Third round grant beneficiaries announced

5 December 2022

The health of kids from remote and rural bush communities in Queensland will receive a $25,000 boost thanks to the latest round of grants from the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation.

The Foundation today announced a total of $85,000 in grants to five worthy recipients. This is the third annual round of grants given out by the Foundation, since the first in 2020.

Not-for-profit organisation Outback Futures, which supports stronger mental health and wellbeing in the bush, was awarded the $25,000 Our Shout Grant.

This grant is funded by the regular donations that Heritage Bank staff make to the Foundation via their generous workplace giving program. 

The grant will assist Outback Futures to fund Outback allied health clinics to provide face-to-face support for children and families in remote areas of Queensland.

These clinics will facilitate access to psychology, counselling, speech pathology, occupational therapy and social work. The focus of the clinics are on the 40% of remote children who are developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains.

Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation Executive Officer Paul Olds said Outback Futures tackled the challenges faced by children and families in remote areas in accessing essential support services.

“Outback Future stood out amongst many deserving applicants as it covered all three of the Foundation’s focus areas - education, health and rural, regional and remote development,” he said.

“Unfortunately children in remote Queensland often don’t receive the support they require to overcome developmental delays, resulting in long term educational and life disadvantage.

“We were extremely impressed with the impact of the clinics and Outback Futures Community Facilitation Model which relies on building trusted relationships and co-designing their work with the communities they work with.”

The four other charities selected will all receive a $15,000 Growing Stronger Community Grant. They will use the grants as follows:

Youth Insearch – Intense leadership training for at-risk youth from the Darling Downs and Wide Bay Burnett who are working towards becoming a Youth Insearch Leader and session facilitator.

Zephyr Education – Supporting 19 domestic violence shelters across the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay Burnett to help children impacted by domestic violence get back to school by supplying uniforms, bags, computers, books and stationary.

Little Dreamers – Structured and age appropriate weekly support groups for young carers delivered online around Australia.  Primarily by young carers living in rural and regional communities, the program is facilitated and features activities and general discussion, to combat feelings of loneliness and anxiety associated with having a caring role. 

Cystic Fibrosis – Providing personal nebulisers to pre-identified most at-risk cystic fibrosis people requiring financial support and residing in the Darling Downs catchment.

Mr Olds said, “We are especially excited with the prospect of working with these grant recipients over the next 12 months and have already started reviewing how the Heritage community can add value to the critical causes they support.

“When selecting the grant focus areas and recipients, Heritage Bank team members play a critical role in the process. They represent the Bank to help ensure the Foundation supports quality organisations that have a positive community impact and cause resonates with Heritage team members.

 “I know the Heritage staff are super keen to start volunteering and helping our new partners deliver their much-needed services.

“An important point I would like to make is this announcement does not mean goodbye to our past charity partners. 

“We are still committed to continuing and growing our on-going relationship.  As examples, I’m confident we will continue collecting books for The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation, volunteer for Baby Give Back and participate in the Blushing Pink Day for Blush Cancer Care.”

Established in 2018, the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation has financially supported 22 charities by donating $327,032 to help them grow stronger communities.  The funding has been used by our charity partners to directly reach more than 6,500 people.

The Foundation is extremely passionate about creating long-lasting positive impacts by helping people in need in our key focus areas:

• Positive educational and alternative pathways to help at-risk children and teenagers;
• Health care services for vulnerable Australians and their families; and
• Support for the economic and social wellbeing of people in regional, rural and remote communities, including in times of natural disasters.

Heritage Bank provides amazing support to the Foundation.  Since its formation, Heritage has contributed over $3,400,000 to help increase the Foundation’s philanthropic giving.  They fund all operational costs of the Foundation, ensuring all donations and investment income can be applied to helping those in need, now and into the future.