The Eastern Star Foundation has announced its largest-ever grant round since its inception as a philanthropic entity, with over $441,000 awarded to eight charities dedicated to improving the lives of older Queenslanders. This funding includes new recipients MS Queensland, Dreams2Live4, and Delta Therapy Dogs, as well as continued support for five organisations previously backed by the Foundation: Happy Paws Happy Hearts Foundation, The Legacy Club of Brisbane, World Wellness Group, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association Queensland.
Eastern Star Foundation Chair Jonathan Nantes expressed the Foundation’s pride in providing its most significant support for Queensland’s elderly since becoming a philanthropic foundation in 2019.
“This year, we are once again increasing our total grant funding and the number of grants awarded, empowering eight outstanding organisations to help older Queenslanders maintain choice, stay connected to their communities, build support networks, and experience healthy ageing,” Mr Nantes said.
The largest grant of $100,000 has been awarded to MS Queensland to support their Over 65 Allied Health and Community Engagement Pilot Program for one year. This new grant initiative will provide free physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, and social work services to older Queenslanders living with Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological conditions at their Neuro Wellness Hubs. These are purpose-built spaces designed to include advanced therapy equipment, exercise facilities and community engagement areas to promote both wellness and social connection.
Thanks to a new grant of $20,000 per year proposed for the next three years, Dreams2Live4 will now be able to help more women in Queensland living with advanced cancer to rediscover and live their dreams. This initiative offers them a much-needed escape from the realities of cancer, improving their mental health and bolstering their resilience to keep fighting.
A new grant of $20,000 for one year has been awarded to Delta Therapy Dogs, enabling more residents in Queensland’s aged care facilities to experience the benefits of regular visits from a friendly Therapy Dog team. This program helps build social connections and improves the mental health and wellbeing of residents.
Happy Paws Happy Hearts Foundation has received a grant of $93,478 for the first year of a three-year funding arrangement (reviewed annually) to continue their successful “Hearts and Paws Connect” Intergenerational Ageing Program. Following a successful pilot that received a $65,000 grant last year, which connected 196 older people, 24 socially isolated youth, and 32 rescue animals, the program has made a significant impact on wellbeing in three key areas: social life, feeling useful, and independence. With the additional funding, they will be expanding their program to include older Veteran groups as well as delivering the program to more age care facilities across South East Queensland. It is hoped that a multi-year funding arrangement of this program will support the service to be scalable and sustainable.
Elderly War Widows across Queensland will benefit from an additional grant of $91,998 to the Legacy Club of Brisbane, marking the first year of a three-year funding arrangement (reviewed annually). This grant will continue to support Legacy’s complex case management services, enabling the creation of personalised care plans to address the unique needs of individual widows. Furthermore, it will help sustain the 40 Laurel Socialisation Clubs, which serve over 400 elderly members, offering vital opportunities for social connection and peer support. Additionally, it will also enable Legacy to conduct an external review of their program, focused on Vietnam War Widows. Last year, the organisation also received a grant of $60,000 from the Foundation.
World Wellness Group will receive a further $50,000 to continue funding their Multicultural Healthy Ageing Social Link Program and provide a safety net for the organisation as they await the outcome from other funding sources and/or facilitate a seamless transition with the local community centre. This is the third year of funding for the program, bringing the total support over three years to $250,000. The program has successfully engaged over 150 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) seniors on Brisbane’s Northside each month, helping them connect with culturally appropriate resources, social activities, and support networks. An evaluation has been conducted to assess the program’s impact and provide valuable evidence to support the pursuit of long-term funding.
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) will receive an additional $15,700 for the first year of a three-year funding commitment (reviewed annually) to support their Health and Wellbeing Program (Healthy Ageing pillar). This program, which also received a $60,000 grant last year, brings small QSO ensembles to aged care facilities across South East and regional Queensland, along with two annual large-scale performances tailored to an ageing demographic in Brisbane. The program provides social, cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits for older adults, particularly those living with dementia. QSO will continue to build an evaluation framework to measure the Program’s impact, in partnership with Griffith University.
Lastly, Queenslanders living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), along with their families and carers, will benefit from a $50,000 grant for the second year of a three-year commitment to the Motor Neurone Disease Association Queensland. This funding will continue to support their Free Equipment for the Over 65s project, which addresses the significant gap in essential equipment available to older individuals living with MND. Providing access to this equipment will greatly improve their independence, communication, and socialisation.
“We were delighted to have the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the impact our philanthropic partners are making on the lives of Queensland’s elderly at the recent Order of the Eastern Star Grand Chapter of Queensland Installation. We look forward to hearing more about how these grants will continue to change lives,” said Mr Nantes.
