Black and Stone provides financial sponsorship, time and energy to support a variety of local community and global causes.
Winter 2013 - Our goal, to provide sleeping bags to assist the homeless.
Black and Stone wanted to provide tangible assistance to our less fortunate and disadvantaged Australians; the homeless, who often struggle to stay warm during winter.
Black and Stone’s goal was to provide a large quantity of good quality sleeping bags, to be given to the homeless. So, when we decided to lend a helping hand, we looked no further than ClothesLine Incorporated, a Sydney based charity that provides direct assistance to Sydney's disadvantaged.
Founded and operated by Stephen Cowie and assisted by a host of volunteers, ClothesLine's mission is to support homeless and disadvantaged Australians, by providing them with new, or good quality used clothing and other essential items such as blankets and toiletries. ClothesLine’s aim is to make a noticeable difference to the lives of the needy and disadvantaged by improving their comfort, self-image and employment prospects.
Nearly all of the clothing donated to charities in Australia never reaches its intended target, which are the homeless and disadvantaged. It is either sold in charity (op) shops, to raise funds for other projects or it is shipped to buyers overseas. ClothesLine guarantees to distribute direct, to Australia’s disadvantaged, 100% of all the new or good quality used clothing, donated to them.
To find out more about the work of ClothesLine, visit their website: ClothesLine.org.au
1. Black and Stone CEO Graham Brake (left) and ClothesLine Chairman Stephen Cowie (Right). 2. Graham and Stephen with some of this years shipment of sleeping bags. 3. Graham. 4. Annabel (our Business Administration Manager). 5. Graham, Stephen, Chris (our Marketing Director) and Annabel.
Micro Financing Projects - Tanzania
Black and Stone is a financial supporter of the Mama Bahati Foundation (MBF), a local micro finance Non-Governmental Organisation that has been in
operation in Iringa since February 2006.
The Foundation was started by the former Archbishop of Tanzania, Donald Mtetemela as a means of tackling the nationwide problem of poverty.
MBF gives loans and business training to
women starting and running small enterprises. An average
starting loan is typically
AUD $50.00.
MBF also provides regular business training to help them make loan applications, business plans, market their products / services and budget and organise their finances. MBF has a strict procedure for approving loan applications, vetting group membership and securing loan repayments.
The mission of MBF is to be a sustainable Microfinance institution with a focus on up-lifting the living standards of communities in urban and rural areas in the Iringa region by:
To find out more about the Mama Bahati Foundation in Tanzania, visit the Five Talents website: FiveTalents.org
Recently Black & Stone responded to the need for better transport for Foundation staff by donating funds towards motorbikes for two of its Credit Officers. They were gratefully received by (ret.) Archbishop Mtetemela who reported that the Board of the Mama Bahati Foundation had given a vote of thanks to Black & Stone. He added that the donation 'has helped so much in reducing the budget for expenditure. The money saved will be used towards providing loans to our poor women.'
Black & Stone CEO Mr Graham Brake was delighted to get on board to support the valuable work of the Foundation. 'It's marvellous to see how the loans provided by the Mama Bahati Foundation can transform the lives of women and their families' he said.
The mission of MBF is to be a sustainable Microfinance institution with a focus on up-lifting the living standards of communities in urban and rural areas in the Iringa region by:
To find out more about the Mama Bahati Foundation in Tanzania, visit the Five Talents website: FiveTalents.org
The Southern Highlands biggest Christmas event. The Bowral Family Carols is a public event held in December each year in Bowral New South Wales. Being our hometown, Black and Stone is a major sponsor of this event.
Visit the Bowral Family Carols website: BowralFamilyCarols.org
