Five Hunter charities will share more than $130,000 to continue vital community work, thanks to Tomago Aluminium’s award winning, employee-run, Workplace Giving Fund.

This year’s recipients are Hunter Melanoma Foundation, Jenny’s Place, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Calvary Mater Newcastle Haematology Department and Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

Tomago Aluminium’s Interim CEO, Nigel Backhouse said the Workplace Giving Program provides much needed support to charities who are doing great work to support the community in which our employees live and work.

“This year’s funding will support the fight against melanoma, sick kids in hospital, local cancer services, domestic and family violence services and aero-medical rescue service for local people,” Nigel said.

“Currently 74 per cent of Tomago Aluminium’s workforce donate to our Workplace Giving Fund from their pay, with the company making an additional donation,” he said.

“We are extremely proud of our employee’s commitment to supporting the community. Over the past five years, the fund has donated more than $1 million to local charities.”

The fund supports Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service every year.

Each year staff vote to select four other charities to receive funding. This year the helicopter service received $80,000 with the other charities each receiving $14,000.

Hunter Melanoma Foundation Executive Officer, Claudia Tolhurst said two in three people will be diagnosed with some sort of melanoma in their lifetime.

“This funding from Tomago Aluminium will help us to educate the community on prevention and early detection which is vital for successful treatment,” Claudia said.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service’s Acting Head of Marketing and Fundraising, Jason Bourke said Tomago Aluminium and its employees have been supporting the service for 35 years.

“Tomago Aluminium is one of the largest and most generous workplace donors for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service in the Hunter region. We are extremely fortunate to have the ongoing support of Tomago staff,” Jason said.

“We recognise and thank every one of them. Their support allows us to deliver a world class aero-medical rescue service to the people of the Hunter and Northern NSW and assists us in saving the lives of more than 1,500 people each year”.

Tomago Aluminium’s Workplace Giving Fund has been recognised for the past three consecutive years at the Workplace Giving Awards, winning a Gold Award in 2020.

Tomago Aluminium’s 2023 Workplace Giving Fund Recipients include:

• Starlight Children’s Foundation – to provide entertainment, games and deliveries to hospitalised children.
• Jenny’s Place – to provide direct relief and support to Hunter women and children who are experiencing or at risk of domestic violence and homelessness.
• Calvary Mater Newcastle Haematology Department – is the major cancer care centre for Hunter New England. The funding will help the Local Health District provide outpatient and in-patient treatment.
• Hunter Melanoma Foundation – to aid in their mission to defeat melanoma.
• Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service – to provide emergency aeromedical services to 1.5 million people across Northern NSW.

IMAGE | A selection of Tomago Aluminium’s staff who donated towards the Workplace Giving Fund.