Working Communities Network

Westgate Community Initiatives Group Ltd (WCIG) is a not for profit community organisation providing services including Disability, NDIS, Youth Training and also operates two social enterprises. WCIG provide Disability Employment Services as part of the Working Communities Network or WCN jobs.

For the past 5 years we have been working along side WCN jobs with employing local residents with a disability, either learning, mental health or physical to regain their self-esteem and sense of pride and fulfilment know that they are contributing to the local community.

Since we started working with WCN jobs, not only have we been able to provide employment to people in need and help them, it has also had a largely positive impact on our staff in regards to learning to have patients and understanding when it comes to people with disabilities.

Need For Feed and Lions Clubs Australia

Need for Feed was established back in 2006/7 in response to what was at that time the driest period on record and what became known as the Millennium Drought. The subsequent bushfires that raged as a consequence of the drought affected many farmers and rural communities.

At that time, reportedly 3 farmers per week around Australia were taking their own lives and many others walking off the land, unable to cope with circumstances beyond their control. This is what caught the attention of a Lions Club member, Graham Cockerell.

Graham had given away one small truckload of his own hay to a group of farmers burnt out in East Gippsland. When he saw the scale of the destruction and spoke to those affected, he returned home determined to do something about it. He talked to his Lions Club, got them on board and rounded up a group of mates to get involved with the fundraising and finding more hay.

Since then Need for Feed are now being managed 100% by Lions volunteers but have also been adopted as a national Project of Lions Australia.

Coming to the forefront during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 Need for feed have continued on each year through fires, floods and droughts to provide fodder and raising funds to keep the trucks rolling.

Camp Quality

Camp Quality’s services and programs are created specifically to support children aged up to 15 years, who are dealing with their own cancer diagnosis, or the diagnosis of someone they love, like a brother, sister, mum, dad or carer. 

Camp Quality provides kids, their siblings and parents, with fun experiences, education, specialised cancer care, counselling and a supportive community; in-hospital, online, at school and away from it all on camps and at our retreats. 

Annually Camp Quality holds a daylong convoy event that sees hundreds of trucks and motorbikes travel together from Avalon Raceway, travelling a specified route around the Geelong area and back to Avalon Raceway to raise much needed funds to help support Aussie kids who are facing the daily ups and downs of cancer. In the months leading up to the convoy we hold fundraising BBQs where our staff and customers have been very generous in donating to this fantastic cause!