Sydney Anglicare’s Bondi office’s final Care 2 Run campaign in conjunction with Cafe Anglicare has raised $30,000, metres from the finishing line.
The event is the last to be run by the Bondi office, but will continue, as Sydney Anglicare’s head office in conjunction with St Andrew’s Bondi Beach takes on the task.
The money raised is going towards three of Sydney Anglicare's services: the parenting/playgroup in Redfern; emergency relief in Darlinghurst and
assistance for homeless youth through the "Street Outreach' program.
Fundraising Manager at Sydney Anglicare, Gabriel Lacoba, said the 200 metre distance from the race finish line to the church café " which offered food and family entertainment " definitely helped attract people.
"St Andrew's close proximity to the finish line was a huge bonus. It really helped to bring people into the café, especially young people who enjoyed the food and live music," Mr Lacoba said.
Mr Lacoba said the Care 2 Run campaign partnership between Sydney Anglicare and St Andrew's Anglican Church was a great way to build relationships with the local community of South East Sydney and all the other tourists who attended the City 2 Surf.
"It's great to be able to feed and entertain the runners and their families, but the way in which Café Anglicare raised funds for our services and opened contacts which could help to make Jesus known in our community, was fantastic," Mr Lacoba said.
Candace Lamplough, coordinator of the Care 2 Run campaign, said the café was a great place for families and friends to meet up for a chat and some fun.
"Friends and family seemed to really enjoy themselves on the day. Café Anglicare was a fantastic place to come for great food and a rest after the race," Mrs Lamplough said.
Time to say goodbye to Bondi
The closure of Anglicare Sydney's Bondi Beach regional office will start at the end of this month with family services at Bondi ceasing operation. A new office will be opened elsewhere in South Sydney region.
With Bondi's rector, the Rev Tom Henderson-Brooks resigning earlier this year, the move is a blow for the parish. But regional bishop Robert Forsyth says it will mark the start of a new era.
"We're very thankful for the wonderful way in which Anglicare has contributed to the parish of Bondi," he says. "We're sorry they're going but this forces the parish to move onto the next stage."
Anglicare's partnership with St Andrew's, Bondi " the first of its kind " began nine years ago, when the parish was struggling and unable to pay a full-time minister.
Since then Anglicare has supported playgroups, family support, emergency relief and a work-for-the-dole scheme.
Anglicare also bankrolled the parish by renting office space and purchasing a rectory now rented by the church. In turn, St Andrew's provided pastoral support for Anglicare clients with an interest in Christianity.
Mr Henderson-Brooks fulfilled the two part-time roles of curate-in-charge at Bondi Beach and regional manager for Anglicare in south-east Sydney until April last year, when the parish was able to support him full-time.
Anglicare will continue to support the parish, says Bondi's office manager Jill Wrathall. "We still want to support the church, especially as they look for a new minister."
Anglicare has secured Government funding for its Bondi playgroup until June 2009, and will support a worker there after the office moves out.
"For the short term, our emergency relief program will remain at Bondi and we will continue to support the community through our supported playgroups program there," said Sydney Anglicare's director of Community Care, Ian Jackson.
