A successful agricultural sector is dependent on strong supporting regions and communities. Investing in regional economies encourages both sustainable growth in the agricultural sector and the long-term resilience and viability of local communities across Australia.
The Elders culture is true to the value of community spirit, and it’s something our people embody every day. Whether facing drought, fire, flood, or something else, our staff are on the frontlines in our communities.
This year, the team at Elders Albury joined forces with Paull and Scollard Nutrien to hold a dedicated store sale in support of mental health organisation This Is A Conversation Starter (TIACS). Staff from both branches replaced their pink and green shirts with loud and colourful TradeMutt shirts for the sale, with the aim of making an invisible issue impossible to ignore.
Further north, the Elders Griffith branch was responsible for organising the largest fundraising event for Angel Flight in the charity’s 20-year history. 250 people attended a gala dinner hosted by the branch, raising almost $64,000.
Highlighting and extending this community focus, this year we were pleased to launch the brand-new Community Giving Project. Structured across six pillars, grants of up to $20,000 will be offered to not-for-profit and other organisations investing in and supporting regional initiatives with impact at a grassroots level.
We are proud to invest in initiatives centred around people, environmental consciousness, innovation, healthy lifestyles, diversity and safety. These six pillars outline the key areas and spaces that will have targeted impact; enabling sustainable, focused, and long-term change in communities.
In FY23, Elders gave $3.3 million in sponsorships and donations, and sponsored 1,000 local community sports teams and events.
We also re-signed a long-standing partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service Central Operations, further boosting investment in the health and wellbeing of rural and regional communities. The Elders-sponsored RFDS plane, ‘Whiskey’, flew 588,481 kilometres this financial year, transporting 1,177 patients from 62 rural and remote locations.
CEO and Managing Director Mark Allison said that partnerships with other community focussed organisations, including Motherland, Rural Aid, and the Regional Australia Institute, allowed Elders to further extend its impact in rural Australia and create meaningful change.
“Investing in regional economies encourages sustainable growth in our sector; Australian agriculture is only as strong as its supporting townships and communities,” Mr Allison said.
“Elders’ links to communities go far beyond our agricultural products and services, and we feel incredibly privileged and invested in supporting discussion and decision-making about the issues that affect us now and into the future.
“The Elders culture is true to the value of community spirit, it’s something our people embody, and initiatives in progress across our business both strengthen and emphasise this."