Buderim FoundationOPO Launch

BWMCA & Buderim Foundation come together to celebrate Buderim Community Spirit

Published on: February 23, 2023Category: News

Two central community organisations, the Buderim War Memorial Community Association (BWMCA) and the Buderim Foundation have come together to celebrate Buderim’s unique community spirit.

Motivated by the Buderim Foundation moving its office into the home of the BWMCA, the Old Post Office Information Centre at the centre of town, the organisations decided it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the Buderim Community Spirit and help locals to get involved in their local community.

BWMCA President Errol Richardson said with the recent influx of people to the local area, it is a great time for both organisations to highlight the many ways people can get involved in the community.

“In Buderim we have a unique and special community, largely because of the way so many people choose to get involved in the many opportunities and events on offer.

Buderim Foundation Chair Rod McKinnon said the coming together of the two organisations under one roof is a powerful way to raise their profile right in the heart of Buderim.

“As part of this important campaign, we have had two videos produced to showcase Buderim’s unique community spirit and to point to ways people can become involved,” Mr McKinnon said.

Buderim FoundationDrovers dinner

Buderim Foundation Drovers Evening brings touch of the Outback

Published on: February 6, 2023Category: News

A touch of the outback came to the Sunshine Coast on Friday, with a sold-out crowd of 200 listening spellbound to the stories of original Aussie Drover, and former NT Government Minister Roger Steele.

Roger Steele tells of his outback experiences at the Buderim Foundation
Drovers Dinner. Photo by Ross Eason

Honourable Roger Steele, OAM, shared fascinating tales of his droving days in the Northern Territory and Queensland. He started work at Humbert River Station as a 13 year old and spent 17 years in the cattle industry in various jobs, from ringer, camp cook, stockman and station manager.

He shared tales of the challenges of mustering sometimes thousands of cattle through harsh terrain, dealing with a cattle rush, the role of horses and the value of Aboriginal stockmen. He went on to manage a life insurance company, to represent Territorians as a member of the NT Parliament, to manage the NT Expo in Brisbane and to take on the role of CEO of the Stockmans’ Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre in Longreach, and said he considered his time in the outback as the most memorable and fulfilling of his life.

DROVER-SMALL

Aussie outback icon to speak at special Buderim Foundation evening

Published on: January 9, 2023Category: News

An original Aussie drover Roger Steele will be telling stories from his extraordinary years in the outback at a special Buderim Foundation evening on Friday 3rd February.

Mr Steele, who began work as a 13-year-old on a Northern Territory cattle property and spent 17-years in the pastoral outback working his way up from ringer, drover, camp cook, and head stockman to station manager before becoming a Northern Territory Government Minister and Assistant Commissioner for World Expo ’88, has had an incredible life.

Buderim Foundation chair Rod McKinnon said it was not a surprise that with such an interesting working life, Roger has some incredible tales to tell.

“Whether outback life is completely different to your own experience or whether you have some fond memories of your own, Roger will paint a picture of outback life including the challenges of droving cattle for thousands of kilometres in often hazardous conditions, so we can’t wait for our Drover’s evening,” Rod McKinnon said.

BWMCA Christmas Carols 2021

Buderim Community Carols bringing the region together for Christmas

Published on: November 10, 2022Category: News

Buderim Community Carols heralds the beginning of Christmas celebrations and this year’s event on Sunday 11th December is set to be better than ever.

BWMCA Carols organiser Andrew Butterworth said last year’s event attracted more than 3,000 people with families coming from across the Coast to celebrate together.

“This year’s entertainment is once again directed by local entertainment professional Riley Cope, and we are delighted that 7News Sunshine Coast’s Rosanna Natoli is once again joining us as MC.

“The evening will be full of opportunities to singalong with performances from the Buderim Mountain State School Choir, Sunshine Coast Youth Orchestra, Buderim Youth Theatre and the Elite Dance Institute,” Mr Butterworth said.

LEONIE SQUARE

Peacekeeper and mine activist to present at special breakfast

Published on: September 30, 2022Category: News

Peacekeeper, ammunitions expert, martial artist, musician and one of the first-ever female graduates of Australia’s Royal Military College, Duntroon, Leonie Barnes will be the special guest speaker at a Buderim Foundation Breakfast in October.

Buderim Foundation Chair Dr Russell Stitz said Leonie’s presentation on her life stories, her values and philosophies was sure to be fascinating, with a lively Q&A session to follow the presentation.

Leonie, who is also the daughter of a crocodile shooter and has been a specialist Ammunition Technical Officer since the age of 22, will be presenting “M.I.N.E.D the Gap – if life is a minefield, what happens when real deminers do life?”.

Garden 2 photo

Buderim Garden Festival to show of season’s best

Published on: September 28, 2022Category: News

The Buderim Garden Festival in October will showcase Buderim’s best gardens as well as including flower shows, displays, garden sculptures and more.

The annual Festival, proudly sponsored by Buderim Bendigo Bank and Manawee Garden Centre from October 21st to 23rd will include events as well as the very popular Open Gardens program, that offers exclusive access to some of the best gardens around Buderim.

The annual Festival comes as Buderim Garden Club was awarded the Eleanor McLeod Award from Garden Clubs Australia for outstanding service by an Affiliated Club to their local community.

The 2022 BF Grant Recipients

Buderim Foundation awards almost $60,000 in Community Grants

Published on: September 10, 2022Category: News

The Buderim Foundation is today awarding almost $60,000 in grants to be shared by 14 community-based organisations, as part of its annual Community Grants Celebration.

The Buderim Foundation 2022 Grant recipients – photo by Cheryl Nonmus

Buderim Foundation Grants Committee Chair, Rebecca Ramsay said the Foundation was delighted to once again provide support to community organisations supporting the 4556 postcode area.

“The grants come from earnings made from the Foundation’s investment fund, so it is thanks to everyone’s donations and the hard work of our Investment Committee, that we are able to deliver the much-needed funding,” Rebecca said.

“This year we will be awarding 14 Community Grants with a total value of $59879.54.”

The special Grants Celebration will be held on Saturday 10th September at the Buderim War Memorial Hall and is a Covid-Safe event.

“The Buderim Foundation concept is simple and has three key components.  Money in, where donations and bequests are received, money managed, where these funds are carefully invested and then money out, with the income from the investments distributed as grants to organisations supporting the 4556 community,” Rebecca said.

This year is the 15th year grants have been distributed. Since 2008, a total of $731,826 has been distributed to 90 community organisations supporting the 4556 postcode area.

John Robertson

Retired District Court Judge to share insights on youth crime

Published on: April 20, 2022Category: News

Retired District Court Judge and current chair of the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council, John Robertson will be the guest speaker at a very special Buderim Foundation Breakfast on Wednesday 11th May.

Mr Robertson will be presenting “Sentencing Children – Myths and Remedies” at the breakfast, which will raise money for the Buderim Foundation’s investment fund. Earnings from the fund are given out in annual grants to organisations supporting the local community.

Buderim Foundation chair Dr Russell Stitz said Mr Robertson’s presentation was sure to be of interest to the local community and expected a lively question and answer session.

“At the Buderim Foundation we want to support the community and part of that is giving people the opportunity to consider important issues like youth justice, and to hear from experts like Mr Robertson, who bring a non-political, evidence-based approach to the issue,” Dr Stitz said.

Buderim Foundation Thompson Fund grants available for Sunshine Coast organisations helping those in need

Published on: April 4, 2022Category: News

Applications are now open for the 2022 Buderim Foundation Thompson Fund to assist eligible charity organisations that help those in need throughout the Sunshine Coast community.

Buderim Foundation Thompson Fund 2021 Grants – Susan Beaton(YouTurn), Rebecca Ramsay(BF), Fiona Browne,Jo Higgins(Lily House), Roy&Nola Thompson, Kathleen Hope(SunnyKids),Michele Lipner(OzHarvest), Dr Russell Stitz (BF),Tanya Bell (YouTurn) – photo by Ross Eason.

The Buderim Foundation became the trustee for the Thompson Charitable Trust in 2021 and this will be the second year the Foundation has offered grants from the fund.

Foundation Grants Committee chair, Rebecca Ramsay said Organisations that provide services for those unable to achieve a modest standard of living, were invited to assess their eligibility for the 2022 grants program from 4th April 2022, with applications closing on 8th May.

“In 2021, four organisations providing support to people experiencing homelessness and financial distress due to domestic violence and other circumstance on the Sunshine Coast, were awarded grants totalling $110,000 from the Buderim Foundation Thompson Fund,” Mrs Ramsay said.

BWMCA ready to celebrate 75th Anniversary 2 - photo by Reflected Image PR RPR1525

Buderim set for stellar BWMCA 75th Anniversary Celebrations

Published on: March 31, 2022Category: News

BUDERIM will be swinging back to the 1940s for a very special weekend of celebrations on the weekend of 27th to 29th May, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Buderim War Memorial Community Association.

BWMCA ready to celebrate 75 years – Sunshine Coast Concert Band’s Gordon Parker, Deb Ansett & Georgiana Truman from 3bCreative, BWMCA president Errol Richarson & Tracy Reeves from 3bCreative

With celebrations delayed from 2020 due to COVID, BWMCA President Errol Richardson said everyone in the organisation was more than ready to celebrate.

Mr Richardson said the weekend would begin with a 1940s Musical Extravaganza Concert on Friday 27th May, followed by a 1940s Big Band Dance on Saturday 28th May.

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