Since it first opened in March 1999, the Bendigo Bank Community Bank Wentworth and District has donated over $4.6 million to local initiatives through its grants program and this year, the Mildura Health Foundation has joined the extensive list of groups to successfully apply for grant support.
Mildura Health Foundation Company Secretary, Ms. Cheryl Rix, said that the fifty thousand dollars received through the grant would go directly to the development of the Dr. Julie Zrna Centre – an accommodation hub for people receiving cancer treatment at the Mildura Health Icon Cancer Centre – and that the funding came at a critical time in the project.
“The grant gave us the confidence we needed to go ahead with the building contract, and we are extremely grateful, not just for the funding but for the Community Bank’s understanding of the importance of the project for people living in the far west New South Wales region.”
The most recent data out of the Mildura Health Icon Cancer Centre shows that ten per cent of its patients were from the Wentworth Local Government Area and Ms. Rix said supporting the expansion of services, including accommodation for patients who reside outside of Mildura, is vital to ensuring that the communities of northwest Victoria and far west New South Wales have access to quality health services.
Chair of the Community Bank Wentworth and District, Ms. Becky Bysouth, recognised the Mildura Health Foundation’s contribution to the region and sees the awarding of the grant to the accommodation project as a valuable investment.
“We are so pleased to be able to support the Dr. Julie Zrna Centre because we know that it will make such a difference to families going through challenging times. If we can play a part in easing the burden they face, then we see it as money well spent.
“On behalf of the Bank, I congratulate the Foundation for identifying the need for the facility and working to achieve such a fantastic outcome. It really is another wonderful example of what the community can do when we all work together.”
In accepting the grant, Ms. Rix noted that the Community Bank in Wentworth is celebrating its twenty-fifth birthday in 2024 and she reflected on the impact it has had on the community over two and a half decades.
“The contribution it has made, investing millions back into local initiatives is nothing short of remarkable and is a testament to the Wentworth community and the Bank’s loyal customers.”
With construction now commenced, the Foundation will continue to seek support for building, fit out and operations.
“This is an ongoing project, and we encourage others who have the capacity to donate, to do so. Cancer does not discriminate and so many of us around the Mallee region have been, or will be impacted by it, and we deserve access to the highest level of local care and choice.
“Collectively, we can develop solutions that are appropriate for our communities, which reflect our challenges and circumstances and offer better outcomes,” Ms. Rix said.
