An event to say thanks to the Port Lincoln community was hosted by Beyond Bank last week, with about 30 community members in attendance.
Two grants were presented – domestic violence support group Yarredi Services received $3800 and breast cancer support organisation Dragons Afloat received $3600.
Yarredi’s Sharyn Potts said their grant would go back into client services.
“It might go to resources for the children’s program or it might be daily things or something longer term.”
“The children’s program is a therapeutic program which uses music, sand trays and other sorts of therapy.
“They have a lot of musical instruments and sand trays, which need to be replaced.”
Ms Potts said the grant would also help to set things up for women who have fled domestic violence situations, and to help them move forward.
“We got about $3800 from the Beyond Bank Community Rewards program, and with the double donations, we were able to get donations from other places and they were matched up to $10,000 dollars,” she said.
“So we were able to turn $10,600 into $20,600 – that has been a wonderful thing.”
Port Lincoln Dragons Afloat received a $3600 grant from the bank for community members suffering from breast cancer.
“We fully fund, up to four times a year, a weekend retreat for two people at Coffin Bay for people going through breast cancer treatment and doing it tough,” Sue Bishop from Dragons Afloat said.
“The retreat is always very much appreciated by those who are benefitted.”
Ms Bishop said the retreat – which has been running for at least 10 years – is entirely organised by the breast cancer nurse at the Port Lincoln Hospital, and the group does not know who receives a retreat.
Beyond Bank community development manager Stephen Handrick said the Beyond Bank Community Reward account was a way of giving which had been embraced by the bank’s customers.
“The popularity of this account just grows year after year, and that of course means the donations grow too,” he said.
Beyond Bank head of community Shane Farley added: “Since we commenced the program in 2013, we have had over $4.3 million invested to community groups all over the country.”
