Community groups benefit from Heritage Golf Day grants

28 February 2023

Eight community organisations can fund important projects like providing beds for the homeless, mental health support for military and first responder personnel and a comfortable home away from home for those in palliative care after receiving generous grants from Heritage Bank’s annual Charity Golf Day.

The deserving community organisations received a share of more than $60,000 at a presentation event held at Heritage’s Toowoomba Head Office, following the fundraiser in December at City Golf Club.

More than 130 inspirational grass-roots community beneficiaries have shared in over $1 million distributed over the 25-year history of the event.

Heritage Bank CEO Peter Lock said: “Our Charity Golf Day has run annually for 25 years and supported some incredible community-focused organisations making a positive impact.

“I’m proud that we are supporting groups from across our heartland in southern Queensland and also Men in Action in Sydney, where we have recently expanded with three branches to compliment the work with do with New South Wales-based mortgage brokers.

“We’re passionate about making contributions to the communities in which we operate and it is an honour to support the inspirational work being undertaken by our beneficiary organisations this year.

“I would like to thank all of our amazing event sponsors, volunteers and participants in contributing to our latest golf day and allowing us to support these remarkable organisations.”

The latest Heritage Charity Golf Day beneficiaries include:

• Base Services, Toowoomba - $11,000: to purchase backpack beds for people sleeping rough across the Toowoomba region to provide a safe place to sleep.
• Sunshine Coast Riding for the Disabled - $10,000: for a specially-designed wheelchair accessible grandstand to allow viewing of activities at the arena over the existing 1.2-metre high arena walls.
• Men in Action, Sydney - $10,000: to support the Bring-A-Mate Connect program, which is a web-based application for smaller groups to grow their activities while supporting wellbeing and mental health.
• Toowoomba Hospice - $9,000: to support the Adopt-A-Room campaign, which helps maintain a fresh and comfortable home-like environment for those in palliative and respite care.
• 4 Aussie Heroes Foundation - $7,500: to go towards the cost of qualified mental health professionals conducting Triumph over Trauma programs for past and present first responder and military personnel experiencing PTSD and related mental health challenges.
• Open Doors Youth Program - $7,500: to purchase supplies for art therapy programs supporting young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people across south-east Queensland.
• Southside Community Care, Brisbane - $5,000: to help provide transport for disadvantaged families to access services, assist with costs of medication plus provide children with school uniforms and books.
• PCYC, Toowoomba - $3,000

PICTURE CAPTION – Community leaders (from left to right) Cam Crisp (PCYC Toowoomba), Graham Barron (Toowoomba Hospice), Gerry Garard (4 Aussie Heroes), Tiff Spary (BASE Services), Chris Pickard (Open Doors Youth Service) and Heritage Bank CEO Peter Lock celebrate a successful Heritage Bank Charity Golf Day.