Australian Mutual Bank’s staff members, Ania and Donna, joined enthusiastic volunteers from Horizon Bank to help at a "Working Bee" called by Barnardos Australia to revamp a property on NSW South Coast used for short holidays for disadvantaged families across the Barnardos network. The house can accommodate up to 10 people at a time and is a familiar place for Barnardos children, who will often struggle to go away on holidays to unfamiliar places. From time to time, the house also provides emergency accommodation for young people.
The working bee was a bustling hive of activity with the teams working on:
- Revamping the cubby house so the children can use it including giving it a fresh coat of paint internally and externally, chalk paint wall inside, outdoor carpet and making it rain proof
- Building a vegetable garden
- Putting new bark in the outside gardens
- Staining the exposed wood near the entry staircase
- Repainting to freshen up the discoloured blue wall around the house
- Dismantling and disposing of the old swing to make way for the new one
There were 24 hands on deck assisting on the day x 5 hrs = 120 hours of painting, gardening and building skills. A big shout out to Barnardos South Coast staff, Alicia, Fiona & Deborah who helped out on the day too.
Our colleagues Ania and Donna found the experience very rewarding and enjoyed the opportunity to give back to the community and support the valuable work of Barnardos Australia. The commitment to corporate volunteering is something that Australian Mutual Bank strongly supports and we are constantly amazed by the wonderful work of our staff who participate often in volunteering programs with Barnardos via the Australian Mutuals Foundation.
