Pegasus Riding for the Disabled is one of four charities that will benefit from the sale of the Strathnairn Charity House. Photo: Pegasus.
Four Canberra charities hope to receive a windfall of around $150,000 each when the Strathnairn Charity House at Ginninderry goes under the hammer on 25 March.
Hands Across Canberra, Pegasus Riding for the Disabled, Karinya House and Canberra City Care were chosen to receive a massive injection of funds because of the fantastic work they are doing to assist families living in the west Belconnen area.
Hands Across Canberra CEO Peter Gordon said the charity house project was an unexpected financial boost that would help charities doing “incredible” work on the ground.
“This is a major injection of funds that will allow these really wonderful Canberra charities to do things they wouldn’t have dreamt of,” he said.
“These local charities will be thrilled to get one or two hundred thousand dollars. It’s just really great.”
Peter said the money would help Hands Across Canberra, the city’s independent community foundation, enhance its grant program for the 360 organisations it supports.
Run by a voluntary board of directors, Hands Across Canberra was founded in 2010 by a group of local leaders to create a foundation to help fellow Canberrans and give back to the community. Its goal is to raise funds for community-service organisations working with the city’s most vulnerable individuals and families while also embedding a culture of giving.
Pegasus Riding for the Disabled, one of Canberra’s oldest local charities, will use the funds for major projects and to continue delivering therapeutic horse-facilitated programs and activities to adults and children with a disability.
Horse riding and being around horses offer physical, psychological, social and educational benefits for people with disabilities. For those unable to ride, Pegasus offers a ‘Horseability’ program where participants learn to look after a horse, to feel and smell the horse on the farm, socialise with like-minded people and have fun.
Pregnant or parenting women will benefit from the Karinya House funding as the organisation works with women to provide safety, shelter and a positive support network.
Karinya is a place of sanctuary and growth for women, providing practical support, professional services and opportunities that enable the development of confidence, a positive sense of self and personal skills.
The stunning charity home will go to auction on 25 March. Photo: Kiernan May.
People experiencing financial hardship will benefit from Canberra City Care’s practical services, including HandUp Food Care, which stocks a range of affordable food and everyday essentials; The Tech Shed, which provides affordable computers and technical support to pensioners and low-income earners; as well as the Re-Runs Op Shop.
Canberra City Care also operates the Harvest Garden and Kitchen where fresh food is grown to create healthy, low-cost meals, while its Christians Against Poverty (CAP) group helps people become free of debt and poverty.
Around 60 Canberra businesses donated or provided discounted goods and services to the Strathnairn Charity House project led by Ginninderry and Master Builders Australia.
Ginninderry Project Director Stephen Harding said the four charities do “crucial community work for those in need”.
“It was important to us that the benefiting charities not only exemplified our values, but their impact was within the West Belconnen region,” he said.
“We are delighted to play a part in helping their efforts.”
Peter says the new owner of the stunning architect-designed property will have a home they can feel proud of, knowing it was built with love by the community, for the community.
“They can go away feeling they have the best house in Ginninderry, as well as knowing they will help literally hundreds of Canberrans,” he said.
“They will have a unique story to tell when they look out those beautiful timber windows, that cost the house nothing because of the generosity of the community and local businesses.”
The project follows the sale of two charity houses in Deakin which generated more than $2 million for Hands Across Canberra in 2016.
Designed and constructed with love, Strathnairn Charity House is a four-bedroom, split-level home with a self-contained wing offering a retreat for parents, extended family or guests.
Located at 41 Rachel Makinson Street, the property will go to auction on Saturday, 25 March, at 1 pm.
It will be open for inspection on:
- Thursday, 16 March, 5:30 pm – 6 pm
- Saturday, 18 March, 3 pm – 3:30 pm
- Wednesday, 22 March, 5:30 pm – 6 pm
- Thursday, 23 March, 5:30 pm – 6 pm.
For more information, visit the Strathnairn Charity House webpage, or contact:
- Lisa Silberberg at Ray White Canberra on 0416 227 666
- Cris O’Brien at home.byholly on 0409 308 038
- Natalie Kokic Schmidt at MARQ Property on 0428 082 885
- Rachel Anasson at MARQ Property on 0499 333 217, or
- Sandra Masters at LJ Hooker Kippax on 0416 121 155.
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