Caroline Auxiliary

Main funding purpose: Area of greatest need

The story so far

In February 1950, a group of children from Caroline Street, Aberfeldie held a bazaar on their front lawns. They collected donations of items from their neighbours and in less than two hours sold everything and raised 16 guineas. On Good Friday the children were taken to 3DB radio station where they presented their donation to presenter Eric Welch. In 1951 the group officially became an Auxiliary, calling themselves the Caroline Children’s Club.

Their fundraising continued throughout the years with the children holding backyard concerts, a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night and selling toffees to their school friends. They collected books and started a library, charging a small fee for their friends to borrow books.

By the early 1960’s the original members were growing up and busy with school work so the Auxiliary was taken over by their parents and renamed the Caroline Auxiliary. For over 70 years, members of the Auxiliary have held various fundraisers including a Japanese Tea Ceremony, fashion parades, raffles, luncheons, stalls at the RCH and local shopping centres and a pop up shop. In 2020, the Auxiliary celebrated their 70th anniversary.

2022/2023 Auxiliary Report

As well as manning stalls at the RCH once a month and attending the Christmas Market Day, our Auxiliary has been active in the community. During the last year we have held stalls in a local shopping centre, and in 2022, we held a stall at a local primary school fete where we sold a variety of homemade goods produced by our generous donors and by our own members. We also try to have a major fundraising event each year, but planning this has been impossible over the COVID years. We plan to have an event in October this year.

Office bearers

President: Sandra Holland
Secretary: Marianne Hogan
Treasurer: Jo Ibbs