Country Hope - first Wagga Wagga Regional Fund beneficiary

Country Hope was founded in 2003 and is the region’s largest community based, family support organisation caring for children diagnosed with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Country Hope provides financial, emotional and practical support to the families of these seriously ill children.

The funding will allow Country Hope to add a family room to its Blake Street centre, which supports more than 120 families with two or three children each year. Increasing numbers have made it challenging to accommodate the growing demand within the existing premises.

Country Hope Chairman, John Studdert, said thanks to the generous support of Wagga Mutual and Community CPS Australia the project is expected to be complete early next year.

"We want to provide a caring and compassionate environment for families while their children are undergoing treatment, and this grant will help us achieve that" Mr Studdert said.

"These people face years of illness, treatment and separation from their families, so we want to offer them a place where they can find friendship, reassurance, understanding and information."

In addition to the $25,000 grant, Wagga Mutual Credit Union has committed to drive fundraising activities aimed at raising further funds for Country Hope’s new family room.

Tonight’s presentation was made during the official launch of the Wagga Wagga Regional Fund – a new initiative of Wagga Mutual’s parent organisation, Community CPS Australia and its national Foundation.

As the local arm of the Community CPS Foundation, the Wagga Wagga Regional Fund will distribute grants to non-profit organisations across Wagga and surrounding areas that make a positive environmental, economic and social contribution to the region.

Community CPS Chief Executive Officer, Robert Keogh, said the Wagga Wagga Regional Fund has been kick-started with a $50,000 donation from the Community CPS Foundation and significant further funding is expected to be injected during this financial year. "Being a mutual organisation, the more the community supports Wagga Mutual, the more we are able to put back into the local community."

"We’re extremely proud to announce that Country Hope is the first organisation to share in these funds and we now look forward to building more such partnerships with other local worthy causes throughout the year and into the future," Mr Keogh said.

"Groups like Country Hope provide an incredible service to the local community and we want to make sure they can continue to do so with our support.

For further information on how to apply for Wagga Wagga Regional Fund grants please contact Wagga Mutual Credit Union’s Community Membership Co-ordinator, Karen Garrod, on 6923 4057.