FROM HAMPERS TO HOSPITALS…. Kids West spreading goodwill
SASWATI MUKHERJEE
KIDS West’s donation made to Foodbank NSW/ACT ensured that 20,000 meals were provided to those in need.
Together with Blacktown City Lions Club, they travelled to Quirindi to donate over 400 Christmas gifts, and gift cards to Country Women’s Association (CWA).
They also worked with Liverpool Plains Business Chamber, also in Quirindi, to spread holiday cheer to families still a ected by oods and drought over the past years and trying to get back on their feet.
They further identi ed families from Blacktown, Mount Druitt and Nepean areas through social and healthcare workers, in need of support over the Christmas period. For them were hampers, nancial support and Christmas gifts.
Also, prior to Christmas, they joined hands with Blacktown Ponds Lions Club to raise $20,000 for much needed equipment at Mount Druitt Hospital.
They donated well over $260,000 in much- needed equipment to various places, including Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Nepean and Campbelltown hospitals.
Meet the good Samaritans at Kids West, who brought along Christmas cheer and warmth for those who were not as fortunate to experience the same festive joy as the rest of the revellers.
This was certainly not a one-o kind of help from them, Kids West goes back a long way in helping the community.
The History
Founded by Trevor Old eld and Professor Reuben Dubois of Westmead hospital in 1991, they were initially formed to raise some much-needed funds for the hospitals in Sydney’s West.
Recognizing the shortage of crucial equipment and resources in hospitals such as Auburn, Westmead, Blacktown, Mt Druitt, Campbelltown and Nepean, Kids West was welcomed as a charity which aimed at identifying the real
needs in the infrastructure and lling gaps wherever possible.
As on December 2024 Kids West had donated more than $7M supporting families in need, procuring specialised equipment for paediatric wards throughout Western Sydney and Rural NSW.
“We are proud to have worked alongside many other charities for a common goal, such as Ronald McDonald House, The Salvation Army, The Millennium Foundation, Canteen, Lions Clubs and many schools and day care centres,” says Trevor Old eld, Executive Director at Kids West.
“We believe that through our ability to provide much-needed equipment, education and through accident awareness programs we will enrich the lives of those less fortunate and prevent serious accidents and save lives.”
Over the years, they have recruited board member volunteers from NSW
Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade as well as local business leaders, doctors, nurses and experts in administration. This, the group believes has given them an advantage in fund raising and ensures that funds are distributed in the best possible way to help the community.
The Way Ahead
Kids West is in talks to revamp the ‘how to cope with a crying baby’ project, formally the Shaken Baby project, which is now operating in 17 countries. Kids West was instrumental in seed funding it 23 years ago. A local charity, one of Kids West objective is to make life easier for children with disabilities, especially those requiring specialised equipment, to learn new skills and participate in activities they may not otherwise be able to do.
Visit: www. www.kidswest.org.au
