Groups raise funds for Barwon Health Foundation

TORQUAY Community Enterprise (TCE) has dug deep to help out youth from across the Geelong region, donating at least $10,000 to the Barwon Health Foundation Kids Appeal.

TCE has worked with the Bendigo Bank and the Torquay Lions Club (through its barbecue trailer) to help raise funds, and representatives from all three groups met last month outside the Bendigo Bank branch in Gilbert Street to acknowledge the donation.

The Kids Appeal is raising funds for a new rehabilitation centre for Geelong children and youth. The state-of-the-art centre will include a gym, consulting rooms, a therapy kitchen, playground and private treatment rooms.

Barwon Health hopes this project will reach its goal of $3 million within three years, through generous community support.

At the moment children that have suffered traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and spinal cord injuries are treated in the Community Rehabilitation Centre at the McKellar Centre.

However, this is designed for adults, and the new rehabilitation centre will allow programs to be tailed to the needs of each child and family.

TCE board chair Magdalena Wheatland said the final figure donated would be higher than $10,000 as it would include the proceeds of last month’s barbecue.

She said TCE and Bendigo Bank would soon launch a new campaign to raise awareness of the enterprise, in which bank customers can nominate that a small percentage of their banking value and business spend is delivered to TCE, which then gives the money as grants and sponsorships to community groups.

“Even a lot of the existing customers are unaware they can associate their account with Torquay Community Enterprise. It doesn’t cost them anything, but they contribute to the community.”

Over the past 10 years, TCE has distributed more than $285,000.