2009 Beneficiaries
Alannah & Madeline Foundation: $29,160.00
The AMF works towards keeping children safe from violence and believes every child should have a safe and happy childhood. They care for children who are victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse through the delivery of programs which aim to prevent this violence right up until the age of 18 years.
Our funding will help AMF to run their ‘Better Buddies’ program, which involves older children partnering up with younger children and helping them to learn values such as caring for others, friendliness, respect, valuing difference, including others and responsibility, through formal and informal activities.
Assistance Dogs Australia Limited: $15,410.00
Assistance Dogs Australia train Labradors and Retrievers to help enhance the quality of life and improve the level of independence for children and adults with physical disabilities.
Our funding enabled Assistance Dogs to purchase a puppy to train and match with a child with a disability. We were given the opportunity to name the puppy and after much deliberation, he was named “Flipper”.
To read Flipper’s journey so far, please click here.
Australian Childhood Foundation: $48,000.00
The ACF works to give children a happy and safe childhood- a childhood free from the devastation of abuse, family violence and neglect.
Our funding will enable the ACF to implement specialist counselling programs to 6 children. The programs will benefit each child in many different ways including; increased ability to calm down, happier, improvement in general memory functioning, increase in capacity to trust adults, stability in care arrangements and improvement in academic performance.
Blackwood Special
Blackwood Special Schools Outdoor Education Centre: $11,947.00
Blackwood Special School are committed to delivering quality adventure based education programs exclusively to students with special needs, challenging students beyond their comfort zones within an unfamiliar environment, while working with a familiar group.
Our funding will help to purchase equipment, computers, furniture to impact the children in the following positive ways; develop team work, learn new skills, improve communication, challenge themselves, improve hand/eye coordination, improve fitness experience new environments, use imagination, further develop friendship, experience play, develop and improve initiative skills and experience fun.
Brainwave: $26,840.00
Brainwave is an enabling organisation with two main interlocking aims:
- Helping children to cope with brain disorders
- Acquired brain injury and providing support and assistance to the families of those afflicted.
Our funding will enable Brainwave to complete and renew their ‘Comfort Packs’ to give to children upon hospital admission for brain and other neurological disorders. The packs will include items regarded as important, useful or fun.
Breakaway: $32,580.00
Breakaway work to enhance the lives of all people with disabilities and high medical needs, at the same time allowing relief for the families and carers.
Our funding will help provide a weekend camp to 12 families with seriously ill children, who due to the physical and financial burden placed upon them, are unable to have a family break together.
Camp Quality: $20,730.00
Camp Quality’s mission is to bring hope and happiness to every child living with cancer, their families and communities through quality recreational, educational, hospital and financial support programs.
Our funding will enable Camp Quality to organise a 3 day junior camp for approximately 40 children living with cancer. The children will be able to participate in a range of activities including visits to local attractions.
Central Coast Kids in Need Inc: $20,000.00
Central Coast Kids in Need’s mission is to keep families close together in times of need.
Our funding will assist approximately 16 Central Coast families who are in financial distress. Financial assistance allows parents to be with their children whilst minimising financial stress. Keeping the family together is an essential component of a child’s recovery.
Cerebral Palsy League QLD: $9,275.00
Cerebral Palsy League QLD support and empower people with cerebral palsy and related disabilities to lead valued lives as equal members of society within their families and communities.
The Labrador Holiday units were one of the first holiday units to provide accommodation facilities to cater specifically for the needs of people with disabilities and their families.
Our funding will enable Cerebral Palsy League QLD to purchase and install a hydraulic hoist to the swimming pool at the Labrador Holiday Units, so families who have a member with a physical disability can enjoy swimming. The pool is also open to the community and used by many families throughout QLD and NSW.
Children’s Charity Network: $20,000.00
The Children’s Charity Network are committed to providing emergency and long term aid to children at risk on behalf of caring Australians. They also work in cooperation with schools to early intervention programs.
Our funding will enable the Children’s Charity Network to implement the ‘Books for Kids’ program, which aims at providing new books to at-risk children through collaborations with schools and social services agencies.
Concern Australia: $22,500.00
Concern Australia is aimed at giving young people a hand breaking their predicament and turning their lives around.
Our funding will help provide a structured 8 week training program to 5 disadvantaged young people who are early school leavers, who need to get their lives back on track.
Dingley Village Community Advice Bureau Inc: $10,000.00
The Dingley Village Community Advice Bureau’s mission is to provide direct services to individuals and families to meet their immediate needs, which will empower and facilitate their independence and to act as a catalyst for self-managing community services to meet specific needs which are identified.
Our funding will purchase breakfast food items for 100 families, as studies have found that poor nutrition results in shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue and difficulty in concentration.
FRANS (Family Resource & Network Support): $5,000.00
FRANS work to enhance the lives of children and teenagers living with intellectual disabilities in the Inner West of Sydney.
Our funding will enable FRANS to establish a youth fitness club for disadvantaged youth. This program aims to intervene in the development of many preventable health problems associated with disability. The program will also provide accessible fitness opportunities as well as facilitate youth integration to other sports.
Heartwell Foundation: $50,000.00
The Heartwell Foundation’s mission is that every Australian child, regardless of age, ability, or social standing, can access programs that will unlock their physical potential, fully enriching them and so challenge them to climb mountains they never dreamed of climbing.
Our funding will enable up to 20 children with serious illness, injury or disability to benefit from a 3 x weekly intensive rehabilitation and movement education program.
The Humour Foundation, The: $54,600.00
The Humour Foundation’s mission is to promote and deliver the health benefits of humour.
Our funding will enable 2 clown doctors to work together in hospital 1 day per week for 1 whole year. The clown doctors divert children’s attention during painful procedures, calm distressed children in emergency and encourage physiotherapy.
Kate Buntine Children’s Trust: $28,000.00
The mission of Kate Buntine Children’s Trust is to work to improve the health of local children directly by utilization of state of the art equipment and to reduce the impact of disease on local children.
Our funding will purchase 4 ‘smart’ insulin pumps to distribute to children with Type 1 diabetes who are uninsured and otherwise cannot afford this device. The ‘smart’ insulin pumps provide excellent results in terms of diabetic control, quality of life and reduction in longer term side effects of diabetes.
Kids Camp Inc: $12,000.00
Kids Camp Inc provides fun and affordable camps for children with an intellectual disability and quality respite for their families/carers.
Our funding will provide 2 camps in 2009 for high support (requiring 1:1 assistance) children during the January and June school holidays.
Kildonan Uniting Care: $5,000.00
Kildonan’s vision is of thriving and inclusive communities based on respect, justice and compassion for all people.
Our funding will help provide poor and disadvantaged children with access to extracurricular activities, that most of us take for granted. Activities such as dance, football, cricket, school camps, movies, scouts and much more.
Learning Links: $9,591.00
Learning Links was formed to help children who have learning disabilities, difficulties and developmental delays and their families. Learning Links helps children to be the best they can be.
Our funding will enable Learning Links to assist 3 children to improve social skills, speech and communications skills and any other difficulties specific to the child. This also helps to reduce the financial burden for families of these children by giving them access to programs they normally would not be able to afford.
Lighthouse Foundation: $41,000.00
The Lighthouse Foundation’s vision is that every child will live in a family environment, within a community that fosters trust and love, and supports young people to grow and develop physically. Their mission is to reduce youth homelessness. The Lighthouse Foundation has 8 houses which house between 4 to 6 young people and 2 live-in carers.
Our funding will enable the Lighthouse Foundation to establish a maintenance program around the homes for the next 2 years.
Little Souls Taking Big Steps: $20,000.00
The mission for Little Souls Taking Big Steps is to provide early intervention therapy based on the principles of Applied Behavioural Analysis to enable children with a diagnosis within a Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder to reach their full potential.
Our funding will be used to support the education of one child with autism over a 2 year period.
Make-A-Wish Foundation: $20,000.00
Make-A-Wish Foundation work to bring magic and joy to children with a life-threatening illness by granting their most cherished wishes. Wishes allow children to forget their illness, even for a day as well as bringing pure joy to both the child and family. There is a growing incidence of wish requests from indigenous children suffering life threatening illnesses.
Our funding will help grant the wishes of 5 indigenous children in 2009.
Marrickville PCYC: $15,000.00
Marrickville PCYC’s mission is to prevent youth crime. They aim to break down the barriers that exist between police and disadvantaged youth by getting kids ‘active’ in life and through establishing programs where they can participate.
Our funding will enable Marrickville PCYC to put in place camping trips, rock climbing activities, fishing, golfing, boxing and wrestling activities for disadvantaged youth in Marrickville. The funding will also be partially utilized to procure 10 computers and 1 printer, comfortable chairs and several tables thus establishing a “youth drop in zone” where youth attend, complete their homework and learn new computering skills. The room will offer youth an alternative to wandering the streets on the weekend and weeknights and getting in trouble with police.
Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy: $9,110.00
Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy’s mission is to enrich the lives of those in need via creative music therapy. They use creative music therapy as a tool in special schools to meet the needs of children with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Our funding will provide a music therapist and equipment to 2 schools in areas of lower economic wealth, as the current resources for these schools are very limited. There are a number of positive changes in children who have music therapy including growing respect and tolerance between each other, observable differences in the quality of listening, greater participation and many more.
Northern Area Community & Youth Services (NACYS): $2,303.00
NACY’s are committed to relevant, reviewable and responsive programmes, activities and services to the identified needs of our community.
Our funding will be used to purchase play equipment for children with developmental delay. Children with developmental delays or who do not experience positive play in their home need access to a range of activity based outside equipment that will assist the development of fine and gross motor control.
Operation Stitches: $11,495.00
Operation Stitches teach young people to say ‘No’ to drugs, violence and crime. They are also proactive in preventing the young becoming drug pushers, gang members and criminals.
Our funding will assist Operation Stitches to reduce violence through the provision of a safe and positive meeting place for young people. This will encourage leadership by engaging children to organise activities and foster acceptance for one another.
Queen Elizabeth Centre: $35,000.00
The Queen Elizabeth Centre’s mission is to help young children and families get the best start.
Our funding will enable them to install playground equipment outside the Walter Jona Wing, which is a new multi-purpose area of the centre that was erected in 2007. The playground will be used by the children to use the centre.
Riding for the Disabled Association- Illawarra (RDA): $6,000.00
RDA Illawarra Centre is a volunteer organisation providing equine assisted activities for people with a disability to develop and enhance abilities.
Our funding will cover the farrier costs for 10 horses, as well and insurance for 10 children. The horse riding program provides a sport that the children can fully participate in and services approximately 40 people with disabilities each week during school terms. There are many physical and emotional benefits of this program and working with animals in particular, has been proven to be good therapy.
Righteous Pups Australia: $25,200.00
Righteous Pups Australia’s mission is to train dogs for assistance and therapy roles which empower children with disabilities to live with greater independence and quality of life.
Our funding will assist in the training of 1 assistance dog, to be placed in the house of 4 year old twin boys with autism. The dogs provide companionship to children with ADS who struggle with interpersonal communications. They are trained to track the child who has wandered off, alert the carer to the missing child, develop empathy and relational intimacy, reduce anxiety and stress allowing the child to advance in socialisation.
Scope Victoria: $6,000.00
Scope Victoria support people with disabilities to achieve their potential in welcoming and inclusive communities. Scope Victoria has an equipment fund, where families can apply for support, as many families are unable to afford the aids and equipment recommended by therapists. Children presented will typically have cerebral palsy.
Our funding has enabled Scope to continue with this fund, as it was near exhaustion, which would mean families would have had to go on a waitlist.
Tarayle: $9,962.00
Taralye’s mission, in partnership with other providers and the community, is to improve the educational and social outcomes of children with a hearing impairment by providing and promoting innovative services, research, education and advocacy.
Our funding will provide clinical counselling for 25 hearing impaired children aged 0-6 years, over a one year period. They will be taught to speak and prepared for the transition into school.
Technical Aid to the Disabled: $3,500.00
Technical Aid to the Disabled’s mission is to provide personalised equipment and advice to people with disabilities and their carers, through the innovative services or skilled volunteers and staff.
Our funding will provide 7 reconditioned and modified computers to 7 children, enabling them to access the internet and have involvement with the community. The computers will help these children with study, the completion of school assignments and to keep up with other children in their class. Children with disabilities can feel isolated when removed from the community.
Western Chances: $25,000.00
Western Chances’ mission is for Melbourne’s west working together as a proud, vibrant and successful community.
Our funding will provide scholarships to financially disadvantaged young people over the long term, providing opportunities for talented people in Melbourne’s Western suburbs who otherwise may not have the opportunity to reach their full potential or develop and achieve their personal goals.
Windermere CFS: $20,740.00
Windermere Child and Family Services aims to improve wellbeing in children, families and communities by helping to realise their potential, building resilience and connecting people to the community.
Our funding will help to improve the resources for children attending the Windermere Biala. This will help to provide the best level of service possible so that the children can reach their full potential. The centre currently works with 132 children and their families who have additional needs in 2 or more development areas. The centre provides support, programs and resources in the home, childcare centre and kindergartens.
