One of the core factors driving Canada Bay Club’s existence is our support of the community. Giving back is in our club’s DNA – we’re extremely passionate about this aspect of our operation. Our commitment to giving away grants has never been stronger. So how much does Canada Bay Club give away every year? Read this blog to discover how much we’ve donated to worthy causes and which community members are benefitting from the funds.
Canada Bay Club participates in the ClubGRANTS program. It’s one of the largest grants programs in Australia with more than $1 billion in funding provided since the program’s inception. The program allocates funds to community groups, charities and sporting teams across our state. Each year through ClubGRANTS, NSW clubs provide support to tens of thousands of local community organisations, sporting groups and charities that make a difference in their local area. One of the benefits of this program is that when an organisation applies for a grant and it’s successful, the funding is processed locally, which provides flexibility for clubs to respond quickly to community needs.
Canada Bay Club is one of those clubs. We absolutely thrive on supporting our local community – and being a member of this program means we can reach beyond our Five Dock backyard and out into the community pockets where the funding is needed the most.
The ClubGRANTS year begins in 1 September and goes through to 31 August the following year. We’re just about to close out our donations and we can officially reveal that Canada Bay Club has released more than $400,000 into the local community in the last 12 months.
So where is the money going? To charities, schools and other educational institutions, sporting associations, as well as local members and individuals who are facing challenging financial crises.
One of our newest recipients is the Drummoyne Girl Guides. We were approached by one of the Girl Guide’s volunteers, asking whether Canada Bay Club could help with a renovation of the Guide Hall’s toilet facilities to include disabled access.
In the volunteer’s words, “This upgrade would promote the inclusiveness of children with physical disabilities into our patrols and it would align with the Girl Guide’s mission statement ‘to empower girls and young women to grow into confident, self-respecting and responsible community members’.”
Local community members also hire the Guide Hall for various activities, mainly for children, which contributes to the Girl Guide’s income. The more inclusive facilities would allow a broader section of the community to access the hall, increasing the longevity and success of the Drummoyne Girl Guide Association.
Contributing in this small way makes a big difference to the overall success of this vital community organisation’s everyday operations. Another recent recipient is the Inner West Bulls, which is a local basketball association with under-10 competitions all the way up to senior teams.
Sport is the lifeblood of our community – it brings together people of all ages, demographics, genders and abilities in local meeting places that are the foundations of our neighbourhood. Which is why Canada By Club enjoys boosting the success of these clubs so much – it aligns with our own value of representing the meeting place of our community.
From sporting associations like the Inter Lions soccer club in Concord and Wheelchair Sports NSW in Putney to sporting events such as the Balmain Fun Run, the Oxfam Trail Walker challenge and Abbotsford Public School’s Sportathon, Canada Bay Club’s support extends to all members of the community.
Children’s education is also vitally important to the club. We give away grants to local primary and high schools every month such as Victoria Avenue Public School’s Walking Bus initiative in Concord West, transport for Leichhardt Public School, playground upgrades for Five Dock Public School and drama production assistance for Rosebank College.
Improving the health of our local community is also a significant motivation behind the decisions about Canada Bay Club’s grants recipients. Through our Director’s Meat Raffles every Thursday night, the club chooses a charity to which we donate the monthly proceeds – and we often choose a health-related organisation such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, the Cancer Council Australia, Red Kite, CanTeen, and the Heart Foundation.
Mental health and the overall wellbeing and safety of our community members are also addressed through our grants. Share the Dignity helps disadvantaged women by giving them access to vital feminine hygiene products – the club helped this social cause by being a drop-off point for donations as well as contributing funds to the operation of this charity. Mental health supporter Beyond Blue received funds this year, as well as White Ribbon Australia, combatting violence against women.
What about the environment and the wildlife that calls it home? One of Canada Bay Club’s members is a Senior Giraffe Keeper at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo – we’ve donated funds to the conservation of these majestic animals. Read more about this initiative here. Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife has also received funds from Canada Bay Club to help safeguard the wilderness and wildlife for future generations. The wonderful Concord Community Garden received funds from the club for seedlings this year.
We value the partnerships we have nurtured over the years and look forward to working with new and current recipients in future years. For a more detailed list of Canada Bay Club’s grant recipients, head to our Community Support page.
