OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY
Community is at the heart of everything we do here at Red Energy Arena. It’s at the core of our values and a key priority in our planning and day-to-day business activities.
From the smaller initiatives like hosting fundraising lunches, to the larger such as court accessibility – we continue to maintain our focus on community support and contributions in 2023.
Our court accessibility alone for Bendigo Basketball Association and Bendigo Volleyball Association equated to $290,000 for the last financial year. We estimate this to be an average of $250,000 per financial year over the past 5 years.
In addition to this, we have contributed $127,916 on our Community Benefit Statement to other sporting groups, charities, and Not for Profit groups.
2023 MCDONALD’S BENDIGO JUNIOR CLASSIC
Over the weekend, we held our biggest basketball tournament of the year – The 2023 McDonald’s Bendigo Junior Classic.
This 3-day long basketball tournament saw 331 teams participating from all around Victoria.
That equates to over 3,300 young athletes plus their families who were in Bendigo for the duration of the annual tournament.
According to the Remplan Economy report, this tournament contributed over $3 million to the broader Bendigo region in 2022, something which we are extremely proud of.
With an influx of teams participating over the weekend, we anticipate that this figure will increase.
We recognise the strong flow-on effect that our events and tournaments can have to local businesses and our community, including accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes and retailers. Ensuring eventgoers have the best overall experience whilst in Bendigo is important to us.
CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
Throughout 2022, there were many times we felt deeply connected to the Bendigo community and our neighbouring towns.
A moment that stands out was supporting the Bendigo and Rochester community throughout the Victorian flood crisis.
Our team was able to provide a full day of sports with elite athletes, and food from our restaurant.
In addition to this, we were lucky enough to have the facilities and resources to prepare many hot meals for our local SES volunteers, who were spending time away from their own families to help others in need.
Other fundraising initiatives we’re proud of from 2022 include our fundraising lunch for Lifeline’s ‘Hello for Hope’ and our October fundraising campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness month.
In 2022 we set out with a mission to link up with various community organisations and NFPs to provide services and support, and expose young people from all backgrounds to basketball, netball, volleyball and other sports.
We will continue with these efforts in 2023.
A testament to our ongoing efforts and commitment to community was winning the 2022 Best Family Community Club of the Year at the Community Clubs Victoria Awards.
CREATING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
We currently employ approximately 170 people across Red Energy Arena, which includes our 15 staff members employed through the Axis Employment program – an employment program that supports people living with disability find and sustain employment.
We recognise that being a large employer in the Bendigo region, we can have a strong economic and social impact on the wellbeing of the community and be a key driver in promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.
As a passionate and dedicated team, we look forward to continuing this commitment throughout 2023 and beyond, by ensuring we support and contribute to our community even more.