Employee Led Community Support

Most of our dedicated workforce live locally and are passionate about helping community groups and charitable causes that support the people of our local region.  Every year our employees take part in a number of fundraising activities through our Community Investment and Partnership Programme to support these charities financially and to lend a helping hand.

In the STEPtember Challenge, employees spurred each other on to walk, ride, cycle or run 10,000 steps every day during September to raise money for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, raising nearly $10,000 for their efforts to help people with cerebral palsy to live their best lives.

Port Waratah also supports employees in their individual charitable and fundraising endeavours whether it be a 1000k’s for Kids bike ride fundraising for Camp Quality, a number of motorbike rides for Variety the Children’s Charity, Laps for Life a fundraiser to support youth suicide prevention and many more worthy causes. In support of these employee ‘passion projects’ Port Waratah has donated more than $36,000 in the last three years.

In 2020, we introduced an annual ‘Vote on a Good Cause’ campaign, where employees are asked to nominate a charity or organisation close to their heart, which aligns with our values and objectives. These nominations are then shortlisted and, with a $30,000 prize pool on offer, all of our employees are encouraged to vote on their favourite charity.

Since 2020, Camp Quality Newcastle, Calvary Mater Oncology Unit and BaptistCare HopeStreet Mayfield have all received funding to help them continue their great work in our local community.

Our workplace giving programme invites our employees to donate money from their own pay, which is then matched dollar-for-dollar by the Port Waratah Community Investment and Partnership Programme, doubling their impact.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter has been part of the workplace giving programme for 30 years, which the Westpac Rescue Helicopter estimates has contributed approximately $1 million in donations and continues to grow.

In 2020, we consulted our employees and expanded our workplace giving programme to include regular donations to the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Lifeline Hunter Central Coast, Salvation Army and Share The Dignity.

Our employees also like to roll up their sleeves and donate their time to local organisations and charity events such as Hunter Homeless Connect Day, The Samaritan Christmas Lunch, Seafarers Christmas Donation Drive, John Hunter Children Hospital’s 10 Days of Christmas and many more community events throughout the year.

These are just some of the amazing stories our employees have played a part in and there are many more to come, each one helping to create an important and lasting legacy for the community we are proud to be part of.