Barwon Heads Community Bank chalks up ten year anniversary

BARWON Heads Community Bank has celebrated its tenth anniversary of giving locals access to award-winning financial products and returning profits to businesses and sporting groups in the region.

The local bank held a small celebration last week amongst board members, with chair of the Barwon Heads Community Bank, Damien O’Malley saying that the branch were remarkably proud of their efforts to make it to the ten year milestone.

“Within our small gathering last week with board members there was certainly a sense of pride for doing what we have done in a relatively small community,” O’Malley said.

“We have built a successful branch that is committed to providing financial services to our region in many different ways.

“Because our locals have supported us so well, we in turn have been able to support them and supply over $700,000 of funds to local community groups and sporting organisations.”

Over the past 10 years, the Barwon Heads Community Bank have been able to support 31 different community groups, with more than $770,000 donated to fund various programs across the region.

By giving up to 80 per cent of their profits back to the community, the Barwon Heads Community Bank aim to develop long-term prosperity by supporting programs that help empower local individuals and groups within the local community.

The branch’s Legacy Projects is an example of that, whereby the bank champion local people and ask them to suggest nominated programs that will make a long lasting difference to society.

The program has supported 100 per cent Clean Bellarine as well as Barwon Heads Primary School in 2019 where the bank donated $70,000, which transitioned the school to renewable energy.

The bank has also played an integral part in the Bellarine Catchment Network’s Gardens for Wildlife educational program and stage one of the Barwon Estuary Project towards the objective of a Plastic Free Barwon Heads.

As part of the overarching Bendigo Bank network mission of creating lasting impacts within the community, the group have also given funds to assist with a kids rehab centre in Geelong, so that children don’t have to go to Melbourne for treatment and care.

“We have another four legacy and community driven causes to support in the future, with over $200,000 going towards funding these projects,” O’Malley said.

“We look forward to continuing to actively engage with our community in the hope of making a significant and positive difference.”

The branch celebrated ten years with cupcakes, chocolate and plenty of balloons. Photo: SUPPLIED