Unico and its staff are committed to changing our world for the better. As part of our commitment to the community and to triple bottom line growth, Unico is proud of the creation of the Unico Community Fund, a sub-fund of Melbourne Community Foundation.

The fund cements our commitment to our local community by giving the company and its staff the opportunity to help through donations of time, in-kind support and money. The fund brings Unico’s charitable and philanthropic activities under one umbrella, providing focus and a single point of contact.

Unico provided an initial capital injection to create a base for the fund and a staff giving program allows staff to donate via tax-effective salary sacrifice. So far, over 40% of Unico’s staff are contributing to the fund through salary sacrifice. Staff donations and investment returns are distributed to charitable and philanthropic organisations on a quarterly basis.

The fund’s initial focus is in Melbourne and Sydney where Unico is based. The fund’s broad target areas are:

• Social disadvantage
• Environment
• The arts

For more information on Melbourne Community Foundation, please visit their website www.communityfoundation.org.au.

Some of the charities and organisations we have supported

Braybrook-Maidstone Youth Partnership project

The Unico Community Fund’s first project was a $5,000 donation plus in-kind support to the Braybrook-Maidstone Youth Enterprise Hub project run by Melbourne CityMission. You can find more information about the project here.

In addition to the donation, Unico’s HR Department worked with the Melbourne City Mission to conduct mock job interviews for 6 young adults participating in the WHEELS Program (a Victorian Government initiative). One of the programs objectives is to provide young underprivileged adults with employment skills.

Feedback from the Unico HR team & Melbourne City Mission has been very positive and we have advised Melbourne City Mission that we can assist with similar programs in the future.

Westmead Hospital (Parrammatta)

As Unico maintains a significant presence in Parramatta, it was decided that Unico’s next donation would be focused in Sydney. The choice of the Unico Parramatta team was a donation to the Westmead Hospital, due to its good standing within the community and the opportunity to provide further in-kind assistance due to its close proximity to the Parramatta office.

After liasing with the Hospital the money was directed to the Social Work Department, whose role is to minimise the impact, both practical and emotional, of illness and hospitalisation on children and their families. This is done by working directly with individuals, families and groups. Another key role is to provide support and bereavement counselling for the parents and siblings of children who have died in hospital.

Children’s Protection Society - “I’m a Mum” project

This fund:

• Supports women attending the Transition or any other ante-natal Clinic at the Mercy Hospital for Women (MHW) and / or CPS Family Services Program to maintain their lives free from crisis
• Ensures that pregnant women obtain financial support to eat well, maintain their accommodation, education or address other issues to avoid poverty
• Provides better health outcomes for both the mother and the baby, including building stronger attachment between them.
• Supports the “I’m a Mum” partnership between CPS and MHW as a key component to support vulnerable women in their parenting.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre - “Community Garden Project”

The community garden aims to:

• Provide local organic produce to the Community Meals Program (eg. daily free lunches) of the ASRC
• Provide invaluable skills and expertise to asylum seekers in terms of vegetable gardening.
• Create an opportunity for asylum seekers to engage in meaningful and life-affirming activities during this crisis period of their lives.
• Build confidence and empower participants through active engagement.

The Smith Family 2008 Christmas Toy and Book Appeal

Unico and staff pulled together with very short notice to contribute 85 new toys and books to the appeal. A great effort that no doubt went a long way in making Christmas a happier time for many kids.

Burma and China Appeal

On hearing of the devastating situations in Burma and China in 2008, a once-off salary deduction was set-up to enable employees to contribute a nominated amount to the relief efforts in the respective regions.

A fantastic result was achieved, with $3,739 ($7,478 including Unico co-contribution) was donated to Medecins Sans Frontiers for relief efforts in Burma and $2292 ($4,584 including Unico co-contribution) was delivered to the Red Cross for relief efforts in China.

The Sliding Door Cafe

Future chefs, caterers and hospitality staff are learning the tips and tricks of the café world through the Sliding Door Café at the Reservoir Civic Centre.

Sliding Door is run as a ‘community café’ – a non-profit social enterprise that provides valuable hospitality training for people from the local community. Staff in the cafe work towards their Certificate II in Hospitality, opening the door to future jobs.

Under the guidance of Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education and Thornbury Women’s Neighbourhood House, trainees and volunteers build up their work experience and skills at the café, increasing their chances of employment.

The Unico Community Fund was able to assist them with a substantial donation in March when they were very short of funds. We are very pleased to hear that since then they have received additional funding to continue their great work.

For more information on the Unico Community Fund, please contact us.