If Christmas is a time of giving, then it could be considered Christmas every day at Lateral Building Design!

The team at LBD are heavily invested in giving back to the community. Throughout the year, Donna, John and the team participate in fundraising efforts for many worthy causes.

In the lead up to Christmas, we wanted to share how the LBD team helps various charities throughout the year.

Children of Gambia Services

Donna was part of the Australian arm of the Children of Gambia Services, a charity responsible for building a school and a well in The Gambia which is a remote part of West Africa. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, the Australian arm needed to close. The desire to help locally and abroad led Donna and John to Rotary.

Rotary

Donna and John have been members of Maroondah Rotary since April 2015. In 2016, Donna joined the board as Chair of Membership Marketing and PR and then became treasurer the following year, a role she still currently holds. John served as President of the club in 2020 – 2021, although being a service organisation during lockdown was challenging!

While Maroondah Rotary is small, they’re a mighty club that is a little bit M.A.D (aka make a difference!). Their goal is to create more awareness around Rotary, in particular their club and the difference they have made in the community.

Once considered a boys/men’s club made up of an older generation, Rotary now has a 50/50 split of male and female members with many aged in their 30’s right through to mid 70’s.

You can learn more about Rotary Maroondah by visiting https://www.maroondahrotary.org.au/ or their Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter pages.

Good Friday Appeal

The Good Friday Appeal raises money to enable the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne to provide world class care to children. Established in 1932, the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal raises funds throughout the year culminating in a telethon on Good Friday. More often than not, you will find Donna on the end of a phone line on Good Friday, something she has done for more than 10 years. To learn more about the Good Friday Appeal visit, https://www.goodfridayappeal.com.au

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) Squat Challenge

In 2022, the LBD team participated in the BCNA Squat Til You Drop Challenge requiring each team member to complete 57 squats daily for the month of March.

Committed to the cause, Donna and John ensured they completed their daily challenge whilst on holidays, doing some of their squats outside Parliament House!

There are many ways to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Network Australia. To see how you can help, visit https://nbcf.org.au/fundraise/

Remember September

Remember September raises awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer. The LBD team undertook a 68km walk in September to not only support the charity but also in support of a team member who lost their dad to pancreatic cancer recently. To learn more about Remember September or to support the Remember September LBD team, visit https://www.rememberseptember.org.au/fundraisers/LateralBuildingDesignFriends

Guide Dog Puppies

Since 2002, Donna and John have raised or provided short-term care for 10 guide dog puppies for Guide Dogs Victoria. Raising and providing care for guide dog puppies is a crucial part of the guide dog training process. Learn more about becoming a puppy raiser here, https://vic.guidedogs.com.au

The community service the LBD team participates in has a great impact. They not only raise funds and awareness for wonderful causes but also have a great time doing it.

If you would like to help others this Christmas, each of these worthy causes would be grateful for your contribution.