Pete Nicholson

Gallagher Bassett Australia (GB) is proud to announce a national partnership with Foodbank Australia, donating an initial $25,000 aimed at delivering hunger relief for First Nations communities across the country.

Pete Nicholson, Chief Executive Officer of GB Australia, commented on the partnership’s importance as a key action the company had taken in its recently launched Innovate phase of GB’s Reconciliation Action Plan. 

“We are honoured to join forces with Foodbank and support their vital work in providing hunger relief to First Nations communities. This partnership aligns perfectly with the goals of our Innovate Phase, aiming to implement progressive and impactful initiatives for reconciliation,” he said.

“It was a privilege for our leadership team to visit Foodbank NSW and ACT last week to see the warehouse and kick off the partnership with a donation of GB Gentle Bears. In the coming months we will be building on our initial donation of $25,000 to fund more initiatives to support First Nations communities facing food insecurity.”

Commenting on how the partnership aligns with the company’s global community initiatives, Andrew Spilsbury, Global Vice President – Brand Strategy, Management & Growth at GB, stated,

“At Gallagher Bassett, our people are driven by our mission to help the people, clients and communities we serve, so this partnership aligns closely to the core of our culture and company,” he said. 

“This partnership not only strengthens our efforts in Australia but also complements our global initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable and resilient communities. As well as fundraising activities, our people will be volunteering in Foodbank warehouses across Australia. Our first groups of volunteers will be helping prepare the annual Foodbank Christmas Hampers in November across New South Wales and South Australia.

Brianna Casey AM, Chief Executive Officer of Foodbank Australia, welcomed GB as a national partner and thanked them for their generosity and support.

“We are so grateful for this support which will enable Foodbank to get much-needed, culturally appropriate food relief to First Nations communities. Thank you to all involved.”

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Richard Nunn

MetLife Australia and the MetLife Foundation will be working with Australia’s largest provider of hunger relief, Foodbank Australia, to provide over 186,000 meals (or the equivalent of over 100,000kg of food) for Australians, starting from July 2020 through to summer 2021.

Pre-COVID-19, Foodbank Australia worked with over 2,400 charities in every state and territory to help them provide food to over 815,000 people a month. Since the pandemic hit, Foodbank has seen a 48% increase in demand for food relief.

In addition to the potential impact on people’s health, the COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous financial pressures on people across Australia, with government data showing a major impact on employment rates and wages, with an increasing number of people not able to properly support themselves.^[1] Many charities in Australia are also seeing donations of all kinds reducing as a result of COVID-19, causing problems for their ability to continue to provide much needed services.^[2]

Foodbank Australia knows that significant financial donations can have a major impact on the Australian community they serve and estimate that the MetLife donation equates to $2.3million social return on investment. Social return on investment takes into account not only the immediate nutritional benefits of providing food, but also the contribution to improvements in health, emotional wellbeing, sense of self-worth, social relationships and ultimately overall standard of living.

Commenting on the donation, MetLife Australia’s CEO Richard Nunn said: “We know that many Australians are struggling during this pandemic and we’re supporting Foodbank Australia because  they are directly helping thousands of Australians in need. We know Australia will get through this current crisis, but it won’t be easy and some people are facing enormous challenges including getting access to something as basic as a nutritious meal. We also know that the pandemic will have a long term impact on people’s health and wellbeing, and we want to have a deep an enduring impact on our community. We hope this contribution to Foodbank Australia will help thousands of Australians get the nutrition and energy they need and make it through this current situation.”

Brianna Casey, Foodbank Australia CEO said: “Demand for food relief has increased significantly due to job loss and small businesses closures as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Foodbank has had to scale up in order to help many vulnerable Australians, some of whom have had to ask for assistance for the first time. We are truly grateful to MetLife for its generous support which will enable us to support those doing it tough now, and for the long haul. Thank you MetLife.”

In addition to the Foodbank Australia donation, MetLife Australia has implemented a range of measures for customers in response to the COVID-19 situation.

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[1] https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/C9E9F14708FC0AE7CA25855E0018F325?OpenDocument
[2] https://www.communitycouncil.com.au/content/open-letter-australian-governments-19-march-2020

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Linda Griffin

Zurich Australia (Zurich) in cooperation with Zurich Insurance Group’s charitable foundation, the Z Zurich Foundation (ZZF) in Switzerland, has announced an immediate wave of community impact funding to support Australian and New Zealand charities in the wake of COVID-19.

The emergency financial support equates to an additional $1.43 million, which is being allocated to 20 different charities – some national, some with local, grassroots focus.

The funding is on top of the ~$2.28 million, which Zurich annually donates to its “hero” community programs, plus an additional ~$1 million donated by ZZF to various charities in the wake of the Australian bushfires earlier this year.

This wave of funding will be allocated to charities associated with mental and physical wellness, homeless support and food security, and domestic violence under the ZZF’s “wellbeing and inclusion” focus. They are charities that Zurich Australia, largely, has had long standing relationships with through the passion and fundraising efforts of its employees around the country – including those that support the OnePath Life brand.

One of the largest recipients of the local allocation is Foodbank Australia who will receive $1 million.  The money will help Foodbank Australia source and distribute additional essential food and grocery items to around 2,400 charities around Australia, who are experiencing a spike in demand given the economic downturn associated with COVID-19.

Brianna Casey, CEO, Foodbank Australia, said: “Foodbank has seen an unprecedented 48% increase in demand for food relief across our charity agencies. We are seeing new demographic groups who have never had to ask for food assistance before and we know this problem will not be fixed overnight.

“In the past month, we have sourced more key staple foods than in the three years prior to COVID-19. Through our established relationships with the food and grocery industry, we can turn $1 into $6 worth of food, so donations such as these allows us to effectively and efficiently purchase food to support the many people in our communities affected by COVID-19. We are so grateful to Z Zurich Foundation for this incredibly generous donation which will allow Foodbank to continue to scale up and respond to this new ‘normal’ for as long as needed,” she said.

As well as to Foodbank Australia, the funding allocation is being shared across:

• Zurich’s primary charity partners in Australia and New Zealand, being The Raise Foundation, Beyond Empathy, and Variety – the Children’s Charity.
• Smaller grants divided between the following 16 other charities: Cerebral Palsy Alliance (Steptember); Childhood Cancer Association; Fareshare; Gosford Coast Homeless Shelter, Hutt St Centre; Kids Under Cover; Mr Perfect; Orange Sky; Our Watch; Reach Foundation; Ronald McDonald House Charities; RUOK; Share the Dignity; St Kilda Mums; Twenty10; Wear It Purple

Linda Griffin, Head of Corporate Affairs and Community, said, “The intention of the funding is to help these charities navigate through the short to medium term issues arising from this crisis. Due to it, many charities are facing increased demand for their services, yet are challenged by a reduction in donations plus an inability to rely upon their volunteers in the same way, due to lockdown efforts.”

“Our efforts, both here and as a coordinated international response via the Z Zurich Foundation, are driven by a strong sense of social responsibility, and a mission to empower people to better protect themselves from risk, and to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Z Zurich Foundation’s COVID-19 disaster response aims to support hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people directly around the world

The Australian and New Zealand funding component is a part of the allocation which the Z Zurich Foundation has pledged to support COVID-19 relief in every region in which Zurich operates around the world.

The funding is intended to help existing charitable partners meet an increase in demand for their services, adapt their services to the new (mostly virtual) environment, or maintain their sustainability in the face of reduced fundraising or other revenue sources. Support is also being prioritised to nominated disaster relief initiatives, which provide support in terms of medical needs, mental health, food poverty, domestic violence or schooling (e.g. technology for home-schooling). 

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