Recently our team were thrilled to partner with Community Bank East Ivanhoe & Heidelberg to support charity, Big Group Hug. The organisation supports families with young children by supporting essential items to those in need. 

Whether it’s the basics like cots, car seats, high chairs and prams right through to everyday essentials such as clothing, nappies and formula, Big Group Hug have got it covered. With the support of over 300 volunteers, Big Group Hug supports families throughout the Northern and Western suburbs via over 95 family support agencies such as maternal health care centres, social workers, hospitals and other family support centres. In the 2022 / 2023 financial year, they provided over 120,000 items to 6,000 children.

While Big Group Hug play a huge role in responding to community crisis, their donation program saves perfectly good pre-loved items from landfill.

As demand for their help continues to grow, the organisation has recently relocated to Thomastown, where they secured two adjoining warehouses, increasing their capacity to assist children in Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs.

With the support of both the Seddon & East Ivanhoe/Heidelberg branches, they will be able to purchase 4 spring loaded carts on wheels to hold items donated by the public until they are sorted and quality checked by their volunteers. Also 20 collapsible carts with wheels for the transfer of stock between and around the two adjoining warehouses and 200 x Kebet shelf boxes for storage.

After a recent visit, both Ash and Suzanne were overwhelmed with the capacity and organisation of the group, from sorting through donations to processing applications, right through to individually preparing boxed packs for their clients and adding personal touches if they know a child has a special interest.

If you are interested in volunteering or donating to Big Group Hug, take a look at their website https://biggrouphug.org/