The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust is helping improve the wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable residents, with more than $80,000 given to 11 different charities as part of the latest grants round.
On Tuesday, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner met with grant recipients to award them with their funding.
Cr Schrinner said he was honoured to be able to continue the work of the Trust and give important funding to some of the most marginalised, vulnerable members of the Brisbane community.
“For more than 50 years, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust has been improving the lives of people in difficult situations,” he said.
“The Trust undertakes four annual grant rounds with charities and I am so pleased to be able to help create change with more than $80,000 being awarded to 11 different groups.
“I want to make the Brisbane of tomorrow even better than the Brisbane of today, and thanks to the generosity of individuals, community organisations and businesses we are able to help provide vital community services to those in need.”
Cr Schrinner said in the latest grant round the Trust was able to give funds that would help several important causes, including Brisbane families who care for a child with cancer, improvements to crisis accommodation and technology for people with low or no vision to access education and entertainment.
“I’m also pleased to announce that The Mater Foundation has received the major grant this round of more than $17,000 which will go towards the purchase of healthcare recliners in the maternity ward,” he said.
The charities receiving a grant this round include:
MINDSHIFT – $5,000 funding
MindShift Foundation is dedicated to preventative mental health. Their ‘awareness to action” campaigns and resources enable the first step to help create self-worth, positive wellbeing and strong mental health. This is done by raising awareness via targeted campaigns, informational brochures, school visits by Mindshift ambassadors, providing online resources, creating media articles, academic collaboration with QUT and corporate events to discuss mental health.
This grant will fund an awareness campaign for mental health on TV screens in GP Surgeries.
KOOKABURRA KIDS – $9,099 funding
Kookaburra Kids supports children living in families affected by mental illness. They combine mental health psycho-education with fun recreation camps and activity days to empower children with mental health knowledge, coping skills and support options for times of adversity and distress.
This grant will fund 11 children from Brisbane to attend a psycho-educational recreational camp for children who live in families affected by mental illness. The camp is held at the Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre for 40 children aged 8-12 in October.
REDKITE – $5,000 funding
Every day in Australia, five families receive the devasting news that their child has cancer. Beyond the physical implications, these young people and their families will face months and sometimes years of emotional, financial and educational challenges. Redkite’s tailored, professional support empowers them to cope with cancer and its ongoing effects.
This grant will fund financial assistance to Brisbane families with a child with cancer.
UNITINGCARE COMMUNITY – Clare Homes – $6,073 funding
Clare Homes provides temporary supported accommodation to families experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, and have children in their care. Families are supported to achieve safe and sustainable accommodation and to re-establish themselves within the community.
This grant will fund upgrades to doors and add electronic locks for three units currently being used as temporary crisis accommodation for families with children experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. For security, when a new family enters accommodation, the locks are replaced, which becomes an ongoing expense. Replacing traditional key locks with pin code locks will reduce the ongoing cost and allow families to be safe.
BRISBANE BASKET BRIGADE – $10,000 funding
Brisbane Basket Brigade raises money and collects donations throughout the year so that they can deliver baskets and gifts to disadvantaged people in the Brisbane area at Christmas. In 2018, over 900 volunteers participated in the packing day, which helped deliver more than 900 family baskets and almost 200 baskets of food and gifts to homeless people across Brisbane.
This grant will fund the purchasing of food and gifts to baskets to be anonymously delivered to underprivileged individuals and families at Christmas. In 2018, at least a third of the recipients were under 11 years old. The goal for 2019 is to provide over 1,000 baskets to families in need and 200 baskets to people struggling with homelessness, reaching a total of 3,800 individuals.
CHILDHOOD CANCER SUPPORT – $10,000 funding
Childhood Cancer Support provides ongoing support for children undergoing treatment for cancer and their families, by providing a place to call home during treatment, emotional support, transport to and from the hospital for medical treatments and recreational therapies.
This grant will fund the external painting of a house that accommodates families of children undergoing cancer treatment in Brisbane.
GUIDE DOGS QUEENSLAND – $5,000 funding
Guide Dogs Queensland equips individuals who have low or no vision with skills and tools necessary for their freedom and independence. From orientation and mobility with a long cane and guide dog to occupational therapy in the home and workplace, they empower clients to live the life of their choosing. Guide Dogs Queensland has approximately 450 clients in the Brisbane area.
This grant will fund the purchasing of four iPad Pros that will enable people with low or no vision to use the devices’ accessibility software to access electronic resources for education and entertainment. These resources are also used in one-on-one and group training for Guide Dogs Queensland clients. Guide Dogs Queensland has approximately 450 clients in the Brisbane area.
YOUNGCARE – $5,000 funding
There is a residential and care crisis throughout Australia for young people with high care needs. Young Australians are being left behind in aged care, hospital rooms and rehabilitation centres – inappropriate accommodation that is not suitable for their age.
This grant will fund the consultancy fees for the development of two specialist high care residents that, once completed, will be able to support up to eight young people with high levels of physical impairment.
CARING FOR CARERS AUSTRALIA – $6,270 funding
Caring for Carers Australia is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to honouring and acknowledging carers and the enormous effort they show their loved ones each and every day. They are the people who have compassion at their core. It is with this compassion we develop initiatives that make carer’s lives easier and allow them to continue in their vital roles as carers.
This grant will fund a half day educational event and lunch for Brisbane’s unpaid carers – people who provides care for a loved one with a disability, illness, old age and foster/kinship care for children who have suffered from abuse/neglect. Carers have the lowest level of health and wellbeing of any group in Australia. This would support the places for 50 carers from across Brisbane.
FAIR GO AUSTRALIA FOUNDATION – $8,900 funding
Fair Go Australia supports and educates men, women and youth to create brighter futures by providing access to opportunities and a chance to succeed. Fair Go Australia is based on the well understood Australia values of giving and having a ‘fair go’. Encapsulated in this most Australian of ideals are the values of dignity, compassion and fairness.
This funding will facilitate a wellbeing and mentoring program ‘Onwards & Upwards which targets vulnerable young men and women (16-25) in the local community. The program aims to build self-awareness, self-esteem and confidence, to form a platform for positive growth at the individual and community levels. It addresses a broad range of community issues ranging from personal and family safety to disengagement and unemployment. The grant allows FGA to partner with Mater Young Adult Health Centre Brisbane (MYAHCB) to deliver this program, which is one of two programs it delivers for.
MAJOR GRANT
THE MATER FOUNDATION – $17,200 funding
The Mater Foundation sources funds to support the Mater Group in delivering exceptional healthcare, education and research. Donations help purchase lifesaving equipment, improve patient care and ensure that researchers can continue to find better ways to diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent more life-threatening illnesses. The Mater sees more than 500,000 patients annually.
This grant will fund the purchase of 5 healthcare recliners to be used in the Mater’s Maternity Ward.