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Community Contribution

One of Fairbrother’s five core values is Community Contribution. We strive to give back to the communities that our people live and work in, this is extremely important to us. This value is delivered through charitable contributions that create direct links in support of our communities.

Charitable contributions are delivered through two established entities: the Fairbrother Foundation and the Fairbrother Charitable Trust.

Combined, Fairbrother’s charitable arms have contributed more than $1.35m to the communities that our people live and work in. We are extremely proud of this achievement and how it brings to life our company value of giving back to local communities.

The Fairbrother Foundation

The Fairbrother Foundation has been established as a not for profit Private Ancillary Fund (PAF). Its intent is to provide an avenue for donations from the Fairbrother family, business, employees, and other key stakeholders to give back to areas of need in our communities.

The Foundation’s core purposes are to:

  • Facilitate access to quality education, particularly among youth.
  • Support activities or research striving for improved health and well-being.
  • Support charities that have a direct connection to our employees.
  • Where possible, support charities making a positive impact within the construction industry.

Since the Fairbrother Foundation’s establishment in 2007, we have contributed more than $854,000 to worthy charitable causes, helping to enrich the lives of many people.

This year (2024) we are on track to exceed $200,000 in donations to the communities in which we serve.

The Fairbrother Foundation has also formed key partnerships with:

SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY

We are proud to be able to support Speak Up Stay ChatTY’s sports program through the Fairbrother Foundation, with support of $40,000 per year for three years commencing in 2023. Since 2018, the Sports Program has reached more than 6,000 athletes in 150 clubs and across 22 different sports throughout Tasmania. The impact of the Sports Program has been seen with almost 98% of athletes who take part in the program feeling more able to look after their own mental health, and 99% feeling more confident to help a teammate in need.

Hobart City Mission

Hobart City Mission identified a desperate need in Southern Tasmania for supported accommodation targeted at single fathers who do not have stable accommodation. The Fairbrother Foundation’s support helped DIY Dads to provide 8 self-contained units for dads with either full or part-time care of their children. The dads can be any age, and are able to stay at the DIY Dads program for up to two years.

Action Against Homelessness (aah)

A community-supported charity based in Devonport, Tasmania focused on implementing solutions to alleviate homelessness.

New Horizons

A charity focused on building inclusive communities through sport and recreation. The Fairbrother Foundation is supporting to offer an inclusive basketball program catering for beginners right through to more competent players.

Royal Flying Doctor Service

In 2018 the Fairbrother Foundation partnered with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to offer a $5,000 scholarship to a first-year nursing student from an outer regional or remote area of Tasmania. The scholarship includes a one-week experience at a RFDS base – in Tasmania or interstate.

Cancer Council Tasmania

The Fairbrother Foundation has a long-standing relationship with Cancer Council Tasmania through supporting their many fantastic community fundraising initiatives. Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is a standing event on our annual calendar, and more recently we’ve become contributors to the Cancer Council’s Future Fund.

National Heart Foundation

The Heart Foundation’s MyHeart MyLife program seeks to provide necessary support to people living with, or caring for someone with coronary heart disease in Australia. MyHeart MyLife is a personalised support program that delivers reliable heart health information and advice in the form of regular text messages, emails, videos and online content.

The support provided from the Fairbrother Foundation is helping to finalise the program redesign ahead of relaunching it in 2024.

The Smith Family

We support two students through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program – a program that provides emotional, practical, and financial support to help disadvantaged children and young people with their education. The program is based on the knowledge that one in six Australian children and young people are growing up in poverty. This can negatively affect their school life and mean they are less likely to achieve the educational outcomes and in turn employment outcomes, perpetuating the cycle of disadvantage across generations.

Supporting these young people strongly resonates with the Foundation’s core objectives of giving support that impacts youth, education, and wellbeing. Our goal is to help both of these young people continue their education through to year 12, increasing their opportunities in life.

UTAS Foundation

Providing scholarships for University of Tasmania students.

Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch Bendigo

A key fundraising activity raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Australian Huntington’s Disease Association (Tasmania Division)

Supporting the purchase of ‘EyeGaze’ equipment. Pilot trials have shown this equipment provides a breakthrough in communication for those suffering Huntington’s Disease through the interpretation of eye movements and an eyepad. If this pilot is successful, it will have significant and far-reaching impact on those enduring Huntington’s Disease, not just in Tasmania but potentially worldwide.

Trauma Awareness Network Australia (TANA)

A non-profit grassroots organisation founded in North West Tasmania in 2018 to raise awareness of, and educate about complex trauma, and also advocate for policies incorporating an awareness of complex trauma and its mitigation.

Recent Employee-led Donations

The Fairbrother Foundation recognises that it is the quality work of Fairbrother employees that underpins our ability to make charitable donations. Since 2016, each year employees have been consulted regarding charities for community contribution. As a result of this process, the Foundation has had the pleasure of making donations to 46 different charities up to 2024.

Donations in recent years have included:

2023

HeartKids Limited, which focuses on support for children with congenital heart disease.  Fairbrother Estimator Stuart Eaton and his partner have a delightful 1-year old born with a ventricular septal defect (often called a ‘hole in heart’) and hence Stuart felt great alignment with this charity and its work.

Diabetes Australia – Tasmania, which develops and delivers support, coordinated care and prevention services – locally and nationally – and partners with other diabetes organisations across Australia to positively change people’s lives. The nominee of this charity was Fairbrother’s Nick Freeman who has a sister managing type 1 diabetes.

Myeloma Foundation of Australia, which exists to support, educate, inform, empower and bring hope to people who are living with myeloma and their loved ones. Fairbrother’s Joel Mahoney had a family member diagnosed with this form of blood cancer in recent years and saw this nomination as a way of giving back to a charity that is making a positive difference to his and other families with a myeloma diagnosis.

The Trustee for Leila Rose Foundation Trust Fund, a local charity in Warrnambool that exists to support families facing the crisis of a rare childhood cancer diagnosis. Fairbrother’s Aaron Finnigan nominated this charity to give back to the local hard working team.

Koala Kids Foundation Limited, a charity focused on supporting children and young people affected by cancer. Fairbrother Facility Management team member Sam Gray nominated this charity specifically because of the support they gave young Tasmanian Ella James, who passed away earlier this year after a tough battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Challenge Cancer Support Network, another amazing organisation supporting kids and their families living with cancer. This nomination came from Degree C’s Nic McConnell after the organisation provided substantial support to Nic, his partner, and their little person who had an extended stay in Melbourne for treatment.

2022

Coeliac Australia – nominated by Fairbrother Corporate’s Laura Parker. Laura has experienced a recent diagnosis of coeliac disease, and as such has firsthand experience of the resources and support Coeliac Australia offers. Coeliac Australia is the national charity working hard to provide a range of support and information services to enhance the lives of people with coeliac disease and other conditions requiring a gluten-free diet; raise vital funds for research, and create awareness of coeliac disease and the gluten-free diet within the medical profession, food services industry, and the broader community.

Tassie Mums – nominated by Laura Ship from Fairbrother’s Facility Management division. Laura regularly donates her time to volunteer and assist the Tassie Mums team, who are a not-for-profit volunteer-based group passionate about providing essential items to babies and children in need.

Muscular Dystrophy Association of Tasmania (MDT) – nominated by Sam Gray, also from Fairbrother’s Facility Management division. This nomination came from Sam and Shane Reardon from Reece Plumbing (who supported Sam in his participation in the 2022 Fairbrother Ride) in recognition of the significant assistance MDT provide for persons affected by the various forms of muscular dystrophy.

Tasmania Police Charity Trust – nominated by Fairbrother Construction’s Luke Young. This donation supported the Tasmania Police Charity ‘Daltini Randonnee’ one-day charity ride event on 21 May 2022, raising funds for Autism Tasmania and St Giles. Luke participated in the ride, pedalling 170km in support of the worthwhile cause.

65 for CF – nominated by Gaye Rutherford, non-executive director on the Fairbrother Board and Chair of the Fairbrother Foundation. This charity works hard to fundraise for initiatives to support those affected by cystic fibrosis. The ’65 Roses’ story started in 1965 when a 4-year-old boy heard the name of his genetic disease, cystic fibrosis, and pronounced it 65 roses, creating an opportunity to create fundraising and awareness activities that incorporate the numbers 6 and 5. The key 65 challenge initiatives happen in the month of May.


Fairbrother Charitable Trust

The Fairbrother Charitable Trust was established in 2023 to provide additional flexibility for charitable donations, being able to support any charity or charitable project that aligns with the values and goals of the Fairbrother Group.

The first project the Fairbrother Charitable Trust embraced was the development of a 14-unit, 24/7 supported living site in Claremont. This facility will support long-term accommodation for people living with mental illness and psychosocial disability. The Claremont facility has been named Glenson Place in honour of Thea and Royce Fairbrother’s son, Glen, and the health challenges that he navigates.


Directors – The Fairbrother Foundation and Fairbrother Charitable Trust

Gaye Rutherford, Chair, BA(Hons), BNutrDiet(Hons), G.A.I.C.D.

The current Chair of the Foundation is Gaye Rutherford (née Fairbrother). Gaye provides a strong family connection for the Foundation, and in addition to being a Foundation Director, also sits on the Board of Fairbrother Pty Ltd. As a mother and Accredited Practising Dietitian, Gaye feels passionate about the Foundation’s focus on education and wellbeing initiatives.

Kurt Arnold

After commencing his career with Fairbrother Pty Ltd back in 1995, Kurt has progressively fulfilled a number of roles and is now the company’s Chief Executive Officer and is a member of Fairbrother Pty Ltd’s Board. Kurt joined the Foundation as a Director in 2016 and provides a valuable connection between the Foundation and the operational aspects of the Company.

Mark Nugent

Mark is currently also a Board member of Fairbrother Pty Ltd and Degree C Pty Ltd and has the executive role of Chief Financial Officer.  Mark also served on the Fairbrother Employees Retirement Fund Board for a number of years until its transfer to Tasplan in 2018. Mark is also a Board member of Bank of Us a role he has held since 2012. Mark brings to the Board his experience in governance and regulatory environments as well as his financial and strategic knowledge.

Gareth Atkins, B.Com., C.A., R.T.A, R.C.A.

Gareth is the CEO and director of Synectic Group, who have a long-standing relationship as accountants & business advisers to the Fairbrother Group. Gareth is a Chartered Accountant, Registered Tax Agent, Registered Company Auditor and acts as Non-Executive Director of a number of Tasmanian businesses. Having joined the board in 2021, Gareth provides independent advice relating to finance, governance and strategy and acts as the Responsible Person for the Foundation.