Have you ever wanted to do something to help others; make things better; make a difference?
What about trying to decrease the number of youth who die in motor vehicle accidents! Important project, but what can I as an individual effectively do? Well the local board of the Calliope and District Community Bank® branch of Bendigo Bank thought they can do something through collaborating with other community partners. Recognising better driver training will help in accident prevention, discussions were held with the Gladstone Auto Club to develop a driver training centre at the Benaraby Motor Sportz Complex. With initial seed funding from the Calliope and District Community Bank® branch and support from the local and federal government, this $1.2 million training centre will officially open next month. This is the only such training centre north of Gympie. The bank though recognised getting the training centre built and operating is not enough, they want to get every grade 11 or 12 student in the Gladstone region who has just got their licence to complete a Student Driver Training Awareness Course.
To ensure that all students are given the opportunity to receive the training, the Course Providers are working with the bank, community stakeholders and other not for profit groups such as Rotary to subside the cost of the course so that each student only has to pay $100. The Community Bank® branch is also in discussion with their insurance underwriter for students successfully completing the training to receive a lower insurance rating to reduce the cost of annual premiums on their vehicles.
The Course Providers are also looking at ways to make it easier for students from other centres to cost affordably stay in Gladstone to do the course.
This is ‘making a difference’. You may be thinking though they are a bank, yes, it is great they are doing this, spending their profits locally on such important initiatives, but I’m no bank. The branch opened only 9 years ago when local individuals got together to ensure Calliope and the surrounding district had a bank people could physically visit. It is no stock exchange listed faceless entity. And only by individuals initially doing their normal banking activities with this bank that they could eventually make profits. Under their charter with the Bendigo Bank they willingly give 80% of their profits back to the local community, to help others; make things better; make a difference.
Since opening, the branch has distributed approx $1.5m to various projects in Calliope, Boyne Valley, Gladstone and surrounding districts. That is the power of passionate individuals united to one cause. You can choose to be one of these passionate individuals. As the TV commercials say, Be the Change. “Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi.