Issue One 2009
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Welcome to the first online edition of Macquarie in the Community. We welcome feedback on any aspect of our newsletter and invite you to contact us at foundation@macquarie.com . Printed copies are available on request from your regional contact. Macquarie Staff Community Awards 2008
The Foundation is pleased to announce the Macquarie Staff Community Awards for 2008. These Awards highlight the wonderful contribution many Macquarie staff make to their community. With the addition of new categories for 2008 a broader range and higher number of applications were received than in previous years which was reflected in the number of awards granted. WinnersThis year there are three Volunteer of the Year Winners. Tim Vasudeva, Associate Director, TCG, Seoul, has committed his spare time and money to help lost and stray cats and dogs in Korea through Animal Rescue Korea (ARK), a volunteer animal welfare group. Tim has also played a major role in the amalgamation of two shelters for sick or injured animals through logistical assistance and fundraising activities. Nicky Younger, Adviser Assistant, BFS, Sydney, volunteers 300 hours each year for St John Ambulance Peninsula Division by providing First Aid support, training and leadership. Nicky joined St John in 2001, was commissioned as an officer in 2005 and is currently overall second-in-command of the division supervising members and non-commissioned officers. Sarah Boersen, Manager, BFS, Brisbane, is a long-time life saver for North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club and an active committee member in fundraising activities. As a life saver for more than seven years and committee member for two Sarah is spokesperson for the Club, trains new crew and organises water safety events. There are two Fundraiser of the Year Winners. Matthew Rady, Executive Director, BFS, Sydney, for his fundraising activities across several organisations including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Smith Family and the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Dan Phillips, Executive Director, MacCap, Shanghai, for UNICEF’s China Earthquake Appeal. Pro-Bono Adviser of the Year Winner. Kate Heaney, Associate Director, CAG, Sydney, for her work with The Station Limited. Kate has been on the Board of Directors of The Station Limited, a drop-in centre for homeless people in Sydney’s CBD for five years and introduced numerous initiatives to benefit clients and staff. The Team Award Winner. The Graduate Volunteer Network (GVN) in Hong Kong for holding numerous activities throughout 2008 including a trivia night, cake sale, Christmas toy and book collection and mural painting. Highly Commended AwardeesHighly Commended Volunteer of the Year awards go to Karen Boalch, Senior Manager, CEX, Sydney, for her work with the Exodus Foundation and Michiko Shima, Executive Assistant, MSG, Tokyo, for her work with the Japan Association for Refugees. Highly Commended Fundraiser of the Year awards go to Natalie Bloomfield, Senior Associate, BFS, Jacksonville for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Suzie Laney, Adviser Assistant, BFS, Adelaide for many charitable causes, Maya Miller, Senior Associate, TCG, Los Angeles for American Cancer Society and Wei Zheng, Executive Assistant, MacCap, Beijing for Sichuan Earthquake Appeal. Highly Commended Team Award goes to Hackney Schools Mentoring Program in London. The winner in each category receives A$10,000 for their supported organisation, Highly Commended awardees receive A$2,000 and the Team Award winner receives A$5,000. Congratulations are extended to all nominees and award recipients. |
Foundation newsMacquarie Group Foundation’s long-term commitments and partnerships with community organisations are acknowledged within the philanthropic sector as being best practice. Two of our capacity building programs demonstrate how our support manifests strong, sustainable relationships with organisations and the communities they benefit. Centre for Social ImpactAs part of its commitment to social innovation the Foundation has pledged A$2.2 million over ten years to the establishment of the Macquarie Group Foundation Chair, Centre for Social Impact (CSI). The Chair will be held by Professor Peter Shergold, the Centre’s Chief Executive. Dr Shergold formerly served as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia’s most senior public administrator. The Foundation’s long-term investment in CSI will enable the Centre to promote socially responsible business management, engage with government on public policy and build the capacity of not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises. More information is on the website www.csi.edu.au. Inspire FoundationFor the past nine years the Foundation has provided support to the Inspire Foundation in Australia, a not-for-profit established in 1996 in response to Australia’s high rates of youth suicide and attempted suicide. Inspire’s flagship program is Reach Out!, an internet based service which has helped more than four million young people get through tough times. Recently the Foundation pledged A$1.23 million over three years to establish a comparable service in the US in 2009. ReachOut.com will be part of the new Inspire USA Foundation which was established in response to the US’s prevalence of youth mental illness. More information is on the website www.inspire.org.au. Staff enthusiastically and actively support both the CSI and Inspire with representatives on the board and advisory councils, donations, pro bono mentoring and fundraising activities. Along with staff support our planned long-term commitment enables these organisations to grow, build skills and deliver benefit to their communities. Facilitating development and growth is a cornerstone of the Macquarie Group Foundation’s philosophy and we encourage staff participation in achieving this. |
Our Staff in the CommunityPacking for families
In support of the annual Smith Family Christmas hamper-packing event in Sydney a Macquarie Group team was once again organised by Peter Eastham. The packers worked on a high-pressure production line to make, pack and wrap boxes of groceries. Sharing one of five production lines with other corporate groups, Macquarie out-packed the other teams by producing more than 1,700 hampers for disadvantaged families across Sydney. The Macquarie team consisted of Eugenie White, Samara Wilson, Peter Eastham, Janice Yip, Matt Funnell, Chris Hood, Nick Souvanh, Vanessa Pow, Chantel Ang, Jasmine Antonijevic, Natalie Antonijevic and Alexandra Antonijevic. A United EffortStaff in the Vancouver and Toronto offices participated in a two week campaign to raise funds for United Way of the Lower Mainland, an organisation focused on positive, long-term, sustainable change to living conditions in the community. Starting with a Campaign Kick-Off Breakfast, staff attended several fundraising events raising CA$108,572 with support from the Macquarie Group Foundation, far exceeding the amount raised last year. CORE Support
An exciting new initiative called COmmunity REsourcing (CORE) has attracted 22 volunteers from the London office. Volunteers have been grouped based on their skills and then assigned to one of six local charities in the borough of Islington with needs in areas such as financial and business planning, human resources, information technology and administration. Charities working with the CORE program seek to address issues of socio-economic disadvantage and social exclusion and include the Refugee Therapy Centre, Islington Law Centre, Islington Childcare Trust and the Single Homeless Project. This pilot program will run for six months and has already been heralded as a success by the participant charities. Mo Fun
Hirsute individuals and teams from the New York and Los Angeles offices, including 'Team MoCap' and 'Team Los Bigotudos', mo'd up to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Each year in Movember, the month formerly known as November, Macquarie staff around the world participate in a number of events including beard growing, moustache shaving and costume competitions. These events aim to raise awareness about men's health and overcome their reluctance to seek medical advice. With Foundation support, the events raised US$47,316. The Power of Sport
More than 300 fast and furious Street Soccer matches have been played in Melbourne at the Homeless World Cup event hosted by the Big Issue. The skill and passion of more than 500 homeless and marginalised players from around the world was showcased before an audience in excess of 100,000 spectators, including staff from the Melbourne office who volunteered their time to help in numerous ways. Big Issue's weekly street soccer training gives people who experience homelessness, substance abuse or disadvantage an opportunity to get fit, make new friends and seek support and advice. Importantly, it offers a mechanism for social change. Simon McKeon described staff involvement with the Homeless World Cup as a way of "putting a face to the statistics, and highlighting the valuable contributions to the community that the homeless are capable of when given the opportunity." In the Pink
For the third year running Janine Seelig transformed her home into a pink karaoke bar in support of the Cancer Council's Girls Night In event. The guest of honour was Janine's sister Karen, a breast cancer survivor twice over in 11 years, who along with 32 of Janine's family and friends united to have fun, be more body-aware and raise money. Donations from Macquarie staff and Janine's guests raised A$6,267, supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, for research into breast and gynaecological cancers. A Tough Challenge
With challenges called the Death Plunge, the Killing Fields, the Underwater Cavern and the Swamp, the annual Tough Guy Challenge held on the South Perton Farm in Wolverhampton was never going to be straight forward. Paul Stoakley from Macquarie Securities in London braved freezing conditions to take on the Rice Drive for HOME
Staff from the Singapore office embraced the spirit of Christmas by responding to requests for donations of money and bags of rice for the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME). A choir of women from the HOME shelter donned Santa hats and Macquarie Group Foundation t-shirts to perform Christmas carols in the lobby for staff on the day of the Rice Drive. Organisers Kathryn Haynes and Fiona McDonald raised almost S$12,000 with Foundation support. HOME run a shelter, a food distribution program and other services to support disadvantaged migrant workers in Singapore. Cultural Connections
Gail Sulicich, recently appointed to the Advisory Board of Community Foods SA, volunteered at the Cultural Connection event at Kilburn to promote Community Foods SA. By providing a low-cost food centre for disadvantaged people Community Foods SA promotes healthy eating and provides peer group training in healthy cooking for families. More than 300 people attended the day out enjoying games, ambulance displays and demonstrations, a sausage sizzle and refreshments. The event also successfully developed closer connections between the South Australia Ambulance Service and the local community. Ride to Cure Diabetes
A Macquarie Group team of cyclists participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) Ride to Cure Diabetes in the scenic Barossa Valley wine region in South Australia in January. Funds raised from the event will assist JDRF to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. In Australia, JDRF are currently funding over 40 research projects with a total investment of over A$60 million. Macquarie staff have been significant supporters of the JDRF cause and the latest effort reinforced the long-standing relationship. This year the Ride to Cure event raised a total of A$1.3 million for JDRF. Matthew Rady was extremely proud of the team's efforts confirming that "Macquarie's team of 60 riders contributed a record sum of over A$150,000". Fundraising will be supported by the Foundation, increasing the total donation to more than A$300,000. Macquarie staff across Australia displayed strong camaraderie and supported the event in terms of both rider numbers and funds raised. Experienced JDRF rider Peter Forrest summed up the event, "I encourage everyone to get involved next year. There are 3 rides: 35 kilometres, 80 kilometres and 160 kilometres. It is by far the best run charity event I know, in the beautiful Barossa Valley, and provides you with a great opportunity to celebrate your riding and charity with a couple of fine Barossa wines." Books and Toys for Hong Kong Kids
More than 12 boxes of toys and books were donated by staff from Hong Kong during December as part of the Christmas Toy and Book Drive. Caritas Medical Centre in Kowloon received bags of new and pre-loved toys for children in the Developmental Disability Unit, whilst the Little Flowers Primary School in Shatin took delivery of three boxes of books to assist with their English reading program. More than HK$5,000 in cash was also donated by staff during the Drive. This enabled the Caritas Medical Centre to hold a Christmas party for their young patients and for the Little Flowers Primary School to purchase new English books. Dragon Hung and Kevin Lee of the Graduate Volunteer Network helped to organise the collection and promote the Drive. On top of the world
In 2006, having been given a minimal chance of survival, Carl Liebel's biggest challenge was to conquer an advanced case of Africa's most prevalent disease, Tuberculosis. Following his recovery and less than two years later, Carl's challenge was to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa for TB Alert which supports TB projects around the world and raises awareness of the disease. By organising a step machine climbing competition for staff in London to simulate the ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, then ascending the mountain itself, Carl raised more than £20,000 with support from the Foundation. |
Regional news
|
Contents |
 Laurie Cox, AO Chairman's messageI am pleased to assume the role of Acting Chairman of the Macquarie Group Foundation whilst David Clarke is on leave of absence. A key aim of the Macquarie Group Foundation is to encourage staff in their personal philanthropic and community endeavours. This is provided in a number of ways, including supporting fundraising and personal donations. The recent tragic circumstances of the bushfires in Victoria galvanised staff from around the world who answered the need for urgent help. To date more than A$200,000 has been donated by staff to a number of relief and disaster recovery organisations. All funds will be matched by the Foundation and, along with a donation of A$1million by Macquarie Group to the Australian Red Cross 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal, will be used to provide assistance in towns and suburbs affected by the bushfires. Teams across Australia and the United Kingdom also sent 28 boxes of gently-worn suits to the Gippsland Bushfire Relief organisers for the hundreds of mourners who gathered to farewell and pay tribute to family and friends. Once again we are proud of the ways Macquarie staff have demonstrated their commitment to helping individuals and communities. In this issue of Macquarie in the Community we are pleased to profile those who have been awarded Macquarie Staff Community Awards for 2008 and many staff who have supported their community organisations. We hope you enjoy reading about their endeavours. |
Staff profile |
 |
Graeme ConwayMy day job is... leading Macquarie Capital's European Advisory Business I got involved with the International Childcare Trust (ICT) because... they are a small, focused charity utilising partnerships on the ground to help children in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and India. ICT have only four full time staff in London so once I got to know the team I felt I had a very good understanding of what the charity did and where the money I raised was going. I now sit on ICT's fundraising committee. My community needs more... people to help charities everywhere. Donations for all charities from governments, corporates and individuals are forecast to be significantly down in the current year so fundraising and donations are more important this year than ever before. I can help my community by... creating greater awareness of what is needed around the world and what can be done to help. I'd like to volunteer to... cycle through Tanzania this year with ICT. Each year ICT arrange a charity bike ride in one of the countries they operate in with the last day of the ride spent at the project in that country. The bike ride is an incredibly important part of ICT's annual fundraising programme and is a great way to see a country. I'd happily encourage others to join. The people who inspire me are... the people like the staff at ICT who put their time into passionately pursuing what they believe. If everyone could just do one thing to make a difference what would it be? Anything. Every bit really does help and no gift or donation is too small.
|
Contact usFor more information on Macquarie Group Foundation activities, to submit a story for the next edition or for a printed copy of this newsletter please contact: Gail Cunningham, London
|