07/09/2026
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In 2017 we were handed us a cheque for $5,000.
It was the first one we ever received. AGL Loy Yang were the first organisation to look at what we were building and back it before anyone else did. They didn't skip the following year and jump ship, they firmed their support. Prioritising sustainability in our community.
Nine years on, that partnership has shaped almost everything we do.
We've delivered education inside the walls of AGL for the whole journey from International Women's Day events, Mens Health Events, RUOK Day Seminars, Mental Health First Aid Training & Apprenticeship specific training.
Outside those walls we've worked across their catchment, running community events, parenting seminars, school programs and resources for families who otherwise wouldn't have had access to any of it.
That last part matters more than people realise. Gippsland communities miss out on a lot. Services get funded in the city and trickle out here if we're lucky. Having a partner willing to fund this work locally means a parent in a small town can sit in a seminar they'd never have travelled to Melbourne for. It means a primary school can run an evidence based wellbeing program without finding money they don't have.
Then there's the footy and netball. Through our partnership with the NGFNL we've delivered seminars in every club in the league, plus an annual mental health round. Changerooms, clubrooms, canteen queues. That's where these conversations actually land.
None of it happens without shared values. AGL Loy Yang never treated this as a logo on a banner or a transaction. They've turned up for nine years because they care about the same communities we do, had our back & joined in on our mission.
To everyone who's been part of this journey, thank you. And to AGL Loy Yang, thank you for saying yes long before anyone else did and for supporting community.
📷 - Paul Dodd
AGL