Spotlight Projects
Our Foundation has worked with hundreds of groups and individuals whose effort and spirit creates lasting change in our communities. Enjoy the stories of our Spotlight Projects and Community Heroes and be inspired.
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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 5,500 Australians, and with funding for a new website aim to help thousands more. |
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. |
The LIVEFree Project Addressing the needs of kids and their families that are recovering from domestic violence, mental illness and other trauma can take many shapes for the team at The LIVEFree Project. The Shine Bright Program is a weekly education program for at-risk students and their care givers, implementing early intervention strategies for community connection and involvement. The pilot program has achieved great outcomes, and Foundation funding augments the offer to the community. |
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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. Foundation funding has procured framerunners, allowing the kids to participate in athletics carnivals and their weekly meets. As founder Sian Napper says, “It’s a fantastic program, because it includes the children in our community.” |
Canberra City Care Canberra City Care maintains a \ productive community garden that provides a range of vegetable, fruit, herbs and precooked meals to support those in need. Every week Canberra Community Care supports more than 300 disadvantaged households in Canberra. A trailer for the community garden supports the work and increase efficiencies across all aspects of the garden. |
One Door Mental Health Women who have experienced domestic violence or abuse are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts of suicide. The Bloom Project is a wellness program for Illawarra women with mental health issues who have experienced domestic violence. It assists these women regain their dignity, confidence and sense of worth. |
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Turbans 4 Australia Turbans 4 Australia works to support those in need in our local communities while demonstrating the value of the many different cultures in Australia. It can be difficult for people from CALD backgrounds to access culturally appropriate support. The Western Sydney Community Pantry will provide culturally appropriate food and items for people facing disadvantage. Funding will assist with the fit-out of the kitchen to provide a base for 100+ volunteers. |
SCARF Unemployment is a significant contributor to economic and social disadvantage, poverty, isolation and poor mental health among refugee entrants to the Illawarra. Skills for Success Mentoring matches local volunteers from diverse professional experiences and backgrounds with refugee entrants to the Illawarra so they can work together to prepare a plan to identify strategies for enhancing job readiness. |
Survivors R Us Survivors R Us support the fight against domestic violence, homelessness and unemployment. The Suicide Prevention Workshop will help participants improve mental health literacy and develop skills to better help and support vulnerable people. Funding will provide training for volunteers and staff in suicide intervention skills and mental health first aid training. |
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Autism Swim For people living with autism, a trip to the beach to learn surfing was almost impossible. But that is now changing. The funding from the IMB Bank Community Foundation Autism Swim will roll out a new program to enable surf instructors to safely conduct surfing lessons for people with Autism. |
Ocean Live Ocean Live delivers Smart Sign display boards for beaches, to highlight risks to swimmers such as rips, sandbanks, and sharks using smart technology. The Smart Signs have been developed by 19-year-old Jackson Harrigan and are now set to be rolled out on Wollongong beaches thanks to IMB funding. |
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Heart Health Tour 90% of Australians have at least one modifiable risk factor for heart disease. The Heart Health Check Booth provides free testing of modifiable risk factors including high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Convenient and quick tests aim to help people understand results and take steps to better heart health. |
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New Horizons Band The Sutherland Shire New Horizons Band provides opportunities for musicians over 50 who are learning an instrument or returning to the instrument. The Foundation grant in 2019 made it possible for the band to perform free concerts in the Shire. Guaranteed to make you smile. |
OzGreen - Youth Leading The World IMB Bank Community Foundation recipient, OzGreen, runs interactive courses with engaged young people to discuss sustainable community solutions to the world's environmental problems. In 2020, on the back of funding from 2019, Youth Leading the World gathered students at UOW. |
Liverpool Hospital P.A.R.T.Y Program An IMB Bank Community Foundation recipient in both 2018 and 2019, the Liverpool Hospital P.A.R.T.Y Program (Prevent Alcohol Related Trauma in Youth) gives high school students practical insight into the very real consequences that can come with alcohol consumption and reckless behaviour, particularly driving. |
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Lyrics of Liverpool This initiative from the Liverpool PCYC gives young people from Sydney’s southwest the chance to form community ties and find their creative voice, working with music professionals and teachers to learn composition and performance skills. |
Fairy Meadow Demonstration School The IMB Bank Community Foundation's contribution to the Fairy Meadow Demonstration School's sensory garden helps improve outcomes for children with sensory and learning difficulties. The sensory garden also makes school more fun! |
Rural Fire Service - Foxground Brigade Because of the location of the Foxground RFS Brigade and the small size of its community, traditional fundraising techniques are ineffective. The IMB Bank Community Foundation’s 2016 grant made possible the purchase of key equipment for training. |
Community Heroes
In 2019, to celebrate the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, we celebrated Community Heroes who had been the driving force behind successful grassroots projects across the community. As time goes by our list of Community Heroes grows.
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Louise Farroway
Through Cafe Y in Sydney’s south, Louise Farroway is providing disadvantaged young people with social inclusion, professional education, career opportunities and the ability to make a killer cup of coffee. |
Nicole Jervis The Look Good Feel Better program provides an immediate spiritual lift to people subjected to physical changes as a result of their cancer treatment. Sutherland Shire local Nicole Jarvis has championed Look Good Feel Better and improved lives in her community. |
Melissa Abu-Gazaleh
Since 2008, Melissa Abu-Gazaleh has been delivering programs and events that inspire and support young men in NSW as they become healthy, productive and decent members of our communities. |
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Sally O’Neill Established by Education Officer Sally O’Neill, Goulburn Regional Art Gallery’s Community Outreach Workshops make art creation more accessible to those who with higher needs and delivers a benefit to the entire community. |
Sandra Pires
Thanks to a second series of short films due for release in 2020, Sandra Pires continues to build bridges between cultures in our community by highlighting that which unties us most: friendships. |
Ann-Marie Balliana With a thriving league for women and girls, and programs that encourage participation from refugees and people of all abilities, Ann-Marie Balliana has ensured that Football South Coast truly embodies the spirit of “the world game”. |
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Jackie Rousseau
Recognising that being able to swim is a necessity for living in Australia, Jackie Rousseau pioneered the Swim 4 Life program, which has made over 1300 children from vulnerable backgrounds in the ACT more water-wise. |
Jayne Baric
The architect of the Victor Chang Heart Health Tour, which has checked the heart health of more than 76,000 people around the country, Jayne Baric exemplifies the IMB Bank Community Foundation spirit: changing our communities for the better. |
Annette and Dean Turner
Established in 1998 by Annette and Dean Turner, the Crossing Land Education Centre is a not-for-profit trust which gives people an experience of a sustainable way of life, changing the world at a grassroots level – one shoot at a time. |
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Danielle Woolage For Danielle Woolage, literacy is the bridge between social disadvantage and a functioning society. Since 2015, CareSouth’s Homework Hub has been an essential tool to build this bridge, providing opportunities for student teachers and invaluable literacy skills for vulnerable children. |
Don Rothnie The Men’s Shed movement provides men with time on their hands something meaningful to do, and the opportunity to discuss the pressures and joys of life in a welcoming atmosphere. Don Rothnie has played an important part in the Menai Men’s Shed in southern Sydney. |
Ian Radford U Turn The Wheel is an innovative Australian program that educates teens on the dangers of driving and the framework for safe behaviour on the roads. With decades of experience as a police officer, Ian Radford has been a dedicated champion of the program in the Southern Tablelands. |
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Helping build and strengthen our local communities since 1999 As a mutual bank, supporting our local communities is important to us. We believe in supporting projects that foster inclusion, encourage volunteering and create sustainable outcomes, enabling the communities around us to thrive. Over the last 20 years, The IMB Bank Community Foundation has invested over $10 million to support over 700 community projects. We’re very proud of the projects we’ve supported and each year we marvel at the wonderful achievements of our funding recipients. These diverse and meaningful grassroots programs are found wherever IMB Bank operates — Sydney, The Hunter, The Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Far South Coast NSW. |
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Previous funding recipients |
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Farmborough Heights Rural Fire Brigade A thermal imaging camera will enable The Farmborough Heights Rural Fire Brigade’s volunteer members to fully interpret a fire scene providing accurate situational awareness both day and night. It will also assist in search and rescue operations at any time and in any light conditions. |
Giralang/Kaleen Men's Shed The Giralang/Kaleen Men's Shed offers all men access to a range of activities including a woodworking workshop, garden, physical activity such as walking, and social interaction. Members will be trained in first aid to support shed members if needed. |
Girl Guides Association of NSW Building on a century of adventure, fun and friendship, Girl Guides empowers girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting, responsible community members. The project will allow Girl Guides to offer abseiling, high ropes and rock-climbing experiences in the local region providing opportunities for the girls to grow, learn and have fun in the outdoors. |
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