Upwey and District Community Bank branch chairman Peter Marke (right) grants the wishes of Upwey-Tecoma Bowling Club president Ken Walters and Rohan and Chris Lambert of Ferny Creek Scouts.By Ed Merrison
AN array of community groups from throughout the Dandenong Ranges received a welcome cash injection last week.
Grants were handed out by Upwey and District Community Bank branch chairman Peter Marke and bank representatives from Upwey, Belgrave and Cockatoo-Gembrook at a packed Upwey CFA station on Monday, 7 November.
The money came courtesy of a partnership between the region’s various Community Bank branches and the Community Enterprise Foundation.
The foundation is the charitable arm of Bendigo Bank, which enables Community Bank companies to issue grants in a tax-effective and strategic manner.
Foundation CEO Natalie Elliott attended the event and said the Community Grants Program was open to registered charitable organisations and not-for-profit community groups working to benefit the local communities of the Dandenongs.
Groups as diverse as Scouts, senior citizens and junior baseball players took a share of the spoils, which went towards specific funding needs.
More than $54,400 in grants and sponsorship went to 29 local community groups on what was the fifth community grants presentation evening.
The scale of the funding reflects the expansion of Bendigo Community Bank, which this year has opened new branches in Belgrave and Cockatoo-Gembrook, as well as an automatic teller machine in Olinda.
Mr Marke described the current returns as “the tip of the iceberg”, and said community benefits would continue to grow in tandem with the bank.
“We have always said that benefits, aside from banking, would flow on as a natural progression and that is what we are seeing now,” he said.
“Shareholders are being paid dividends and community groups are benefiting from the branches’ profits.”
Mr Marke said it was an exciting time for everyone who had supported the Community Bank.
“Clearly the most rewarding part of our business is giving money away – it even beats earning it,” he said.
“It’s a real pleasure to see how grants are received by the recipients and a clear example of the banking model returning profits to the community.”
