For the fourth year running, Bunnings will be supporting FightMND by selling beanies in our stores and trade centres, and online. This year, we’re excited to be committing to a 3-year partnership with FightMND and look forward to continuing to build on our success with the Big Freeze campaign all the way through to 2024.
Who are FightMND?
Founded in 2014, FightMND was established with the purpose of finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. The horrible and debilitating disease gradually takes away the patient's use of their arms and legs, their ability to eat and swallow, their speech and ultimately their ability to breathe...all in an average timeframe of just 27 months.
Following on from last year’s theme, FightMND has once again put out the call for the team to ‘Beanie On, Play On’ in 2022. With the key theme of resilience in mind, the FightMND army is encouraged to put their beanie on to show how they are ‘playing on' in the face of life’s adversities and challenges, especially after what has been a tough couple of years.
What is the Big Freeze?
The Big Freeze is an annual fundraising event that takes place on the Queens Birthday long weekend. Each year, a limited-edition beanie is released for sale to raise funds for research to find treatment and a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.
How can I support FightMND?
From 11th May to 21st June, all Australian Bunnings stores and trade centres will be selling FightMND beanies to support the Big Freeze. All proceeds will go to finding a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. To support this important cause, we’re encouraging everyone to head down to their local Bunnings and buy a beanie. Its time to Beanie On, Play On.
QLD & NSW flood relief fundraising BBQ
Over the past few weeks, we have felt the impact with our communities in NSW and QLD following the devastating floods in these regions.
Our team are a part of these communities, and alongside many amazing groups and individuals, we have worked to do our bit and support our neighbours in the clean up and recovery.
In addition to these efforts, on Friday 11 March, all Bunnings stores across Australia joined together to fire up the BBQ and host a Flood Support sausage sizzle. This event raised money for communities impacted by the recent floods in NSW and parts of QLD. Customers and team members were also able to show their support by making a donation at our registers.
All funds raised have been donated to GIVIT Storms and Flooding Appeal. GIVIT is working with QLD and NSW governments to ensure all donations of goods, services, volunteering and funds are managed, to support all communities impacted by the floods.
The recent floods and storms have impacted so many of our communities and team and we are grateful to be able to actively support the many communities impacted by the storms and flooding with this nationwide sausage sizzle.
If you were unable to make it in-store for the BBQ, you can still show your support by donating to the GIVIT Appeal online.
It's In The Bag
What's 'It's In The Bag'?
Each year the ‘It’s In The Bag’ campaign gives vulnerable women and girls a reason to smile over the festive season. This collaboration with Share the Dignity restores dignity by sharing handbags filled with essential hygiene products, plus a few extra treats. ‘It’s In The Bag’ is a simple idea which works like this:
• Donate a handbag in good, used condition that you no longer use.
• Fill it with items that will make a difference to the daily life of a vulnerable woman or girl.
To ensure those in need receive items best suited to them, there are a variety of bag options:
Adult bags
Be sure to include essentials such as sealed packets of pads and tampons, roll-on deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and soap or body wash.
Teen bags
Essentials include period products suitable for younger bodies, roll-on deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and soap and body wash.
Mum & bub bags(identified by purple ribbons or tags)
Essentials for Mum include maternity and breast pads, roll-on deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and soap or body wash. Baby is sure to need newborn nappies, disposable nappy bags, wipes, dummies, baby wash, nappy rash cream and baby shampoo.
Feel free to add little luxuries like lip balm, new socks, a magazine; anything that would make a woman or teenage girl feel special. A handwritten note added to the bag is a thoughtful addition.
Who is Share the Dignity?
Share the Dignity works to make a real, on the ground difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or doing it tough. We distribute sanitary items to those in need and work to end period poverty here in Australia. When someone is doing it tough, the last thing on their mind should be dealing with their period.
We assist those in need through collecting thousands of period products each year through our collection drives and campaigns and distribute them directly to over 3,000 charities across Australia.
Bags collected for Share in the Dignity.
92,860 bags filled with essential personal hygiene products were donated in 2021 to Share in the dignity, through this campaign. These bags will be distributed to women and girls in need across Australia.
Bushfire relief
Our stores are actively supporting the many communities that continue to be impacted by bushfires. This has included providing products, time and services to those in need, supporting emergency services and those who’ve lost homes, businesses and livelihoods.
In addition, over 100 team members have taken paid time away from work to fight fires as members of the CFA, CFS, RFS, SES and defence force reserves. Bunnings continues to provide unlimited paid support to these team members who are a critical part of the response effort.
Bunnings has also helped to raise and contribute over $850,000 for Australian communities impacted by bushfires through donations and a fundraising sausage sizzle at all stores across Australia and New Zealand on Friday 24 January, which was manned by team members. The final contribution included more than $100,000 of direct donations from team members which was matched dollar for dollar by the business. All funds will go to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund who will use these funds to continue their work in evacuation and recovery centres, provide food, water and other emergency supplies, supply emergency cash grants, support people experiencing vulnerability, and plan recovery programs that are tailored for each community.
This follows a national fundraising sausage sizzle held in November 2019 which helped raise and contribute $620,000 for GIVIT to support Australian communities impacted by drought and bushfires. GIVIT are currently utilising the funds raised to help those who need it most; such as supplying water and other essentials to Queensland families who have used all of their house water to fight the fires, and providing food and grocery vouchers to families who lost their homes in the bushfires in NSW.
We recognise that the recovery and rebuilding effort will be long term. Our support will continue on a local level where our stores operate and team members live.
