News

April 28, 2018 | IN Media Release and News | BY AVID | 3 min read

GOLD Coast Health workers who buy a property in Villa World’s Arundel Springs community are helping to raise vital funds to help reduce medical hardship for Gold Coast residents.

Villa World is donating $2,500 to the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation (GCHF) every time a Gold Coast Hospital and Health Staff member (GCHHS) purchases in the emerging residential community.

So far, $10,000 has been donated to the Foundation, helping this important local charity to fund and deliver ongoing health-based projects and services. These include transport for cancer patients, accommodation for family members of critically unwell babies and adults and life-changing health research.

Villa World general manager of sales and marketing Robyn Valmadre said the incentive built on the company’s existing relationship as an event sponsor of the GCHF.

“The foundation provides so many vital services for patients across the Gold Coast and we see this as an important community initiative that helps thousands of people in our community each year,” said Ms Valmadre.

“With Arundel Springs practically on the doorstep of the city’s major university hospital, it was a great way for us to contribute and a unique opportunity for us to encourage people who work in the area to live in the area.

“We’re delighted that four Gold Coast Hospital and Health workers have already got the ball rolling.”

The donation incentive is being offered across all 10 stages of Arundel Springs, which is just 500m from the Parkwood Light Rail Station.

GCHF CEO Kim Sutton said Villa World was the first property developer to form such an alliance with the foundation.

“We’re thrilled that this partnership allows us to offer a benefit to the more than 8,000 Gold Coast Health workers, while also benefiting local children and adults who are injured, unwell or disabled, and the broader community. It’s a real win, win,” Mrs Sutton said.

“All donations go towards medical projects, health support services, equipment and research. The Foundation exists to relieve distress and hardship that impacts so many lives as a result of serious illness and injury. Each year with support like this we are able to help more than 95,000 children and adults.

“The foundation doesn’t receive government funding and entirely relies on the local community and businesses to help fund vital services that wouldn’t otherwise be available through traditional funding.”

The foundation’s cancer transport service, which operates from as far south as Coolangatta and north to Coomera, is a crucial service for cancer patients who are too unwell to drive or have no support networks to help them make their daily treatments. The service assists approximately 1,500 local cancer patients making more than 7000 return trips between the patients’ homes and Gold Coast Cancer treatment facilities each year.

The foundation, which makes around $1 million in disbursements annually, most recently funded a special calming space, complete with couches, kitchen and bathroom facilities, at the university hospital to help support and soothe for the families of critically unwell children.

For more details visit www.gchfoundation.org.au and villaworld.com.au/arundel-springs.