Supporting your community for more than 20 years
Diverse and grassroots, each of these projects addresses genuine need in the communities we call home. Since 1999, the IMB Bank Community Foundation is proud to have supported over 860 community groups and projects in the many places we call home, donating over $11.5 million.
Congratulations to our 2022 Recipients
Every year we are overwhelmed by the number of inspirational projects happening in and around our local communities – this year is no different. In an environment of domestic challenges and global unrest, some in our communities are doing it tougher than ever before. With the enormous efforts of a growing number of community-minded people we continue to see on the ground support for Australians when and where they need it most. This year, we are proud to announce another 52 community-building initiatives will receive funding from the IMB Bank Community Foundation. Projects this year tackle food insecurity, health and wellbeing, and youth education as well as support for Australians living with disability.
As always, we offer our sincere thanks and congratulations to this year’s recipients. Your dedication to our communities and those most in need is humbling and a true inspiration. |
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IMB Bank Community Foundation 2022 Recipients
Crisis Cases for Foster Kids A Better Life for Foster Kids Established in 2014, A Better Life for Foster Kids works to improve the short and long-term physical, educational and psycho-social outcomes for children in foster and kinship care. The Crises Cases project provides suitcases with around $345 worth of essentials, comfort items and resources to children in Melbourne experiencing their first week in foster care, easing the transition for child and carer. |
Support Group Adamus Nexus Adamas Nexus supports women who have been the recipients of domestic violence and sexual abuse; the support group is entering its fourth year of service in the Canberra region. The group focuses on post-crisis, long term support, with Foundation funding increasing visibility, engaging service providers to facilitate meetings, and acquiring more secure spaces within the region so face-to-face groups are run. |
Freight for Angels Angel Gowns for Australian Angel Babies This volunteer-run organisation transforms donated wedding dresses into Angel Gowns for babies who have sadly passed away. Each package contains a gown or wrap, blanket, nappies, beanie and booties and a beaded keepsake for parents. Foundation funding will subsidise the shortfall in donated transport to hospitals, funeral homes and parents in NSW and Victoria. |
Occupational Therapy Outdoor Space Assistance Dogs Australia As well as providing specialised assistance dogs for people living with physical disabilities, ADA provides occupational therapy and animal assisted therapy to autistic and other neurodivergent people in the Sutherland Shire. The Foundation-funded Outdoor Space will have raised garden beds, and climbing equipment to create a multi-use space for neurodivergent people of all ages to engage with animals, nature, therapists and each other.
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Education Amphitheatre Australian Wildlife Sanctuary The sanctuary is a heritage-listed flora and fauna sanctuary and education centre in Bargo NSW, about an hour southwest of Sydney. The Sanctuary also offers education programs and presentations for schools, assorted groups, families and volunteers. The Foundation grant will pay for construction of a tiered sandstone outdoor amphitheatre surround by native plants for a more immersive learning experience. |
Sensory Room Big Fat Smile Manooka Valley Community Preschool (aka Big Fat Smile) is a not-for-profit community preschool that has been educating children up to six years of age from the Camden NSW area since 2015. Foundation funding will help transform a space within the school into a sensory calming area to help develop self-regulation skills and build emotional resilience by providing a safe, comfortable space for children with additional developmental and emotional needs. |
Meeting Space and Permanent Shed Camden Men’s Shed The Men’s Shed movement is a highly valued community mental health initiative offering a space for men to interact with other men, and the delivery of many projects for the greater community. The Camden Men’s Shed lost its shed and equipment in the floods of 2021. Construction of a new shed is set to commence and will serve as a workshop and a meeting space for other community groups such as Lions, Quilters Club, Wood Tuners Club and Rotary. |
Hospital Kits for Vision Impairment CANBERRA BLIND SOCIETY inc. (Eyes for Life Canberra) Hospital visits for the vision impaired can be a daunting experience, and a logistical challenge for the admitting staff. Eyes for Life Canberra’s Hospital Kits contain practical information and resources for patients who are blind or have lost sight as part of their admission. The checklist, advice, bedside alerts and more also assisted those caring for the patient. Foundation funding will provide 300 kits across hospitals in southern NSW and the ACT. |
Disabled Persons Railway Carriage Canberra Society of Model and Experimental Engineers Fostering engineering skills in the ACT across trains, boats and various other engines, the Canberra Society of Model and Experimental Engineers also operates the Canberra Miniature Railway for the delight of – almost – all. In a first for the Engineers, an IMB Bank Community Foundation grant will fund the manufacture of a wheelchair-accommodating disability-friendly carriage, offering an inclusive addition to the attraction. |
Our Community Kitchen Community Café Outreach With a mission to support everyone in the Liverpool community, without question while removing shame and barriers to moving forward, Community Café is building a kitchen which will produce over 700 meals a week for the most vulnerable in the community. The Foundation grant ensures the commercial equipment required is a reality. |
Dress for Your Future Dress for Success Sydney A volunteer-powered not-for-profit, Dress for Success envisions a world where a women’s disadvantage no longer means her unemployment. Through a network of support, and supply of professional attire and development tools, Dress for Success creates enduring solutions to alleviate poverty and help women thrive in work. Through face-to-face and online programs and styling guidance, Foundation funding will assist 85 women to gain skills, confidence and resilience to secure employment. |
Supertee Fair Fight Foundation A Good Design Australia winner in 2018, the Supertee is a medical garment that doubles as an inspiration for imagination and play in children who are undergoing treatment in hospital for life-threatening treatment. The Foundation funding in 2022 will ensure that garments are supplied by the 200 volunteers to 400 children free-of-charge, providing some comfort to the families and a sense of fun for the children. |
Low-cost Grocery Hampers Food for Life With cost of living a real struggle for many, the work of not-for-profit organisations like Food for Life helps those in need meet the basics. The Low-cost Grocery Hampers will on average save recipients $60-80 in a weekly shop of basics and the hampers will be available through areas in the Illawarra and the Highlands. Specifically, the Foundation funds ill finance a second large commercial freezer to store goods that make the hampers a reality for over 150 families a week. |
Mobile Library Outreach The Footpath Library Anyone who loves to read knows that books can be a friend, an escape, an opportunity to learn something new, to reconnect with a story from your past, to not feel alone. The Footpath Library provides a weekly service in Sydney encouraging reading and connection through books for people experiencing homelessness. Sarah Garnett, founder of The Footpath Library, says that many of her clients say that a book is more important to them than a meal. In addition to high quality books, the weekly service provides pens, notepads, reading glasses and tea and coffee to encourage social connection. |
Frame Runners Frame Running Wollongong A group of proactive parents and healthcare workers that give children with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and more a chance to run – with the help of Frame Runners. Building on the project funds received from IMB Bank in 2021, Foundation funding will help procure a further 22 frame runners, to allow school-aged children to participate in athletics carnivals. |
Light and Hope Harman Foundation Established in 2013, the Harman Foundation is a not-for-profit that supports those who are experiencing or passing through a difficult period, including domestic and family violence (D&FV), relationship fractures, grief, long term illnesses and economic hardship through natural disasters or health issues. IMB Bank Community Foundation funding will contribute to the funding of Her House, a shelter for women and their children seeking refuge from D&FV in Western Sydney. |
House Cleaning Assistance Program Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation This Newcastle-based not-for-profit has been community funder for over 20 years, providing essential services and highest-quality support to people and families of the broader Hunter region as they journey through breast cancer. Among the range of programs HBCF run is a house cleaning service, to take the everyday labour out of the equation during a physically and emotionally taxing time. The Foundation grant will augment the program. |
Wigs for Illawarra Women Illawarra Wig Library For more than 20 years, the Illawarra Wig Library has remained an integral part of Wollongong Hospital, helping people who experience hair loss due to medical conditions or treatment. Loss of hair is a devastating blow for many women undergoing cancer therapies. A wig or turban is offered free of cost, and IMB Bank Community Foundation funding will enable the renewal of and provide travel to the library when required. |
Community Recycling Education Centre Lids4Kids Australia Did you know that plastic items smaller than a credit card cannot be recycled. Upon learning that fact in 2019, Lids4Kids has helped repurpose over 30 tonnes of lids. With help from the IMB Bank Community Foundation, Lids4Kids will begin work to establish a Community Recycling Education Centre and Volunteer Workshop. Volunteers, school groups, people living with disabilities and other community groups are already part of the process and this expansion as Lids4Kids becomes self-sustainable. |
Lifeline South Coast Community Ambassador Lifeline South Coast Lifeline South coast contributes to making Australia free from suicide, empowering communities in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and South Coast by providing counselling, training, and community engagement. Building on existing knowledge and expertise, the Foundation funded project will train and embed skilled, supported volunteers in local communities to increase awareness and understanding about suicide, and create meaningful change. |
Mobile Cool Room Lions Club of East Maitland In true Lion’s Club style, the East Maitland branch run barbecues year-round to raise funds for various charities and community causes, including a room at Ronald McDonald House, local care and vision support groups, diabetes care, child mobility and more. Courtesy of Foundation funding, the volunteers of East Maitland branch will now have a mobile cool room to increase barbecuing – and fundraising – capacity. |
Lions BBQ Trailer Lions Club of Wollongong Chartered in 1957, the Wollongong Lions have provided unbroken service to the community and have raised money for many beneficiaries including medial research and national disaster appeals. A new extensive canopy on the mobile barbecue unit keeps both cooks and clients shaded while the Lions work the grill, and the patrons enjoy the results. |
Shine Bright Program LIVEfree Project LIVEfree Project works with Newcastle families who have or are experiencing domestic violence from their moment of crisis throughout their recovery journey. Many families are experiencing poverty, mental illness and trauma, and need support for practical needs. The Shine Bright Program is a weekly education program for at-risk students and their care givers, implementing early intervention strategies for community connect and involvement. The pilot program has achieved great outcomes, and Foundation funding will augment the offer to the community. |
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Macarthur Sunrise Rotary Club Established in 19995, Dolly Parton’s eponymous Imagination Library has mailed millions of books to economically disadvantaged children around the world. Through the Macarthur Sunrise Rotary Club, children and their families in the Campbelltown and Wollondilly areas receive a book a month from the Imagination Library. The number of families in the program will increase by 50% thanks to IMB Bank Community Foundation funding in 2022. |
The Man Walk The Man Walk Australia The Man Walk is passionate about men’s physical, social, and mental wellbeing. A weekly 45-minute stroll provides an opportunity for men to engage in regular physical activity, social interaction and mateship. Or as they call it ‘Walk. Talk. Support.’ Since its beginning in 2018, The Man Walk has grown to encompass 80 walks across Australia (and overseas). The Man Walk will use funding to establish walks in new areas, creating stronger communities by connecting more people. |
Year Round Collective The Nappy Collective For families who are experiencing disadvantage – fleeing violence, seeking asylum or experiencing extreme financial hardship – buying nappies can come at the cost of other essentials. About 280,000 children in Australia don’t have enough nappies to stay clean and healthy. The Nappy Collective mobilises volunteers to collect and distribute nappies to those in need across the nation, delivering over 4.2million nappies since 2014. Foundation funding will expand the project in the Newcastle-Hunter. |
Women’s Inclusion Narooma Men’s Shed With a long history of providing on-the-tools support for various community initiatives and projects, the Narooma Men’s Shed are welcoming women – particularly those who are single and care for a property on their own – to learn skills and safety with power tools so that they can undertake some home repairs. A new set of Makita tools gives women the opportunity to enjoy the Shed’s community, including with likeminded women. |
Security Camera for Vulnerable Communities NSW Police Force Free security cameras are provided to domestic violence victims, repeat victims of crime, and the elderly. This project was first funded by the IMB Bank Community Foundation in 2021 and proved a great success, including a custodial sentence for a perpetrator breaking an apprehended Violence order, and vandals damaging property. Further the project provides recipient of the cameras with a tangible sense of security and control over to whom they open their front door. |
Community Meals and Food Security Program One Meal – It Makes a Difference With a mission to provide healthy food and related services to homeless, disadvantaged, and vulnerable people across greater Sydney, One Meal delivers over 2500 meals across Sydney. Foundation funding will expand the program to those in need of food support in the southern Sutherland Shire by equipping a van with the technical requirements for food transport. This support eases food-related anxiety for the most vulnerable. |
Volunteer Disability Education and Resources Pegasus Pegasus, also known as Riding for the Disabled, has a long history of providing physical, social and emotional support for people living with disability through engagement with horses. Over 100 volunteers work to deliver three separate programs. The Volunteer Disability Education and Resources project will engage with technical experts to help volunteers understand the range of participant diagnoses to provide a more informed, more supportive and more engaging experience for clients. |
The Treehouse Cafe Phoenix Community Project Many young adults living with disability would love to work in a cafe, however may not have an opportunity to learn the necessary skills. The Treehouse Café is an eco-friendly training facility that provides opportunities for neurodivergent young adults to learn essential skills on their own terms, at their own speed. Funding from the IMB Bank Community Foundation will transform the café to enable training and open pathways for young people. |
Securing Job Seekers Futures Project Displaced When Covid left many Australians facing unemployment, Project Displaced was there to help. What began as a job search tool has now grown to become a community-based job search, career coaching and mental health support service. Project Displaced has helped more than 5,000 Australians, and with funding for a new website aim to help thousands more. |
RAISE Project Youth Project Youth provides wrap-around support for young people facing complex trauma and significant disadvantage, recognising that young people often need support in more than one area of their lives to heal and recover. RAISE (Recovery and Independent Self-Care and Emotional regulation) packs help support young people in continuing their recovery when not working directly with a qualified counsellor. |
Find Your Way Radio for the Print Handicapped of NSW Operating in Sydney for more than 40 years, Radio for the Print Handicapped provides print reading services to ensure those with print disability, low levels of literacy or social disadvantage have access to published material. Content includes reading of newspapers, magazine and books as well as other created content. The Find Your Way project aims to engage volunteers from the Illawarra to create content specific to Illawarra communities. |
Wollongong Rainbow Club Rainbow Club Australia Learning to swim and be safe around water is an essential life skill, particularly when you live on the coast. After operating in Sydney for 50 years, Rainbow Club has opened in Wollongong to meet increasing demand for learn-to-swim programs for children living with disability. With up to 70% of participants on the Autism Spectrum, Rainbow Club requires a one-on-one approach to teaching. Foundation funding will be used to further educate qualified swim teachers to a specialised style of teaching for Rainbow Club participants. |
External Awning Rally for Recovery Since 2001, Rally for Recovery have been working to raise funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation. Over that time Rally has raised $2.65m for the SCHF and has also been able to donate $40,000 to the Moruya Hospital. A shop selling second hand goods to the local community is an integral part of fundraising however, operations have been impacted by recent weather events. Thanks to Foundation funding an external awning will ensure business can continue rain, hail or shine. |
U Turn the Wheel Rotary Club of Camden With the aim of helping new and emerging drivers understand the importance of road safety, Rotary Club of Camden’s U Turn the Wheel project engages experts in a range of related fields to present to students in Camden communities. Students not only hear about vehicle maintenance and insurance but also hear directly from victims of serious road trauma. In its 10 years of operation, the program has seen a significant reduction in fatalities of young people in the Camden LGA. |
U Turn the Wheel Rotary Club of Goulburn Since 1999, the Rotary Club of Goulburn has offered U Turn the Wheel to year 11 students, with the key objective of reducing road trauma and fatality for young people in its local communities. Over a series of six sessions within one school day, students are engaged with exercises in risk taking and behaviour management as well as discussing the impacts of drugs, alcohol and peer pressure on road safety. |
U Turn the Wheel Rotary Club of Moss Vale Road safety program U Turn the Wheel was developed 25 years ago to help Year 11 students learn strategies to help reduce road trauma in this age group. One of the first school road safety programs in Australia U Turn the Wheel was includes sessions on road safety, enforcement and road injury information. Developed by Moss Vale Rotary 25 years ago, U Turn the Wheel continues to be an important part of high school education for older teens. |
Seats and Cycles for Social Connections Scullin Community Group Established in 2018, the Sculling Community Group aims to build stronger community connections between residents and with neighbouring communities. A significant amount of work has gone into creating functional and warm community spaces for recipients to gather. Seats and Cycles for social connections is the next step in this journey, not only providing seating in a community space, but also a bike hub and repair shop where people can perform simple repairs and teach each other new skills. |
Building a Sound Start The Shepherd Centre for Deaf Children For over 50, The Shepherd Centre has employed transdisciplinary services to help develop listening and spoken language, social and skills, literacy and emotional resilience for children and young people with hearing loss. The grant from the 2022 round of Foundation funding will equip a new clinic in Oran Park, in NSW’s fastest growing region: southwest Sydney. |
Concert Bands Music Charts The Shire Bands Music is surely food for the soul, but sheet music for a full ensemble isn’t free. For The Shire Bands, a volunteer organisation in Sydney’s south that welcomes adult learners and come-back players in a variety of ensembles, new sheet music packages offer variety to the players (who are mostly seniors) and the audiences for whom they play for free. Foundation funding in 2022 will help build repertoire and community connection. |
Solving Challenges and Reaching Goals Solve-TAD When it comes to living with disability every person faces a unique challenge. Since 1975 the team at Solve-TAD have used their individual expertise in engineering and trades to provide more than 50,000 personalised solutions and technology for people living with disability. With life-changing results. This year’s funding will deliver a series of online tutorials designed to improve the capacity and capability of 230 volunteers, equipping them with additional skills to help people with disabilities to reach their goals. |
Custom Built Trailer South West Community Transport South West Community Services provides safe, door-to-door transportation for the elderly, NDIS clients and their carers. While currently equipped to deliver their passengers to activities including medical appointments, shopping and social outings, limited space for storage restricts passenger numbers. A custom-built trailer will allow South West Community Transport to provide extra services given the increased capacity to store items including walking frames, wheelchairs and medical aids. This transportation service helps up to 6,000 people live independently while combating social isolation. |
Shelves for Food Survivor’s R Us Founded in 2017, Survivor’s R Us supports the fight against domestic violence, homelessness, and unemployment. They do this by offering men, women and children access to counselling services and low-cost food supplies while also running an op shop to provide access to pre-loved goods. To keep up with demand Survivor’s R Us have expanded their premises. Funding from the IMB Bank Community Foundation will supply shelving to increase storage capacity for the food bank. |
TeenSafe Safe Driver Training Surfair Motor Sports Club Over 30 years, Teensafe Safe Driver Training has regularly operated practical, behind-the-wheel safe driving courses for L and P plate drivers. Run at the Moruya Surfair Speedway, the project uses a fleet of cars and trained volunteers to deliver hands-on educational experiences every school holidays. Teensafe aims to build a better future for the community by having safer drivers on the roads. |
Sensory Spaces for Children Sylvanvale Sylvanvale’s Mikarie Child Care Centre is unique in that it provides high quality childcare and education to children with and without disabilities in one setting. With funding from the IMB Bank Community Foundation, Sylvanvale will create sensory spaces in each of the three age-based rooms at Mikarie. Sensory spaces provide children with the sensory input they need to self-regulate, so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others. |
Building a Sound Start The Shepherd Centre for Deaf Children For over 50 years, the Shepherd Centre has employed transdisciplinary services to help develop listening and spoken language, social skills, literacy and emotional resilience for children and young people with hearing loss. The grant from the 2022 round of Foundation funding will equip a new clinic in Oran Park, in NSW’s fastest growing region: southwest Sydney. |
Standing Out in Camden Turning Point Camden Whether it be emergency food relief, domestic violence or homelessness support, advocacy, document assistance or simply access to a phone or computer, when times are challenging for people in the local community, Turning Point Camden welfare drop-in centre is there to help. The volunteer team will be easily identifiable at the many fundraising and community engagement events, thanks to new uniforms funded by the Foundation. |
Heart Health Check Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Since 2012 the IMB Bank Community Foundation has worked with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute to conduct free heart health checks for Australians, joining the fight against cardiovascular disease, Australia’s number one killer. Heart Health Checks help identify risk factors for heart health that can be modified with lifestyle and behaviour changes: blood pressure, blood sugar and total cholesterol. 2022’s round of funding will see the Tour travel through NSW and the ACT. |
AquaAerobics Program Development WaterWombats AQUATIC DISABILITY SERVICES WaterWombats delivers multidisciplinary health programs for people with disabilities or vulnerabilities. Occupational therapy, exercise physiology, psychology and early education all play a part in the aquatic swim, safety and therapy program. The Foundation-funded AquaAerobics program will provide small group water-based exercise for children with a disability, filling a gap in the ACT disability sector. |
Men’s Sheds Bat for Will Where There’s a Will In collaboration with the Australian Men’s Shed Association, the Men’s Sheds Bat for Will project is designed to build awareness of, and inclusion for, men with intellectual disabilities. By designing, refurbishing and reinterpreting cricket bats for a national exhibition, deeper connections, friendship and potential membership to the Shed help build authentic relationships and work opportunities. |
Trauma and Rescue Prop Wollongong VRA The Wollongong Volunteer Rescue Association Squad have been serving the Illawarra since 1973. Keeping on top of the latest first aid and trauma procedures requires up-to-date equipment, including dummies and props – and training. Foundation funding will keep the group’s equipment current with best practice, creating the best possible scenario to save lives. |
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Illawarra
ACT and Goulburn
South Coast
Southern Highlands
Sydney and Sydney West
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Explore moreLearn more about the IMB Bank Community Foundation, including Community Heroes making a difference in your community. |
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