30 June 2023

The Buderim Foundation Thompson Charitable Fund provides $100,000 grant for vital food relief for Coast families in crisis

The Buderim Foundation Thompson Charitable Fund is proud to provide a $100,000 grant to Gateway Care Food Centre to support their Food Rescue Program.

Buderim Foundation Thompson Charitable Fund donation to Gateway Care Food Centre – Tom Lew and Lani Rafiti from Gateway Care receive cheque from Buderim Foundation’s Rod McKinnon and Rebecca Ramsay – photo by Ross Eason

Buderim Foundation chair Rod McKinnon said Gateway Care Food Centre plays a vital role in providing emergency food relief to families in crisis and those experiencing financial hardship on the Sunshine Coast.

“The Buderim Foundation’s Thompson Charitable Fund is proud to support the Gateway Care Food Centre and their Food Rescue Program,” Rod McKinnon said.

Gateway Care Chair Lani Refiti said the Gateway Care Food Centre is a non-denominational community organisation run entirely by volunteers.

“It currently spends approximately $15,000 per week on food items, ensuring that families in need have access to vital nourishment, and over 50% of these purchases are freely delivered to Sunshine Coast families experiencing financial difficulties.

05 May 2023

Business community gather to celebrate success and launch 2023 Business Awards

The Sunshine Coast is seen as the ‘entrepreneurial capital’ of Australia, and it is the reputation for hard work and dedication that the Sunshine Coast business community celebrated at the annual Small Business Month Breakfast in May, which was a huge success with a sell-out crowd of over 260 people present, with 50 at the information session that followed.

SCBA Small Bus Month Breaky panelists Darren McClenaghan (RACV Noosa Resort), Rachel Downie (Stymie), Thiago Perrone (Aussie Tiny Houses) with Sunshine Coast Business Awards chair Jennifer Swaine – photo by Barry Alsop

The event on Thursday 4th May, presented by the Sunshine Coast Business Awards, Sunshine Coast Council and Regional Development Australia (RDA), Sunshine Coast, also saw the 2023 Sunshine Coast Business Awards launched.

“With more than 40,500 small businesses, contributing to more than 50% of all employment for the region, it is no wonder that we are the envy of other regions,” Sunshine Coast Business Awards chair Jennifer Swaine said.

05 May 2023

Grants of up to $10,000 available to local community organisations thanks to Buderim Foundation

The Buderim Foundation is opening applications for its annual Community Grants Program for 2023, with grants of up to $10,000 available for local organisations with initiatives that make a positive impact on the local Buderim community.

The 2022 Buderim Foundation Grant Recipients

Applications open on Monday, 8th May to organisations serving the local 4556 community, and eligible applicants will need to apply online before Monday 19th June.

Buderim Foundation Grants Committee chair Rebecca Ramsay said the application process was easily completed online and successful applicants will be announced at the Foundation’s 2023 annual Community Grants Celebration on Sunday 10th September.

“The projects need to directly benefit residents within the 4556-postcode area with a diverse range of areas of interest from protecting our natural environment to supporting youth in our community,” Mrs Ramsay said.

13 April 2023

Sunshine Coast business community to come together to celebrate achievement

The Sunshine Coast is seen as the ‘entrepreneurial capital’ of Australia, and it is the reputation for hard work and dedication that the Sunshine Coast business community will celebrate at the annual Small Business Month Breakfast in May.

The event on Thursday 4th May, presented by the Sunshine Coast Business Awards, Sunshine Coast Council and Regional Development Australia (RDA), Sunshine Coast, will also see the 2023 Sunshine Coast Business Awards launched.

“With more than 40,500 small businesses, contributing to more than 50% of all employment for the region, it is no wonder that we are the envy of other regions,” Sunshine Coast Business Awards chair Jennifer Swaine said.

“We have such a rich diversity of business and industries which is reflected by the business winners and finalists in our Awards year after year.”

RDA Sunshine Coast CEO Paul Fisher said the Queensland Small Business Month breakfast was the perfect forum to join fellow small business professionals in sharing stories of success, strategies for growth and to reflect on the past 12 months.

30 March 2023

Buderim community to come together to honour ANZAC veterans

The Buderim Community will come together for ANZAC Day (25th April) to honour veterans with a Dawn Service, March and Morning Service.

As part of a long-standing tradition a long-standing Buderim tradition, a local hero will be honoured as part of the ANZAC Day services, with a tribute by Buderim Mountain State School students.

This year’s hero is Lieutenant Commander David Chatfield Edwards RANR (deceased) who in his later life was known as Mr Buderim and was heavily involved in the community through his roles with the BWMCA and Buderim Foundation.

01 March 2023

Deep Sea Adventure Diver to speak at Buderim Foundation breakfast

Deep sea diver and adventurer Scott Foote will be the special guest speaker at the next Buderim Foundation breakfast on Wednesday 29th March.

Mr Foote has lived a life of adventure, having travelled to over 74 countries throughout his life and will share just some of his extraordinary experiences.

Born in Mitchell before moving to Brisbane, Scott set off overseas with a backpack, aged 24, for 6 months and was gone for 21 years.

For 16 years, he worked in a very hostile environment as a Saturation Diver, living in a hyperbaric chamber for 28 days at a time, in seas and oceans around the world.

Buderim Foundation chair Rod McKinnon said Mr Foote’s presentation would give the audience a look beneath the oceans’ surface.

“Even recreational divers will be amazed by some of the environments that Scott has worked in and what he has done during his career,” Mr McKinnon said.

01 March 2023

Suncoast Spinners to get 10 new wheelchairs, funded by $10,000 Ergon-Energex grant

Suncoast Spinners Wheelchair Basketball Club is thrilled to be awaiting the arrival of ten brand-new wheelchairs to help expand its programs in the South Burnett region, thanks to a grant from the Ergon-Energex Community Fund.

Suncoast Spinners president Bridie Keen, Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt, and Ergon-Energex area manager Peter Lougheed.

Suncoast Spinners president and Paralympian, Dr Bridie Kean said the new chairs would provide a huge boost for the South Burnett Spinners, which was an outreach club formed under the Suncoast Spinners Club in 2021.

“At Suncoast Spinners we support wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby here on the Sunshine Coast as well as in other areas such as Moreton Bay and South Burnett.

“This is because we want more people, with and without a disability to have access to our great wheelchair sports.”

Dr Kean said Suncoast Spinners promoted reverse inclusion, which sees them invite able-bodied players to join in with players who also use a wheelchair in their everyday lives.

23 February 2023

BWMCA & Buderim Foundation come together to celebrate Buderim Community Spirit

Two central community organisations, the Buderim War Memorial Community Association (BWMCA) and the Buderim Foundation have come together to celebrate Buderim’s unique community spirit.

Motivated by the Buderim Foundation moving its office into the home of the BWMCA, the Old Post Office Information Centre at the centre of town, the organisations decided it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the Buderim Community Spirit and help locals to get involved in their local community.

BWMCA President Errol Richardson said with the recent influx of people to the local area, it is a great time for both organisations to highlight the many ways people can get involved in the community.

“In Buderim we have a unique and special community, largely because of the way so many people choose to get involved in the many opportunities and events on offer.

Buderim Foundation Chair Rod McKinnon said the coming together of the two organisations under one roof is a powerful way to raise their profile right in the heart of Buderim.

“As part of this important campaign, we have had two videos produced to showcase Buderim’s unique community spirit and to point to ways people can become involved,” Mr McKinnon said.

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