The Chief Minister, Andrew Barr has announced a new charitable fund to support local charities in their community work.
Mr Barr (pictured right) kicked off the fund, to be known as the Chief Minister’s Charitable Fund, with a $5 million donation from the Territory Government.
He said Canberra already had the highest rate of volunteering in the country, and the Government had a role to play in providing opportunities for local charities and community groups to access financial support.
“Local philanthropic group Hands Across Canberra has been nominated as the administrator of the fund,” Mr Barr said
“Hands Across Canberra is a trusted not-for-profit organisation with strong networks in our community and has developed a reputation for supporting a wide variety of causes and local charity organisations.”
Chair of Hands Across Canberra, Diane Kargas Bray (pictured next to Mr Barr) said this community investment provided the start of a perpetual fund to ensure the ability to support those who need it most into the future.
“This gift to the Canberra community is an amazing recognition of the difference we can make if we all work together,” Ms Bray said.
“The success of Hands Across Canberra has demonstrated the goodwill in our community, and we believe that the Chief Minister’s Charitable Fund will encourage an even higher level of philanthropy locally.”
She said the Fund demonstrated that the Government would continue to support Canberra’s most vulnerable people as the city continued to grow.
