Local generosity helps Queenscliff charity

COTTAGE by the Sea has felt the generosity of the local community after the charity discovered its basketball ring had been damaged in the wind.

The charity reached out to the community with a post on Facebook and were soon inundated with offers to help.

Cottage by the Sea was quoted about $650 to fix the ring or $1,500 to replace it entirely.

Jason Cobb had a new basketball ring sitting in his shed, and when he saw the post, did not hesitate to donate it.

“It was just there, and I didn’t think about it, I didn’t think about giving back, I just thought ‘Give it to them, these guys need something’,” he said.

“It’s such a little thing to me but I know what it means to those guys, and I know what it would mean to the kids even more.

“You don’t do these things for self-recognition or for praise, you give something, and you get it back somehow and I’ve got it back just with that appreciation.”

The Queenscliff charity offer a range of programs and camps for children, focusing on adventures in nature with the aim of enhancing the kids’ lives.

Mr Cobb owns Sports Courts Victoria and has worked with the charity before, seeing the benefits and joy the basketball ring brings to the kids.

“These kids come form a lot of diverse backgrounds, I understand that, and for them to turn up to Cottage by the Sea is just a dream come true.”

Cottage by the Sea Chief executive officer Adam Wake said he was blown away by the community’s response and the amount of people who offered to help fix or replace the ring.

“I started getting messages from all sorts of people… saying we’ll send you money for the new setup and then to find out that it wasn’t needed anyway, it’s just so warming, it’s lovely.”

As a non-government funded organisation, the charity relies heavily on the community’s generosity to run their programs.

Mr Wake said the children loved playing out on the basketball court and it was a great asset to have.

The new basketball ring arrived just in time as a new group of kids arrived that afternoon.

Mr Wake thanked the community for their ongoing support.

“We’re in this together to help as many kids as we can,” he said.

For more information on Cottage by the Sea, head to cottagebythesea.com.au