Josie Black Memorial
Josie Black OAM was the driving force behind the establishment of the South West Community Foundation. Her other roles included membership of South West TAFE Board, South West LLEN Board, the Greater Green Triangle Area Consultative Committee, South West Volunteering Initiative, Leadership Great South Coast, Terang and District Health Service, Corangamite Arts and others.
Josie described herself as a farmer and educator but her interests were diverse and passionate. She was actively engaged in a range of local and regional organisations supporting community development across several sectors, including education and training, health, regional tourism, arts and youth development. She was committed to the sustainability of rural communities and fostered partnerships and collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Josie was named Corangamite Shire Citizen of the Year in 1998, was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2000 and in 2007 was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. She leaves a significant and lasting legacy.
Kate Armbruster Memorial
Kate was a young resident of Port Fairy, noted for her boundless energy and active involvement with community causes. She was a strong supporter of environmental issues, youth disadvantage and cultural activity in her church and community.
She died prematurely from leukemia during 2012 and her many friends decided to perpetuate her memory and work by establishing a memorial fund. Establishment of the memorial provided an outlet for the frustration felt by many people in not being able to help Kate during her time of crisis.
Her friends hope this memorial will generate income that will support granting towards community music and the needs of young people in the region.
Louise & Robert Manifold
The Manifold family has been involved in the Western District for several generations.
“We have been living and working our sheep farming property for more than 30 years. Recently we have become more interested in the family tradition of philanthropy and have been looking for ways to give back to the community. We were attracted to the South West Community Foundation because of its local focus. For us it was important that the money we gave stayed within the local geographic area and went to help people who live in south west Victoria.”
– Robert and Louise
Frank Paatsch Memorial
This memorial was established by Helen Paatsch in memory of her late husband, Frank. As a fourth generation Colac resident, Frank had a strong connection to his community and this named memorial fund honours his involvement and input. Through this lasting legacy the good citizenship and generosity Frank exhibited in life will continue to benefit the Colac community for perpetuity. Helen has previously been directly involved in the Foundation through her roles as a board director and chair of the Colac Sub-fund. The Foundation thanks Helen for her hard work in her time in these roles and passing on the mantle of Chair of the Colac Sub Fund to Robyn Alexander.
Named Benefactors
The Foundation’s Named Benefactors, both individuals and organisations have donated a minimum of $10,000 to the Foundation.