led by Vietnam Veteran Pete Riches the program (non-riding, ground work only) provides participants with a non-judgmental and positive environment to connect with a horse and enable recovery and rehabilitation. Medication fosters a passive experience, which is seen as the normal whereas interacting with such a powerful and spirited animal can instil a sense of self-worth and self-confidence particularly benefiting those who as a result of PTSD, often see themselves as powerless when dealing with every day events as well promoting physical, occupational, and emotional growth. 2021-2022 is the 3rd year of our 3 year Foundation grant of $40,000.00 per annum.
Northern Rivers Community Foundation
The NRCF is a community-based independent foundation that connects people and communities to tackle challenging social and environmental problems across the Northern Rivers region. Established in 2004, they are dedicated to improving the lives of those less fortunate, including those affected by economic circumstances, mental illness, disability, learning difficulties, aged services, domestic violence and homelessness. NRCF grants support a range of projects – from helping a local disability charity to purchase a new beach wheelchair, funding intervention and support programs for at risk youth, through to the re-establishment of a local food pantry wiped out by floods. 2021-2022 is the 3rd year of our 3 year Foundation’s $78,155.00 per annum grant. Individual grant recipients were:-
Byron Youth Service
$5,000.00 towards their Re-Purpose project:- in support of disadvantaged young people to find a renewed purpose in life through a job-skills, life experience and mentoring program. The project will tackle economic disadvantage, mental health issues and recidivism by mentoring 15 young people to re-purpose used materials and turn them into assets for community use.
Byron Youth Theatre
$8,000.00 towards their Loves Me? Loves Me Not! project.:- providing young people with support and strategies to deal with the complex issues of domestic violence. Byron Youth Theatre, facilitated by Lisa Apostolides, will consult with Byron Youth Service, The Women’s Resource Service, Headspace Tweed Heads and local psychologists to devise an original production and workshops for schools and community exploring the development and maintenance of responsible relationships.
Give Them A Chance
$10,000.00 towards adventure therapy equipment for foster teenagers at Treehouse Farm. Treehouse Farm provides teenagers who are in foster care with an activity-based therapeutic home environment in the Northern Rivers. This project will install on-site adventure therapy equipment to facilitate healthy risk taking, problem solving, physical challenge, resilience and self-esteem benefiting 12 teenagers in Out of Home Care, and respite carers.
Glenreagh Public School P & C
The P&C run canteen supports the provision of free breakfasts to local disadvantaged students as well as free meals to students of families facing short to medium term hardship – bushfires and floods. $5,861.00 towards the purchase and installation of new oven and cooktop for school canteen to meet increased demand supporting the students and their families of this regional remote town.
Human Nature Adventure Therapy
$5,000.00 towards Adventure Packs – Connecting Young People to Nature for Mental Wellbeing. Human Nature’s team of psychologists and therapeutic mentors work with 40 young people in the community experiencing complex trauma and significant disadvantage. This project will help overcome barriers to engaging in nature-based therapeutic activities by delivering a kit of essential adventure supplies to support participation in our mental health program
Lismore City Library
$4,000.00 towards Learning English in the Library. A practical language, learning and life-skills program aiming to make social connections and assist participants to move out of disadvantage which comes from social isolation. The program will enable personal growth through English language learning, valuing and sharing participant’s cultural knowledge and individual talent and skills. Opportunities to link up with other community groups and library based family literacy programs will be a key aspect of the program.
Little Wings
$10,000.00 towards the Responding to Demand and Building Capacity project. This program will assist a local family in accessing a major city-based hospital as required for their chronic and/or serious condition Funding will also support two MEDICAL WINGS clinics, seeing us transport medical specialists out to the region to host pop-up clinics for local children and provide training for Northern Rivers Healthcare workers.
NORPA
$5,000.00 towards Mental Health First Aid for Performing Artists – A Mental Health First Aid 2 day training workshop will be provided to 40 arts and creative industry workers in Lismore & Byron Bay, in response to the impact of Covid on the live performance and entertainment sector. These workshops assist participants to support and respond to peers who may be developing a mental health issue, or are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre
$9,900.00 towards 2022 Women’s Healing Beyond Trauma Project (2022 WHBT). 2022 WHBT will provide 10 facilitated all day group sessions of nurturing and healing activities for women impacted by violence-related trauma. It will be delivered in a COVID-19 Safe, spacious hall in Murwillumbah, for the group’s exclusive use. It will be free for up to 100 women who are participating in trauma counselling and family support activities.
Rotary Club of Murwillumbah
$2,500.00 towards Murwillumbah High School Teen Mental Health First Aid Project 2022: The project builds mental health literacy for young people, helping them to identify what to do and who to talk to if they or a friend experiences a mental health problem. The Safer Communities organisation will deliver the Teen Mental Health First Aid Program to Year 10 for approximately 90 students. Five teachers that were trained in the original program in 2020 funded by NRCF are still at the school.
Rotary Club of Summerland Sunrise
$1,700.00 towards Reading assistance using Story Dogs – Some Primary school children, when learning to read, often fall behind their peers because of differential development stages. The Story Dogs program encourages the student to read to a dog, in a one-on-one tutoring session, in the presence of a volunteer outside of the classroom. This low stress, accepting environment increases reading ability. Funding will support engagement with two schools over two years.
Sprung Integrated Dance Theatre
$4,906.00 towards International Dance Day 2022 – an inclusive community celebration through dance. International Dance Day provides the perfect vehicle to celebrate this universal art form, and revive and strengthen our dance networks across the Northern Rivers region. Eight Sprung!! artists with a disability will perform and lead workshops for up to 20 disability participants alongside other dance ensembles and artists, bringing the community together with a common language – dance!
North Coast Community Housing
$5,000.00 towards Sustaining Tenancies – Learning Life Skills Project (STLLS Project). This project will develop and produce a set of three instructional guides that will empower, educate and support prevention around eviction into homelessness. The project will benefit over 1600 tenants and household members from Tweed, Lismore and Grafton. NCCH has identified tenants who require extra support around literacy that include: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (37%), Youth (32%), Seniors (33%).
Baby Give Back - Equal Start
A not-for-profit, volunteer based Gold Coast Charity believing that every baby deserves an equal and safe start to life. One in six children on the Gold Coast were living in poverty. For some new parents the reality they face is agonising over whether to buy nappies or food for their child as they simply can’t afford both. The Safe Start program provides emergency packs to vulnerable families in collaboration with maternity hospitals and social service agencies. The Foundation grant of $56,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant and will assist in funding for the Varsity Lakes warehouse. This space is critical for Baby Give Back’s work and enables them, together with their volunteers, to collect, sort, clean and safety check essential baby items donated to them from the local community and dispatch these items to vulnerable children and families (via their caseworker or social worker).
Cerebral Palsy Alliance - Babies At Risk Program
Cerebral Palsy is the most common disability in childhood resulting from damage to the brain during pregnancy or shortly after birth. Half of all children with CP also have an intellectual impairment. A third cannot walk, a quarter cannot talk, and three quarters experience chronic pain. Babies at Risk program provides 20 hours of specialised intervention therapy for individual babies identified as being at risk of cerebral palsy (CP). This targeted, time-critical therapy supports cognitive, communication and motor development, giving vulnerable infants the best chance to achieve optimal outcomes over their lifetimes. The Foundation grant of $14,700.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will allow 3 at risk babies each year from south-eastern Queensland and northern NSW regions to benefit from 20 hours of therapy each, delivered by CPA’s highly skilled team of occupational-, speech- and physiotherapists based in Alstonville. Receiving no government funding, CPA is the only organisation responding in this way to babies at risk of CP who are not already in the hospital system.
Friends with Dignity- Little Friends Scholarship Program
A volunteer based not-for-profit registered charity providing practical Programs gifted unconditionally to assist survivors of domestic violence rebuild their lives with purpose, dignity and hope in collaboration with refuge and crisis centres . The Little Friends Scholarship Program provides bi-annual monetary scholarships to children who have faced Domestic and Family Violence, to ensure all children have the ability to either further their education and/or be able to participate in extra-curricula activities that they may not be able to pursue due to the financial impact of Domestic Violence within their family environment. The Foundation grant of $20,000.00 is the 3rd year of our 3 year Grant which will be distributed through the Little Friends scholarship program specifically to Gold Coast/Tweed/Northern Rivers recipients.
Gold Coast Hospital Foundation - Cancer Patient Transport Service
The Gold Coast Hospital Foundation is a locally-based community organisation receiving no government funding, striving to relieve medical hardship caused by illness, injury or disability. One of their key operational objectives is to provide free transport to over 600 cancer patients each year to attend treatment appointments. Once diagnosed, the journey of ongoing cancer treatment is confronting, exhausting and convoluted. Frequent attendance at the hospital for specialist appointments, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatment and blood tests are demanding for the patient, their family and friends and the impact of cancer does not affect the patient alone. Patients are picked up from their homes, delivered to the hospital for their treatment and then returned home. The Service consists of 3 vehicles, which combined, cover 7000 transfers per year and average 650 kms each day (Monday to Friday). The Foundation grant of $30,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will help sustain this invaluable service to our community.
LifeFlight Foundation - LifeFlight Rescue
RACQ LifeFlight Rescue has been Queensland’s leading community helicopter service for the past 40 years providing emergency, lifesaving medical treatment to seriously ill and injured people. LifeFlight’s purpose has always been the same – to save lives and support Queenslanders during their time of need. This purpose is at the core of everything they do. Aeromedical care is a vital community service and delivering it is a high-cost proposition. The combination of highly skilled professionals, together with cutting edge helicopters fitted with advanced medical capabilities, requires sufficient funding to keep airborne conditional on 70% Qld Govt funding; 5% LifeFlight Profit for Purpose (LifeFlight Jet Air Ambulance/Coordination Centre/Training Academy/Industry partnership profits are directed back into LifeFlight Rescue) & 25% community support (via grants, community donations; appeals; sponsorship etc). 2021-2022 is the 3rd year of our 3 year Foundation grant of $25,000.00 per annum and will help keep LifeFlight in the skies over Queensland; working hard every minute of every day, to save lives.
My Community Legal - Domestic Violence Project
My Community Legal focus is to provide free and accessible legal services, legal education and guidance, while also providing referrals where necessary. The Domestic Violence project is aimed at promote awareness, education, support and guidance. Knowing how much DV has increased in Australia and Queensland, My Community Legal understands how hard it is for victims to discuss their DV case with others to receive the support they need. The Project aims to provide the assistance victims need through training for their staff, events and social media posts to raise awareness of the issues we face as a community. Staffed by volunteer legal practitioners, university legal students and senior volunteers, ongoing planning, organising and providing volunteering staff with the required training and skills needed to help clients suffering from DV related matters. With volunteer numbers constantly growing, this project will allow My Community Legal to keep staff trained to help our community with their DV cases while also providing them with legal support and evidence. The Foundation grant of $8,200.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will ensure continuity of free legal advice.
My Community Legal - Mental Health Support Project
My Community Legal focus is to provide free and accessible legal services, legal education and guidance, while also providing referrals where necessary. The mental health first aid training for all or most of the volunteers, whether they are practitioners or our student/senior volunteers that help clients daily, to provide better support and assistance to those in need. Additionally, the project will create events that will allow people from our community to gather and socialise, which will provide those in need with the ability to talk to others and help increase their sense of belonging to the community help battle mental illness. The Foundation grant of $8,200.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will ensure continuity of free legal advice.
Retreat For Kids, The Sanctuary Women, Children & Pet Refuge - Shelter From The Storm
Within Australia, 1 woman per week is murdered, and 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional, physical, financial or other abuse by a current/former partner since the age of 15. The Gold Coast is NOT immune to these statistics. Opened in 2016, The Sanctuary Women, Children and Pet’s Refuge is a self-funded, non-for-profit charity. Receiving no Government funding, they rely on contributions from the community and volunteers to provide refuge for Domestic Violence residents for 3 months (whilst assisting them secure alternative accommodation) for 6 x DV single females + 7 x mums & 14 -16 children quarterly. This equates to saving the lives of 52 adult females and up to 60 children per year, giving them shelter, food, clothing, essentials and re-establishing their emotional stability, through counselling, health and personal development. Depending on individual needs, intensive on site domestic violence and other counselling (one on one and group) is provided. The Foundation grant of $75,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will support the on-site full time, qualified Councillor and part time Support Worker providing access/support to external community and specialist services ie: Government support, disability employment services, school enrolments, returning to work or accessing job network providers as well as access to a full range of medical services etc.
Our Kids
Our Kids primary focus is to improve medical care for sick, chronically ill and disadvantaged children in the Northern Rivers region. The Our Kids Community Grants (open for applications in June/July each year), allows families or community groups of the Northern Rivers who care for chronically ill, special needs or sick disadvantaged children to apply to Our Kids to purchase items which can be demonstrated provide medical or therapeutic assistance that the NDIS doesn’t fund to individual children or groups of children like feeding formula, orthotics, therapeutic equipment, paediatric medical equipment (syringe pumps etc), mobility aids and play equipment etc. Not only helping with their medical care, the program assists in keeping the children at home and out of hospital, benefiting their quality of life. Without this funding the items wouldn’t get purchased or it would take the family some time to save to purchase the requested equipment. The maximum amount for a grant application is $2000 and Our Kids then purchases the equipment or items that have been approved and gives it to the patient. The Foundation grant of $20,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 3 year Grant which will assist a minimum of 10 additional children living with special needs per year.
Top Blokes Foundation - Gold Coast Mentoring for boys & young men
Top Blokes Foundation is a social-education organisation that improves the mental health, emotional resilience and community engagement of at-risk and disadvantaged young males aged 10-24. Top Blokes Mentoring Programs strengthen the mental health of young males while improving their engagement within the wider community. The programs (Stepping Up, Junior Top Blokes and Building Blokes) will be delivered within primary school/high school/ community of the Gold Coast , totalling 132 workshops, engaging 120 young males and completing 2,160 mentoring hours. 120 Participants will engage in weekly interactive workshops on topics such as: Mental Health, Risk-Taking and Peer Pressure, Respectful Relationships, Understanding Masculinity, Anger Management, Online Behaviour and Consequences. The Foundation grant of $25,000.00 is the 2nd year of our 2 year Grant provided towards the cost of delivering the 6-month mentoring and social education program, proven to improve young male mental health by 83%, antisocial behaviour by 72% and increases engagement to education by 79%.
Byron Youth Service - The Pavement Project
A not-for-profit charity committed to providing services for young people between the ages of 12 -24 years. Our Foundation Grant of $50,000.00 per annum for 3 years (2021; 2022; 2023) funds The Pavement Project, a street-based project reaching the most disadvantaged youth in Byron Shire. Youth Workers support young people living with mental heath issues (such as anxiety, depression), PTSD (after experiencing traumatic events such as domestic violence), and impacted by risk of homelessness to shift their lives onto safer trajectories and brighter futures. The annual project budget is double the original 2019/2020 pilot project funded by our Foundation, to assist 24 young people a year, providing participants with access to counselling, life-skills and personal care resources, family support services and experiential circuit breaker activities that offer a turning point to better lives.
Violet's Ear to Hear
Violet was born in July 2019 with rare congenital bilateral microtia and canal atresia. She has a small left ear, is missing her right external ear (microtia), and both ear canals, causing deafness (atresia). Violet needs surgery only available in the U.S., not Australia, to create ear canals, enabling her to hear; and simultaneously to construct external ears. Surgery is required on two separate occasions, firstly for the right ear, (and subsequently for the left ear), with post-operative stays in the U.S. of four weeks. Our Foundation grant of $5,000.00 per annum for 2 years will help fund the cost of Violet’s surgeries.
StandbyU Foundation - Shield Westfield
StandbyU Foundation is a charity that exists to connect people in need to those who care. The Foundation Grant of $53,000.00 is the 1st year of 3 year grant which will help deploy 50 StandbyU Shields a year for three years for vulnerable children and women across the LGAs of Gold Coast, Tweed, Byron Bay and Lismore. StandbyU will work with these families who have been affected by early and more severe forms of domestic abuse, giving them the support they need to see a brighter future. They help to bring people together to build safety networks, work with them to create action plans and provide simple, smart wearable devices to keep them connected in times of need.
StandbyU Foundation - $25,000.00 Prize
Each year, the StanbyU Foundation hold a gala ball which serves as a major fundraising initiative for the charity. Through our Foundation Grant of $25,000.00, StandbyU are able to market the sale of tickets where Ambassadors and patrons stand a 1 in 1000 chance of winning a $25,000.00 cash prize. Through the ticket sales for the event, StandbyU will raise $100,000.00. These funds will then be used to deploy new StandbyU Shields via Magnolia Place, Helensvale and support those who we continue to keep safe with ongoing subscriptions to ensure no one at risk ever pays a cent for their safety.
Round 1, 2022
Wounded Heroes - Homeless Heroes
A not-for-profit, volunteer based charity. First and foremost Wounded Heroes strives to prevent the suicide of those veterans that have lost all hope. Homeless Heroes provides front-line emergency financial assistance to fund short-term crisis accommodation and emergency food, phone, fuel and transport for homeless current Australian Defence Force personnel, veterans, and their families. Providing a ‘Housing First’ policy, allows engagement with the veteran/spouse, leading to acceptance of assistance and if required support through Wounded Heroes network of clinics and (sought in partnership with DVA) their entitlements. In 2019 Homeless Heroes supported 212 veterans, taking approx 6-8 weeks until permanent housing is sourced, at an average cost of $2,000 per veteran. Over the past 3 years, 68% of homeless veterans Homeless Heroes have engaged, funded, supported and provided with crisis accommodation/welfare, have been on the Gold Coast/Tweed region. A Foundation grant of $60,000.00 was made to assist Homeless Heroes’ crisis support of the veterans and current ADF personnel in our community in the 2021-2022 financial year.
Friends with Dignity- Friendsafe Program
The Friendsafe program aims to empower those affected by DV through providing monitored safety devices (StandbyU shield). Victims often leave the place of violence with nothing but the clothes on their back and no access to money which means they are unable to pay for the device or it’s associated monitoring. Agencies such as DV Connect and social workers assess victims prior to referral to FWD. The watch is a measure of added confidence for victims, given that it leaves the victim with a sense of security and it is linked to an armed response centre which by the press of a button (3 seconds) can hear what is going on in the background. It can also be programmed to phone up to 10 x family members / friends / neighbours whom can all listen in. The call centre decides the appropriate action and can accurately pinpoint the victim’s position due to the watch’ GPS. It presents as a smart watch, so that the perpetrators are not aware of its functionality. The 2021- 2022 grant of $10,000.00 per annum over 3 years will fund watches in the Gold Coast and Norther Rivers LGA’s.
Baby Give Back -The Power to Expand
A not-for-profit, volunteer based Gold Coast Charity believing that every baby deserves an equal and safe start to life. One in six children on the Gold Coast were living in poverty. For some new parents the reality they face is agonising over whether to buy nappies or food for their child as they simply can’t afford both. Our Foundation Grant of $59,627.00 will be used to purchase a new van, enabling The Power to Expand project become a reality, allowing Baby Give Back to mobilise and expand their operations to service The Northern Rivers Region and SE Qld following the devastating floods of 2022, supporting pregnant women, parents or caregivers experiencing financial hardships, poverty, domestic violence, trauma and homelessness.
Cancer Patients Foundation - Look Good Feel Better
Look Good Feel Better is a free national community service program dedicated to teaching cancer patients how to manage the appearance and physical related side-effects caused by cancer treatment. Women, men and teens participate in practical workshops which cover skincare, make-up, headwear, physical activity and overall wellbeing, leaving them empowered and ready to face their diagnosis. LGFB helps break through the isolation that many cancer patients experience after diagnosis and is a vital resource that greatly assists patients with improving their sense of physical, psychological and social well-being by learning strategies to improve self-image during such a vulnerable time. Our Foundation Grant of $21,000.00 p.a for 3 years, will support over 210 people across the Gold Coast and Northern NSW Regions area each year.
Cystic Fibrosis - Fight 2 Breathe
Medical and physical clinical adherence is critical for a cystic fibrosis child to remain well, reduce the frequency and duration of their hospitalisations, and increase the child’s participation in schooling and daily exercise. The equipment and welfare subsidies provided by Cystic Fibrosis Queensland are designed to support the cost of medication, exercise equipment and nebulisers for the most vulnerable children amongst our members, and at the same time, help alleviate the financial burden of cystic fibrosis. Fight 2 Breathe will ensure that the most vulnerable cystic fibrosis children receive critical clinical care which can easily be administered from home. The Foundation Grant of $10,000.00 will benefit 10 low-socio economic cystic fibrosis children who reside in Gold Coast LGAs and northern NSW LGA’s. Each of these 10 children will receive a welfare subsidy of up to $1,000.00 per child. The funding will be administered by Cystic Fibrosis Queensland and the items purchased will be assigned to an individual recipient to be used within their home or to support their family budget.
DAISI - Reaching Our Communities
A community based charity based Ballina, Northern NSW, Daisi connects the disadvantaged, people with disability and the aged to both formal and natural supports in their community to realise their full potential. This is done by providing up-to-date and relevant information that is easily accessible and user friendly. Communities within the Northern Rivers have been decimated by the recent floods, homes and livelihoods have been destroyed and those affected by the flooding have experienced trauma and now face decreasing mental health and wellbeing. The Reaching our Communities program mobilises Daisi’s counselling services and our Foundation Grant of $50,000.00 enabled the purchase of a campervan as office space, enabling them to take their services directly to those desperately in need.
Gold Coast Hospital Foundation - Thermometers for Cancer Patients
The Gold Coast Hospital Foundation is a locally-based community organisation receiving no government funding, striving to relieve medical hardship caused by illness, injury or disability. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are susceptible to an immune response and an infection can be life-threatening. At a patients first meeting post diagnosis the Cancer Care Nurse provides an information pack to the patient and explains the self care required during chemotherapy. As a fever during chemotherapy indicates infection, is a medical emergency and can be life threatening, a medical thermometer is a vital piece of equipment. The Foundation Grant of $5,400.00 will provide 750 newly diagnosed Gold Coast Hospital cancer patients who would otherwise be unable to access/afford same, a free medical thermometer in their information pack.
Gold Coast Hospital Foundation - Updated Phone System
The Gold Coast Hospital Foundation is a locally-based community organisation receiving no government funding, striving to relieve medical hardship caused by illness, injury or disability. The GCHF use of an outdated phone system and computer hardware was severely impacting the efficiency of the staff and volunteers. Following the computer hardware upgrade, the improvement in both morale and efficiency was noticeable. Our Foundation Grant of $14,151.00 provides an upgrade the phone system, providing each of the operators with a separate handset and wireless headset, thus ensuring that no calls are missed and that patients can receive the help that they require.
Hearts of Purple - Operation Family Protect
A dedicated group of volunteers from various walks of life, with various personal stories of abuse and growth after escaping, came together to form Hearts of Purple to provide practical support to ensure the safety and security of past and present victims of domestic violence. In order to achieve their goal, HOP Purple Bins project (to assist with fund raising through the donation of recyclable goods) was born. With over 75 collection points in Qld our Foundation Grant of $21,010.00 will provide funding to purchase an additional 200 Purple Bins as well as fund the purchase of an additional 14 Falcon Alarm Watches to provide Gold Coast high risk victims with an additional support tool. These watches are provided to victims who are in extreme danger of life-threatening violence free of charge, and allow them to contact our HOP High Risk Team and the Authorities with the press of a button.
Human Nature - Outreach Vehicle for Youth Trauma Recovery
The core focus for Human Nature is young people aged between 14 and 20 living in the Far North Coast of NSW, empowering them to navigate life’s challenges – transforming trauma and disadvantage into healing and growth through innovative, accessible professional mental health outreach. Often young people most in need of mental health support don’t receive it due to lack of access to services, transportation and stigma. The unprecedented flood disaster in Northern NSW exacerbated pre-existing mental health conditions of the population and added new stressors of losing their homes, possessions, income, communities and schools. Our Foundation Grant of $48,000.00 to purchase an additional outreach vehicle will enable therapeutic staff access to more young people in the region, away from conventional clinical settings and tailor support to their individual needs.
Lotus Living Organically Inc- Lotus respite and education
Lotus is a Gold Coast based not for profit organisation providing free services to the local Gold Coast Community supporting Chronic Illness, Long Term and Invisible Illness, Disabled and Mental Health Warriors and their amazing Carers. This support is provided through respite/pamper days, information sessions and ongoing support groups. Our Foundation grant of $8,606.00, will enable Lotus to provide respite and education days to 260 Gold Coast residents with life threatening diseases, chronic illness or mental health issues who may not have the life skills or support needed.
Macleod Accommodation Support Services Inc- Children's Support Play, Equipment and Storage
Macleod Accommodation Support Services is a not-for-profit organisation that has been operating on the Gold Coast since 1992, providing high security crisis accommodation, trauma counselling and connecting women with community groups and agencies that can assist with health, income, education and life skills. The Macleod Refuge for women and children escaping domestic violence enables residents to stay for 4-6 months while they heal, recuperate, complete legal requirements in order to regain their confidence to live independently. The 1st year of our Foundation Grant provides $5,581.00 to help fund the purchase of additional play equipment, seating, furnishings and storage for the children residing at Macleod Refuge.
Newlife Care - Community Engagement Scholarship Program
Newlife Care supports the Gold Coast community by providing emergency food aid; a social engagement program for people with a disability; assistance to those who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness; a pampering service for ladies going through physical, emotional, mental or financial hardship including an educational session providing training in practical life skills; a referral service to police, internal services and external providers within the Gold Coast service provider network. Our Foundation grant of $6,800.00 will provide a small but significant subsidy enabling those with a disability and experiencing financial disadvantage, to attend a social connection activity once a week for 34 weeks , where 130-140 participants, carers and volunteers attend a community engagement & participation program to talk and connect, share morning tea & lunch; participate in games, crafts and dance to live music.
Northern NSW Helicopter Rescue Service - Replacement of Lismore base electrical system
The recent devastating Northern Rivers floods, extensively damaged the Lismore Rescue base during the February-March 2022 declared disaster. Although completely flooded, the service continues to operate at full capacity from a remote base out of Ballina airport with crews undertaking numerous lifesaving missions. Extensive damage requires ongoing repairs to the base in order for operations to return to Lismore. Our Foundation grant of $21,300.00 will ensure all electrical works can be completed swiftly in an effort to return the base to operation as soon as possible.
Parkinson's NSW - Parkinson's Specialist Nurse - Tweed Heads
Parkinson’s NSW are a not for profit organisation striving to make life better for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, their families and carers. They provide essential services and programs including counselling services, seatwork of support groups, an Infoline service staffed by Registered Parkinson’s Nurses, Parkinson’s Nurse specialists placed in regional areas of NSW and Education and information programs. Our Foundation grant of $20,000.00 will help fund the cost of providing an additional Specialist Nurse offering medical support, information, advice and referrals, supporting patients in Tweed Heads with treatments in the home and acting as an advocate during hospitalisation.
StandbyU Foundation - Vehicle purchase
An estimated 1 in 4 women are impacted by domestic violence and StandbyU Foundation is a charity that exists to connect people in need to those who care. In order to carry out the support services to families in need, our Foundation Grant of $39,650.00 funded the purchase of a new SUV to provide in-home support, deployment of StandbyU Shields, service visits to Gold Coast refuges such as The Sanctuary and Macleod, and to enable face to face connections with Northern Rivers women, children, families, local support services and charities following the devastating 2022 floods.
Variety Qld - Learning all about spending in the real world
A not-for-profit charity Variety Qld empowers kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability, to live, laugh, and learn. “Learning all about spending in the real world” is a financial literacy project designed to teach basic skills to kids with intellectual impairment to help create awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the value of money. As many of the students have not been nurtured to appreciate the value of money, initial sessions start at the most basic level of awareness and are then adapted to meet everyone’s individual level of understanding. Working one-on-one or in small group settings with special focus on senior graduating students, the program aims to ensure participating students advance in confidence and improve their ability to manage their own money, offering life-altering empowerment. The 1st year of our Foundation’s Grant of $25,000.00 per annum for 2 years, will provide financial literacy for children with disabilities 2 days per term at both the Coomera and Southport Special Schools.
