Better Gnomes and Gardens: A Brand New Space For Cerebral Palsy Alliance
14 June 2012 at 2:41 pm
Volunteers from the Commonwealth Bank have helped to open a new garden at the The Cerebral Palsy Alliance Centre in Sydney.
The bank’s staff were involved in the National Giving Back Initiative as part of Volunteer Week.
The goal: creating an inclusive playground and garden at the heart of the Cerebral Palsy Centre.
Staff Giving Back is a community support initiative launched by CommBank to celebrate its centenary year.
The staff made suggestions on how they thought the Bank could make a difference to the lives of less fortunate Australians. The garden makeover was the brainchild of employees, Leanne Taege and Peta Edwards.
“We both had the idea to renovate a garden for a charity,” Taege said.
“The Bank supports Cerebral Palsy Alliance in a number of areas so it made great sense to work with them.”
The Volunteers Manager at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Peter Horsley believes there is great value in corporate volunteering.
“Commonwealth Bank is a significant corporate partner of ours. As our funds are limited, we spend most of them on delivering services to our clients.
“As such, some of our buildings and areas can get a bit run down. This kind of support is absolutely timely as the outside garden and playground really needed some work.
“I really can’t overstate the importance of what CommBank has done through its involvement with us,” Horsley said.
One in 400 babies are born with Cerebral Palsy – it’s a disability that affects not just the kids but the entire family, he said.
“What the volunteers have done is not just fix a garden playground; they’ve created an environment where therapy can take place.
“They’ve helped build hope for the future for kids with Cerebral Palsy and their families.”