More than $1 million in special equipment grants will be made available through the Telstra Assistance Fund to communities affected by the devastating floods in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.
Telstra Chief Executive Officer David Thodey today announced the special focus of the Telstra Assistance Fund this year and said it was designed to help sports and recreation clubs in the flood affected regions recover, rebuild and get back on their feet.
“Sports and recreation clubs are the lifeblood of local communities and so many of these were impacted by the recent natural disasters around Australia,” Mr Thodey said.
“It made sense that we put a focus of this year’s Telstra Assistance Fund on helping to boost the local morale and spirits by playing our part in rebuilding clubs, restoring their training and replacing competition equipment.”
Telstra Assistance Fund grants are available to local rugby league, Australian Rules football, netball and surf life saving clubs, as well as community dance and music groups.
Grants provide equipment packages tailored to each sport or recreation, from tackle pads and match balls for footy clubs, amplifiers and guitars for music groups to boards and first aid kits for surf life saving clubs.
Eligible clubs and groups are invited to register their interest in applying for grants now, at www.ideasforgood.com.au/taf. The deadline for completing applications is 30 June 2011. Approved clubs will receive their equipment by the end of August 2011.
The Telstra Assistance Fund grants are in addition to Telstra’s financial and telecommunications support for flood affected areas which include:
- a $825,000 donation to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal, half from Telstra employees and half was Telstra’s corporate donation to match employee giving
- $25,000 towards re-opening Jacaranda Clubhouse in Ipswich to patients recovering from mental illness
- mobilisation of an additional 250 technical staff to restore critical infrastructure
- switching 100 payphones to free calls in evacuation areas to keep people connected
- establishing temporary internet in evacuation centres and providing free loan handsets with SIM cards and free phone cards within the centres
- providing an assistance package to residential and small business customers, including free phone service call diversion and reconnection
- distributing satellite kits to emergency services organisations and isolated communities
- featuring The Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal on our 48 webphones throughout the country and enabling free web browsing to make a donation
- Telstra is continuing an extensive reconstruction program across many parts of the country where permanent repairs and technology upgrades are underway
The Telstra Assistance Fund has contributed more than $8.5 million in equipment to local community clubs and groups around Australia over the past eight years.
