Strong support: Barwon Health Foundation praises community’s brilliant response to fundraiser

THE Barwon Health Foundation has praised the amazing level of community support for the Coronavirus Emergency Support Fund, with the appeal reaching its $1.1 million target last year.

Launched in March during the first wave of COVID-19 cases in Australia, the money in the fund was earmarked for increasing the capacity of clinics, the purchase of medical equipment, the co-ordination of volunteers and supporting Barwon Health’s infectious disease team.

Equipment purchased by the fund included 50 patient beds, two resuscitation trolleys, 15 aged care support iPads, two blood filtration systems, 49 vital signs monitors, a transport ventilator and 4,250 “Healthcare Heroes” cups of coffee.

Barwon Health Foundation executive director Zoe Waters said the foundation was “quite genuinely blown away” by the outpouring of support.

“One thing that shone through during COVID-19 was Geelong’s unique ability that when things get tough, Geelong gets tougher,” she said.

“Everyone pitched in what they could to make sure we supported Barwon Health and helped prepare Barwon Health for what was to come.”

Barwon Health Foundation has run several successful fundraising campaigns in recent years, including the three-year effort to raise funds for the redevelopment of the Andrew Love Cancer Centre and the two-and-a-half-year push for $3 million for a new rehabilitation facility at the McKellar Centre.

Ms Waters believed the Coronavirus Emergency Support Fund was the second COVID-19 fundraiser for a hospital to be launched in Australia, and ended up being the most successful in Victoria.

“From a timeline point of view, raising $1.1 million in a few months was really quite phenomenal and it is testament to the strength of the community spirit and the generosity of the community here in Greater Geelong.”

She said Barwon Health staff greatly appreciated the little things made possible by the fund.

“Cups of coffee, hot meals – small tokens of appreciation that show the staff the community’s right there behind them,” Ms Waters said.

“Barwon Health was solely focused on what they needed to focus on – the pandemic response – and we were tasked with the responsibility of providing the additional level of comfort and care that would otherwise not be possible without the generosity of the community.

“There isn’t a big fund there available waiting for the pandemic to attack the things like coffee for staff and meals for staff, so that was where the community really stepped in to make sure we could go above and beyond what would normally be possible.”

The foundation is continuing its efforts in raising money for Barwon Health, with its list of fundraising goals now including a point of care lung ultrasouund, telehealth equipment for the emergency department, 32 mental health patient beds and 400 kindness and essential packs.

For more information, head to barwonhealthfoundation.org.au.