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December 20, 2023 | IN Media Release and News | BY socialgarden | 4 min read

Villaworld Homes by AVID Property Group (AVID) held its eighth annual Golf Classic charity fundraising day at Royal Pines Golf Club, raising a significant $110,000 for MATES in Construction (MATES) and the Property Industry Foundation, on Friday 24 November 2023.

Over 150 suppliers and subcontractors came together for a day on the green, all in the name of raising funds for mental health and suicide prevention in the construction industry and providing support to homeless youth.

AVID General Manager Housing Peter Wood said the annual event was a resounding success, with the Villaworld Homes by AVID team, its partners, and plenty of special guests eager to take a swing to support two charities that are making a difference.    

“The past few years have been challenging, with a growing demand for mental health services[1] and youth homelessness rates increasing[2],” Mr Wood said.

“The work of MATES and the Property Industry Foundation resonates deeply with AVID as well as all our contractors and suppliers, and these partnerships allows us to make a small difference to our workforce and those doing it tough.”

Joining in on the fundraising fun were AFL legend and radio host Peter ‘Spida’ Everrett, golfing professional Lily Baker, NRL royalty Scott Sattler, and superstar pooch, Digby the Dulux Dog.

“It was a fantastic turn-out, and we’re so proud of everyone who came together with such enthusiasm to raise such a considerable amount of money for the charities in challenging times,” Mr Wood said.

Villaworld Homes by AVID will hand over a cheque of $55,000 to each of the charities after counting the money raised from the day. The Golf Classic has now contributed a combined $650,000 to its charity partners.

Although AVID has had a long-term relationship with the Property Industry Foundation, this is the first year the event has been held in partnership with important not-for-profit.

Property Industry Foundation Queensland State Manager Antoinette Rusby-Perera said the Foundation was exceptionally proud to be the charity of choice for the Villaworld Homes Golf Classic and that the money raised will go supporting homeless youth in Queensland.

“Every young person deserves to feel safe and secure, and that starts with a place to live – concerningly however, in Queensland alone, close to 10,000 young people (9,595 people aged 12-24 years old) are experiencing homelessness or don’t have a stable roof over their heads,” Ms Rusby-Perera said.

“The funds raised today will help to support our unique funding model, The Haven Project, which helps build homes for homeless youth and provide them a safe place to live as well as offer an essential lifeline to empower them and break the cycle of hardship.

“We are honoured to be partnering with Villaworld Homes for the Golf Classic this year and are grateful to AVID and the wider property and construction industry for its long-term support – helping us to raise and distribute more than $2 million to youth homelessness since our inception.”

CEO of MATES in Construction QLD/NT Nick Thompson said “Villaworld Homes have consistently fundraised and supported MATES for over a decade which is more than just financial support. It is the trust and acknowledgment that the MATES program saves lives.”

“The MATES program logic of General Awareness Training, Connector Training and ASIST Training has been effective and in operation for the last 15 years. The incredibly generous donations that AVID continue to raise for MATES has allowed us to make sure we have new programs in supporting supervisors in the construction industry, assisting apprentices and young workers, and developing skills within the industry to support construction workers in the event of a critical incident or suicide. “AVID is a leader in fundraising for MATES and the industry cannot thank them enough for supporting them in suicide prevention initiatives,” he said.

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[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2022: National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

[2] Australian Bureau of Statistic, Estimating Homelessness: Census (2021)