Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

Community At The Heart Of Banking

Since 2008, Community Bank Home Hill and Ayr has injected more than a million dollars back into the community it serves, with $278,000 of this total donated to 27 different local organisations at a special event in June.

Hundreds of people attended the Grants Night which was held at the Burdekin Theatre and the grateful recipients have since used the money to benefit the community in a multitude of ways.

Community Bank Home Hill and Ayr are dedicated to the betterment of the community especially in the areas of youth service, sporting facilities, mental health and wellbeing support, community and cultural facilities, environment, and employment.

The following groups received financial support at the event in June: Ayr Community Kindergarten Assoc, Ayr Golf Club, Ayr Swimming Club, Ayr Tennis Assoc, Bowen Netball, Bowen Seagulls Junior Football Club, Burdekin Amateur Basketball, Burdekin Brass Band, Burdekin Chaplaincy, Burdekin Community Assoc, Burdekin Football, Burdekin Junior Rugby League, Burdekin Men’s Shed, Burdekin Netball Assoc, Burdekin Potters,  CORES, Home Hill Boat Club, Home Hill Choral Society, Home Hill Cricket Assoc, Home Hill Golf Club, Home Hill Tennis Assoc, Lower Burdekin Celtic Dancing Assoc, Lower Burdekin Landcare, NQ Employment, ST Stephens Ladies Guild of Home Hill & Ayr, Volunteer Marine Rescue Burdekin, Zonta Burdekin.  

These groups are a strong representation of the areas the bank is committed to supporting.

“Community is at the heart of our business, with the Community Bank model guiding our philosophy as we strive to fulfil our vision to be Australia’s bank of choice,” said Chris Delaney, Customer Relationship Officer.

“The Community Bank  model was created to provide banking services to our communities, to  generate profits that are then distributed back into those communities, often in the form of sponsorships and grants to provide ongoing support and backing for local projects and initiatives.”

At the Grants Night, board member Darren West said that he appreciated every loyal customer, both new and old, who has helped generate this amazing result.

“We paid our first dividend of five cents in 2010 to those 312 community minded people who provided the capital to help start our banking operations,” he said.

“We would like to thank them all for taking the chance and coming along on this journey with us and for having  belief in the steering committee that we could make this work.

“We have over the years, since those humble beginnings, paid dividends nine times to those shareholders and we have after tonight, injected back into our community a total of $1,005,110.00 in Community Grants, Sponsorships and Dividends since 2008.

“This has only been made possible by the support from our Home Hill, Ayr and Bowen communities and those people and organisations that have decided to do their banking with us.”

The funding for the community grants comes from the profits derived from banking operations.

“The total amount to be granted is $278,052.00 and these funds will be utilised for the betterment of your community and your organisations,” said Darren on the Grants Night.

“I would like to give everyone something to think about. If everyone in this foyer and  your friends and colleagues all banked with our Community Bank, just imagine the volume that it could create and how much extra potential funding we could provide to the community going forward.”

Your banking makes good things happen.

Board Member, Darren West, speaking on Grants Night

Zonta Club Burdekin received $11,000

Bendigo Banks is at the heart of community

Burdekin Basketball were thrilled to receive funding

Home Hill Tennis Association were ecstatic to receive over $27,500

In other news