AdviceCo is thrilled to announce that the recipient of their inaugural $20,000 Community Grant is Central Coast Kids in Need.

Runners Up of the program are Camp Breakaway and Iris Foundation/Because We Care Boutique, who will both receive a $5,000 contribution from AdviceCo and the Count Charitable Foundation. A further $2,500 was also donated to Musicians Making a Difference – MMAD.

Applications were assessed by four judges, including AdviceCo Managing Director, David Evers; Barry Lambert from the Count Charitable Foundation; Rachel Willis from Creating Community Connections; and Edgar Adams from The Central Coast Business Review.

The decision was incredibly difficult. With more than 45 applications submitted by eligible charities and Not-for-Profit organisations, a number of very worthy campaigns were unable to be supported.

“The quality of applications really opened my eyes to both the high need of support in our community, and the importance of the work our charities do to empower people from all walks of life to live well,” said David.

Central Coast Kids in Need

Central Coast Kids in Need is operated by approximately 18 unpaid volunteers who are passionate about supporting local families with children who are sick and require medical treatment. They provide financial support to those families who become stressed by accommodation costs, high-cost prescription items, specialised formulas, quality-of-life equipment and travel expenses. Their goal is to keep families united throughout hospital stays and treatment.

Treasurer, Rhonda Doyle and Secretary, Lorraine Churchill of Central Coast Kids in Need were overjoyed to receive the $20,000 booster to their cause.

“We’re in the business of supporting families to be together through some of the toughest experiences of their lives. Our families are faced with more than a sick child – which is incredibly distressing in itself. They’re also faced with logistical stressors such as reduced work, increased care requirements, long distances and tough decisions that come at great emotional and financial cost. This money will be spent on alleviating some of those logistical pressures at a most vulnerable time,” she said.

Iris Foundation – Because We Care Boutique

Iris Foundation was selected as a Runner Up to receive a $5,000 donation in recognition of the work they do to support women from the Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Central Coast regions who have faced major challenges in life, assisting them with suitable attire and accessories for re-entering the workforce, homelessness, work experience, court appearances and other important appointments.

We met with Sue Liptrott from Iris Foundation, and Sharyn Becker, Co-ordinator of Because We Care Boutique Central Coast to hear about how they will put their donation to good use.

“The AdviceCo donation will be used to enhance outcomes of Iris Foundation’s project – the Because We Care Boutique, a referral-only service for women who have faced very significant challenges in life and are seeking to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

Run by dedicated stylist volunteers, the Boutique assists with professional attire and support prior to job interviews, and other important meetings. Some clients have had to flee dangerous situations or have endured ongoing hardship in their lives. The care and attention they are given at the Boutique can, and does, create an enormous shift in their mental outlook.

Through the development of Wings to Succeed, an enhancement offering programs and mentoring to Boutique clients, we aim to not only help women enter or re-enter the workforce, but also to empower women, reduce social isolation and build on fundamental tools of resilience. This initiative draws powerfully on the collective skills, knowledge, experience and support of our Community & Business Women’s Network (CBWN) for the benefit of individuals and the Central Coast community,” said Sue.

Camp Breakaway

Camp Breakaway was also awarded a Runner Up grant for their important work enhancing the lives of people living with a disability here on the Central Coast. They provide much needed respite services, activities and 3-5 day-camps to engage people with disabilities at their site in San Remo.

Community Engagement Officer, Sara Evans says “The funds will be used on our Young Carers & Siblings Program. This program is run for 30 -40 children who bear the burden of responsibilities for caring for a family member who may be suffering from a physical or intellectual disability, chronic, severe, or terminal illness. Because of their circumstances, they can miss out on things that other children take for granted such as a simple trip to the beach. This program allows them to interact with others their own age, and make new friends that understand their home life.

The program receives no NDIS or government funding and relies on the support of the local community by way of donations.”

Musicians Making a Difference – MMAD

Musicians Making a Difference was also selected to receive a $2,500 donation, with proceeds going to building pathways to support for young people from our local community who most need MMAD’s critical support, opportunities and resources following the global pandemic.

In the heart of Gosford is a creative safe-haven for Central Coast youth in need. Musicians Making A Difference – MMAD transforms young lives through music. MMAD uses the power of music, community and creative mentoring to support vulnerable young people who may suffer mentally, physically, socially and financially from traumatic childhood experiences. Talking about your problems as a young person can be daunting, so exploring complex problems creatively and safely, like expressing pain in lyrics, sharing your voice by singing and finding a support network through music has helped many survive.

While MMAD has seen past participants go on to become big names in the music industry today (like Australia’s Got Talent winner, Fletcher Pilon), supporting young people through their darkest times and helping them to find a sense of belonging and hope in life is always the most rewarding thing. Many young people go on to make their own difference as social workers. Supporting MMAD is not only life changing, it is creating positive change generationally.

Rachel Willis, Founder and Executive Director of Creating Community Connections and former CEO for Coast Shelter said the quality of the applications was exceptional.

“It is applications like these that show just how generous and industrious our charitable organisations are for those in need of support.

“We are really excited to be able to support Central Coast Kids in Need and can’t wait to see some of the outcomes as time goes on. We hope charities of the Central Coast will continue to submit their applications each year,” she said.

Following the program’s success, David Evers is happy to confirm that it will be on offer again.

The AdviceCo Community Grant is co-funded by AdviceCo and the Count Charitable Foundation who each contribute $10,000. Judges include Barry Lambert, Founder and Chairman of the Count Charitable Foundation; Edgar Adams, Editor of the Central Coast Business Review; Rachel Willis, Founder of Creating Community Connections and David Evers, Managing Director of AdviceCo. This is the inception year for the grant.

For more information, please contact David Evers, Managing Director of AdviceCo on 02 4320 0500 or [email protected]