BNDCE to mark major milestone

THE Bendigo Northern District Community Enterprise is gearing up for a major community investment milestone event next month.

On Sunday, 1 August the BNDCE will celebrate the $300,000 in funding they have granted over 15 years at a free community tree planting event and barbecue for National Tree Day.

BNDCE board member Mike Lowther said the funding has been put towards a variety of community projects and initiatives over the years.

“Some of it’s gone to major projects, other amounts have gone in our twice-yearly grants programs,” he said.

The group’s most recent major project funding went to the Epsom skatepark, and to date they’ve contributed around $104,000 to eight projects in total.

Almost $139,000 for 127 grants was awarded through BNDCE’s twice-yearly grants program.

“We also work with the other community enterprises around Bendigo from time to time and we’ve had six joint community enterprise projects and that’s totalled over $14,000,” Mr Lowther said.

“There’s been 27 other various projects and they round up to around about just over $12,000.”

A board member for more than 10 years, Mr Lowther said he was particularly proud of the group’s funding of defibrillator purchases.

“For me, personally, it’s been the defibrillator grants and being able to help community groups with purchasing the lifesaving defibrillators,” he said. “That, for me, is something I’m really proud of.”

The BNDCE’s funding comes from a partnership with Bendigo Bank, Bendigo Telco and Viewpoint Huntly.

A portion of profits made from Bank or Telco accounts voluntarily linked to the BNDCE by customers, or a financial contribution made by the developers of Viewpoint Huntly with each block of land purchased is redirected into the BNDCE’s funding pool at no cost to customers.

Mr Lowther invited members of the public to join the 1 August milestone celebration, with the group expecting to plant some 300 trees around the Bendigo Creek.

“We’re a very welcoming group, we’re always open for more people to come and join us and, as we say, make good ideas happen in the community.”

The event will run from 10am to 2pm at the Goldleaf Wetland Reserve, Pasley Street, Huntly. To register, visit treeday.planetark.org/site/10024857.

For more information on the BNDCE, visit bndce.com.au or search them on Facebook.