OUR STORY

2025 is the Foundation's 9th year of operation. With many challenges met and goals achieved, most importantly more than 100 Aussie heroes have now attended our "Triumph over Trauma" Program.

Gerry Garard, a National Service 2nd Lieutenant and Vietnam Veteran, who spent most of his working life in Corporate Management, and his wife Renita, dual Olympic Gold Medalist and Principal of Aspire 2 Thrive, a Taxation, Accounting & Business Advisory company, established the 4 Aussie Heroes Foundation in 2016 with the express purpose of aiding and supporting military and first responder personnel, past and present, who are suffering and struggling with PTSD and related mental health issues as a result of serving our Communities and our Nation.

The years of 2017 through to 2023 were taken up with:

  • the development “from scratch” of Australia’s first holistic short term, live-in Program for military and first responder personnel with PTSD and related mental health issues, and which includes partners / support persons for part of the time
  • Put in place the Foundations governance structures including a Board of Directors,
  • extensive research,
  • the development of numerous policy documents and guidelines,
  • successfully applying for DGR1 concessional tax status,
  • forging relationships with key people and organisations,
  • engaging our first full time Manager-Program Services employee,
  • the delivery of 13 sets of our own unique, shot-term live-in “Triumph over Trauma” and related “Refresh” Programs since 2019, with great results, conducted primarily at The Outlook, Boonah, which consolidated the Foundation’s existence as an innovative organisation not only filling a gap in the rehabilitation process for the demographic it exists to serve but achieving incredibly worthwhile results.
  • serious fundraising,
  • incredibly generous financial support committed to the Foundation’s Program activities by the John T Reid Charitable Trusts, Coopers Foundation, The Funding Network, The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, ICAP, The Mental Awareness Foundation, The Kevin & Thelma Driscol Foundation, RSL (QLD), the James Frizelle Charitable Foundation, and Hand Heat Pocket – The Charity of Freemasons Queensland,
  • the Gifting of a magnificent 32 acre rural block of land from the Founders, Renita and Gerry Garard, upon which “Camp Courage” is being constructed to deliver the Foundation’s live-in Programs,
  • a successful MID (Ministerial Infrastructure Designation) approval in 2021 by the state government, for the establishment of the entire “Camp Courage” rehab Retreat development in the Scenic Rim Region of South East Queensland,
  • much voluntary work at the “Camp Courage” site, in “cleaning up” virgin scrub ready for our capital development,
  • the James Frizelle Charitable Foundation paying an incredibly generous sum for Naming Rights of “Camp Courage”,
  • incredibly generous donations in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, towards “Camp Courage” construction costs, by Marcus & Caroline Blackmore, Rob & Pamela Robson and the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation,
  • Many successful charity events including “Pedals ‘n Medals” Bike Rides, “Shambolic Golfaholic” Golf Days, and “Horses 4 Courses” Race Days.
  • completion and adoption of formal Theory of Change and Impact Assessment Framework documentation, made possible by a grant from Hand Heat Pocket - The Charity of Freemasons Queensland,
  • receipt of specifically designated funding and funding commitments, to allow for the employment of a CEO, to replace Gerry the ageing Director, Co-Founder and fulltime Volunteer,
  • Construction of the internal roadways, reticulation of power and water, at “Camp Courage”,
  • a successful application to DVA resulting in partial (12%) capital funding for “Camp Courage”.

In 2024 many milestones were achieved:

  • continuing successful, and adequately funded, “Triumph over Trauma” and “Refresh” Programs. Four more sets of Programs were delivered which took our total of first responder and military personnel who have a much better quality of life due to participation in our Programs, to over 100.
  • further success in our targeted capital fundraising campaign to get to the $7.2 million estimated capital cost of “Camp Courage”,
  • 80% completion of the “Camp Courage” rehab Retreat development.

What's in store for 2025:

  • Completion of “Camp Courage” and commencement of Programs at our beautiful rural Retreat,
  • Fundraising events starting in March with our “Shambolic Golfaholic” Charity Golf Day, followed by another Golf Day in June, “Horses 4 Courses” Race Day in September and our “Pedals ‘n Medals” Bike Ride in October. “Mables Tables” will run throughout the year.
  • Hopefully many volunteer working bees at “Camp Courage”, to establish gardens and maintain the grounds.
  • Advocating for local and federal government funding contributions towards the cost of our Programs, which will enable us to run them more frequently and at no cost to the participants.

 

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