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COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE REGION RECEIVE NEARLY $200,000

Announcement posted by Beyond Bank Australia 16 Sep 2015

10th September 2015
Over 120 community organisations working tirelessly across the Wagga region received a financial boost today thanks to Beyond Bank’s Community Reward Account (CRA).

Since 2002, Beyond Bank has distributed close to $2 million to sporting, educational, health and community groups in the Riverina. 

“Under our Community Reward Account program, people simply open a savings account and nominate a charity or community organisation they want to support. Then on their behalf, and at no cost to them, each year Beyond Bank donates from its revenue a percentage of the annual average balances to their group of choice,” Beyond Bank Area Manager, Andrew Toole explained. 

“The significant amount of funds injected into our community over the past 13 years reflects the strong level of local support those doing good work in our region enjoy. It is only by people getting out and expressing their commitment to their local club or charity by opening a CRA that these funds can be made available each year.” 

Nearly 130 local groups will receive a payment based on their CRA accounts. These include Ganmain Grong Grong Matong Football Club which will be helped out by a $22,675 payment. Other organisations to receive between $7,000 and $10,000 in assistance include Riding for the Disabled, The Cancer Council NSW, Country Hope, Wagga Wagga Rescue Squad and Willans Hill School P&C Association. 

For more than a decade, this annual donation has played a role in local community organisations being able to provide their vitally important services. 

“Sadly we all will probably face tough times during our lives, but when these do occur, our community bands together,” Mr Toole said. “Each of the organisations funded through CRA have helped local families by providing care and support when they need it, education and training for their future, or a social and healthy recreational environment. We commend them on their work and are pleased we can get behind them in this way.” 

Two local groups received additional funding of $10,000 each as this year’s Beyond Bank Regional Grant recipients. 

For Willans Hill School P&C, these funds will go towards making play more accessible for senior students who use wheelchairs. Willans Hill has a junior and senior school that cater for students aged 4-20 who have an intellectual or physical disability in either the moderate or severe range. 

Willans Hill has recently refurbished its junior school play space to help students learn through play. It is now turning its attention to the senior school. 

“Our senior students currently play on an oval at the base of the hill the senior school is situated on,” Willans Hill P&C President, Stephen Reynolds explained. “The slope down to the oval and the fact the oval is grass, means our students in wheelchairs can’t get down there and play with their friends. At break time, they have to watch their friends having a good time and know they are excluded. 

“The grant from Beyond Bank and Community Reward donation will help us build a tiered pathway down to the oval and a bike path around the oval. We will also purchase bikes and a bike shed. Then students in wheelchairs will be able to access the oval and once there, burn around with their friends who are on bikes. They will be included in all the fun and socialising they currently miss out on.” 

Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust will use its grant to ensure a Melanoma Care Nurse is available to people in Wagga diagnosed with melanoma 52 weeks a year. 

“People suffering from melanoma have to travel interstate for treatment. This is stressful and can be confusing because there are so many doctors and appointments involved,” Annette St Clair said. “The Care Nurse helps coordinate all these services and ensure locals have someone here who can explain everything that is going on and next steps.” 

The St Clair’s established the Trust in 2010 after losing their daughter to melanoma at just 23 years of age. 

“One of the things I realised during our experience, is in Wagga we need more local support and education. The Melanoma Care Nurse can help people as they are battling cancer.” 

The Melanoma Care Nurse is currently employed three days a week and demand for this service is strong. Funding will enable employment of a second nurse to make sure leave does not create any gap in provision of support. 

Organisations eligible for a Community Reward Account donation, including Willans School P&C and the Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust, speak of how easy this program makes it to raise much needed funds. 

“Beyond Bank is fantastic to work with. Staff are friendly and helpful and the community accounts are so easy to set up,” Ms St Clair said. “The yearly bonus the accounts create are amazing for us.” 

Ms St Clair said she has also been recommending a new initiative Beyond Bank has recently launched in Wagga. 

Through this new campaign Beyond Bank is working with the Riverina community to raise an additional $25,000 for local groups. During the campaign, anyone who signs up for a home loan, car loan or credit card, will be able to ask Beyond Bank to make a donation to their preferred community organisation. 

“Not only will people who take out a home loan, car loan, or credit card benefit from our excellent rates and services, but they can give to a local group they want to support,” Mr Toole said. 

"For every home loan we provide during this campaign, Beyond Bank will provide $500 to a local group, $100 for every car loan, and $50 for every new credit card issued.”