Community is at the heart of more than just the name of the Strathmore Community Branch Bendigo Bank, an incredible organisation committed to improving the lives of locals. The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Foundation is one of the grateful recipients of support from the organisation, the funding from which is helping to change the lives of sick children and young people.

Over the past 10 years, Strathmore Community Branch Bendigo Bank has donated close to $600,000 to the RCH, including the sponsorship of 20 beds across the hospital.

“We have always considered sponsorship to be an important part of supporting our communities. We are proud that we are able to help teams across the RCH to provide great care to our sickest children,” said Peter Brown, Chairman of Strathmore Community Branch Bendigo Bank.

Every year, more than 45,000 sick children are admitted to RCH. The Bed Sponsorship program through the RCH Foundation enables individuals, businesses and organisations to support areas of the hospital they are passionate about. This program is vital for funding a number of programs on the wards, and sponsors are gratefully recognised on acknowledgement boards at the entrance to each ward.

“The bed sponsors are a big part of what informs and inspires us in our day to day work. I know a lot of the nurses see the board every day when they come into the wards and it’s a reminder to them that there are people out there who genuinely care and want to continuously give back,” said Melissa Anania, Nurse Unit Manager on the Kelpie Ward.

The transformational support of Strathmore Community Branch Bendigo Bank is truly making a difference to the lives of our community, and the RCH Foundation is truly grateful for their visionary commitment and generosity.