Ten years ago, in November 1998, Judith Kennedy, the then President of the Board of the Otway Health & Community Services, called a public meeting to investigate the community’s attitude to the establishment of a foundation to raise funds to be managed in such a way as to contribute to the future health requirements of Apollo Bay and district. A Steering Committee was elected by the community to establish the Apollo Bay & District Health Foundation.

On the 5^th October, 1999 the Foundation was launched by The Governor of Victoria, Sir James Gobbo A.C. who became the inaugural Patron of the Foundation. The current Governor, Professor David de Kretser A.C. is the present patron. The Constitution of the Foundation sets out its two key objectives:-

“to financially support Otway Health and Community Services to assist it provide its services and to carry out its objectives; and…….

to financially support any Similar Health Organisation within the District of Apollo Bay to assist it…to provide its…services…”

While the prime purpose of the Foundation is to support OHCS a diversity of purpose was necessary to ensure that the funds remained in the district regardless of what a future government might decide to do with OHCS. It also helped to assure that the Foundation would receive tax exempt status.

The objective of the first years of the Foundation has been to build the funds under management to a sufficient quantum to allow us to fund projects from the earnings of the fund and to continue to build the capital base. This means that to date we haven’t been that conspicuous in our philanthropic efforts. But we have had some significant achievements. To date the following grants have been made:-

October 2000 $500 Goodwill grant to OHCS

July 2003 $1500 Grant towards the cost of heart diagnostic equipment

July 2005 $2000 Grant towards the fit-out costs of the Op Shop

June 2008 $5000 Grant to Apollo bay Pre-School to assist with construction of a new toilet block

Additionally, and very importantly, the Foundation was approached by OHCS in 2005 to help find a new home for the Op Shop. The Foundation responded favourably to this request and sold an asset that had been bequeathed to it to release the funds to purchase a shop. That shop is now leased to the Auxiliary and is the new home of the highly successful Op Shop.

The Apollo Bay & District Health Foundation seeks residents and visitors to become members of the Foundation. Our funds primarily come from bequests made by members and in our first 9 years we have raised about $750,000 which have been invested and we are aware of promises of another $250,000 in bequests. So, at the time of writing, we have assets and contingent assets of slightly more than $1,000,000